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SleepEatJeepRepeat

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My 2020 wonder to the point of safety issue, I put in a new track bar and a bi directional steering stabilizater which made it safe, but it’s still a bear on long drives
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mjgood

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New forum member here...
I traded in my 2017 JKU Sport for a JLU Sahara.. For me, the steering is exceptional compared to the JK..
I drive from Houston to Texas Hill country (250 miles) every couple weeks.. even on the windiest days the JL holds the road, my JK was all over the place.. for me the steering is almost comparable to my wife's Grand Cherokee... build date on mine is 02/20..
 

VKSheridan

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Welcome to the forum MJ, I’m envious of your good fortune!
 
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On issues like this, while satisfied customers will also pipe up, the comments tend to come from people who are adversely impacted. That's just human nature. Will someone hazard a guess as to what percentage of JL owners are unhappy with the steering. Is it negligible or a more alarming number?
 

2mnycars

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In case you haven't seen the newest issue of Motor Trend, they have positive news on the steering issues:

"I dedicated our previous 2019 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon update to discussing the pros and cons of owning and driving a Wrangler every day. Having spent some time recently in a 2020 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon EcoDiesel, it appears that one of my chief complaints about our Jeep's steering has been addressed.​
One of my biggest issues with our Wrangler has been its steering feel. Its heavy steering has a tendency to wander ever so slightly back and forth while driving in a straight line, which means the driver has to make constant little corrections to the steering wheel. In small doses, it's not much of an issue, but if you're spending more than an hour behind the wheel per day—as I do sitting in Los Angeles' traffic going back and forth to MotorTrend HQ—it gets tiring. It gets even more exhausting on long road trips.​
And then, a bright yellow 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon EcoDiesel showed up to our offices for a test, with my name on it. I could tell something was different by the time I'd exited the parking lot—its steering feel was significantly lighter and lower-effort while still retaining feel of the road. After an hourlong drive home (an hour in which I wasn't constantly chasing the Jeep's steering), I fired off a quick email to Jeep's PR reps to see if there was something mechanically different between our 2019 Wrangler's steering and this newer 2020 one, or if I was just going crazy and clearly needed to find a new career path.​
Unlucky for you, I was right—Jeep's reps helpfully confirmed that Wrangler engineers had made both steering gear valve tuning and pump calibration changes that would result in lighter, lower-effort steering. The change definitely made it harder for me to get back into my 2019 long-termer."​
I truly appreciate your post.
Our Jeep JLU wanders; we told the dealer the day we picked it up. WANDERER would be a good licence plate. The old beaten-to-death ex Army jeep I used to drive in the mid '60's had a reason to wander.
I NEED to get this fixed. 2019JLU.
 

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2mnycars

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Thanks for your post. I haven't touched or adjusted my steering box. There must be a fix.
 

Visible15

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The steering gearbox adjustment IS the fix. I have around 30k miles on my 2018 JLUR after the gearbox adjustment (and tightening of all the steering linkage joints) and it still drives great.

On my wife's 2018 JLU MOAB I did only the Mopar lower control arms for about 20k miles. It was OK but that change in caster reduced the response and increased the turning radius. So I just put the original lower control arms back on and made the steering gearbox adjustment and the MOAB now drives great.

I've made the gearbox adjustment on a friends JLUR as well.
What gearbox adjustment exactly are you referring to? Purchasing a new/the upgraded one?

Been to the dealer 2-3 times since learning of a newer gearbox version, refusal to replace for the newer gearbox, even though it's still under warranty.
 

Hellayalla22

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New here Hi, My jlu with 12 inch wide wheels and 35×12.5×20's drives really nice even down I-40 @ 77mph coming from a jku
 

2mnycars

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Hey! Wrote the article in question--Jeep has confirmed to me that the changes were made to all 2020MY Wranglers and Gladiators, regardless of powertrain. On the same day our 2020 Wrangler EcoDiesel tester showed up a 2020 Gladiator Rubicon did, too. It also featured similar steering to the 2020 JL.
Thanks Christian!
Our JLU wanders. We reported it the day we took it home.
I'm concerned and expect it to be fixed. I hope that the new JEEPS development leads to a good fix for those of us that have complained.
 

2mnycars

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What gearbox adjustment exactly are you referring to? Purchasing a new/the upgraded one?

Been to the dealer 2-3 times since learning of a newer gearbox version, refusal to replace for the newer gearbox, even though it's still under warranty.
I would have called it the steering box; in the old days they were called Pitman boxes. There's an adjustment on the top that I've not touched.
 

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2mnycars

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The steering gearbox adjustment IS the fix. I have around 30k miles on my 2018 JLUR after the gearbox adjustment (and tightening of all the steering linkage joints) and it still drives great.

On my wife's 2018 JLU MOAB I did only the Mopar lower control arms for about 20k miles. It was OK but that change in caster reduced the response and increased the turning radius. So I just put the original lower control arms back on and made the steering gearbox adjustment and the MOAB now drives great.

I've made the gearbox adjustment on a friends JLUR as well.
Thanks Deek!
May I send you a PM? I have a question to ask.
I've adjusted steering boxes in Volvo's but wish to talk to you because you have successfully adjusted yours.
 

Dkretden

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New forum member here...
I traded in my 2017 JKU Sport for a JLU Sahara.. For me, the steering is exceptional compared to the JK..
I drive from Houston to Texas Hill country (250 miles) every couple weeks.. even on the windiest days the JL holds the road, my JK was all over the place.. for me the steering is almost comparable to my wife's Grand Cherokee... build date on mine is 02/20..
My 2020 build date is 11/19. I can essentially drive without hand on the wheel on long straight freeway (NO WIND) at 70mph and not have to correct the steering, seemingly, any more than a passenger sedan.

when I purchased, I went to the dealer. They had the Rubicon I wanted. I took it on a test drive on the freeway. I focused on the steering and made sure I liked it. Drove back to the dealership and closed the deal.

for the life of me I cannot really appreciate how someone can take a test drive then proceed to buy the vehicle, then 3 weeks later decide that it has steering issues. But, it seems to happen on this forum a lot. Some folks say “my dealer didn’t let me take it on the freeway.” The answer to this is “find another dealer.“
 

jmcdtucson

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My 2020 build date is 11/19. I can essentially drive without hand on the wheel on long straight freeway (NO WIND) at 70mph and not have to correct the steering, seemingly, any more than a passenger sedan.

when I purchased, I went to the dealer. They had the Rubicon I wanted. I took it on a test drive on the freeway. I focused on the steering and made sure I liked it. Drove back to the dealership and closed the deal.

for the life of me I cannot really appreciate how someone can take a test drive then proceed to buy the vehicle, then 3 weeks later decide that it has steering issues. But, it seems to happen on this forum a lot. Some folks say “my dealer didn’t let me take it on the freeway.” The answer to this is “find another dealer.“
Most bought without knowing about the problem. I'm sure most people who buy assume a consumer product such as a car has basic safety functionality like steering and braking. It's like saying why didn't you go test fire your gun before buying? Who does that?
I would guess less than 1% of vehicle purchasers test drive on a freeway.
 

Windshieldfarmer

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Mine too is easy one handed at freeway speeds unless it is windy....then it’s a bit more work. I was very concerned when I took delivery. Probably the only adverse thing I notice is road crown will pull...though my JK. had this also.
 

Dkretden

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Most bought without knowing about the problem. I'm sure most people who buy assume a consumer product such as a car has basic safety functionality like steering and braking. It's like saying why didn't you go test fire your gun before buying? Who does that?
I would guess less than 1% of vehicle purchasers test drive on a freeway.
You may be correct. Maybe I am the 1%. I have test driven every car I have ever purchased on the freeway. Come to think of it, my entire immediate family, and all of my brother in laws do too. So have several coworkers that I can think of and a few bosses. All test drive a car on city streets and the freeway. Not far, maybe 5 miles each way. I guess that we are all part of the “1%.” How else are you going to know if you like the way it drives, accelerates, handles bumps, handles braking, handles cornering, Wind noise, etc, etc, etc.?
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