New JL Steering Gear Box - 68250506AE

[mgroeger]

Well, in respect to the TSB/recall regarding OE steering stabilizers and steering gear boxes not functioning properly, its safe to say that some JL's are not in good working order, even sitting on the dealer lot.

I, for one, can attest to the effect a poorly functioning stabilizer has on the steering as I had a total of 3 (three) OE stabilizers replaced within 3 months. Wandering, steering kick back and "death wobble" were all major symptoms my truck had of a poorly functioning stabilizer. To suggest anyone could remove a component of their steering system and somehow maintain all normal driving characteristics in all driving conditions is quite frankly, irresponsible.

Yeah it is very safe to say that Jeeps sitting on the lot are not up to the caliber of not needing a steering stabilizer.
My wife's Jeep had to go in for something and they gave me a Sport JL loaner. My wife's Jeep has 3.5" lift, 37s, Yeti tierod and draglink, Falcon stabilizer and Teraflex trackbar. All said and done around $1500 in steering upgrades and the front end is very tight and responsive.
I get behind the wheel of the stock Sport with around 100 miles on it and start driving home and couldn't believe how much looser it felt than her Jeep. I hit a bump on the highway and could feel the front end dance around. That same bump goes unnoticed on my wife's Jeep. That told me right there that the factory components aren't the best. When I put all that stuff on my wife's Jeep and removed the old trackbar I was shocked at how loose the trackbar bushings were at 40k miles.

Call us irresponsible shade tree mechanics all day long... sticks and stones... lol. No one is claiming they are useless. It's a well known fact in the off roading community that when you are chasing down a front end problem you remove the stabilizer to help you figure out which component is really the problem.
Components will wear out over time and the stabilizer is there to help stabilize the system... not to keep death wobble or other issues from happening.

Here is a quick read to help educate you...

https://www.extremeterrain.com/wrangler-jeep-death-wobble.html

"One thing many people do is install a new steering stabilizer, but this is not a permanent fix. Jeep steering stabilizers can temporarily get rid of death wobble, therefore masking a more serious problem. During your diagnosis, it sometimes helps to disconnect the stabilizer to properly pinpoint the problem."

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[ThirtyOne]

My cousin just recently picked-up a 2020 Rubi Gladiator and he let me take it for a spin & right off the back his steering felt way much better than mine, exactly as you described. I'm hoping they finally release some recall on this concern.

That’s not really how recalls work. They only do recalls if there is a specific safety issue. Shitty steering probably does not meet that standard.

 

[word302]

No one is debating on what a steering stabilizer is, so you can check that argument at the door. My issue is when people like yourself are so resolute in your shady-tree-mechanic opinion in causality and simultaneously attempting to diminish the value of individuals experiences who have experienced the issues. In your attempt to idealize your opinion, you've chastised my local dealership and discredited the professionalism of the service workers who have been nothing but absolutely transparent on all issues with me.

Look, the stabilizer is there for a reason, if they were truly useless, like some of you are suggesting, I am sure manufacturers would find a way to have engineers eliminate them as they are a significant cost, especially when multiplied over millions of units. But the fact of the matter is they are a integral part of the solid axle steering system. And when the conditions are right with road imperfections a plenty, if you don't have steering stabilizer to dampen the high speed lateral loads to the front wheels, it will be painfully clear how beneficial it truly is.

The real problem i'm seeing here is peoples interpretation of what "normal operation" is. Because I've seen some real shit boxes running around, driven by people who are so accustomed to how horribly their vehicle drives that they have no real concept of what "properly functioning" feels like.

In the end, clearly Jeep identified a problem, isolated it to a specific lot of faulty steering dampers, and released a recall to replace them. When my truck was deflecting wildly after hitting bumps in the road, exhibiting reproducible death wobble riding over the same train tracks at the same speed, and the resolution of those symptoms after multiple steering dampers were replaced by the same tech at the same dealership, its quite obvious why I developed a profound appreciation for what the little part does.

The more you speak the more it is obvious you have no idea what you’re talking about. Many of us in here have much more experience working on rigs than most dealership mechanics. You can try and spew all the BS you want but the reality is you are just plain wrong. Go do a little research and then come back and try again.

 

[Simann]

The more you speak the more it is obvious you have no idea what you’re talking about. Many of us in here have much more experience working on rigs than most dealership mechanics. You can try and spew all the BS you want but the reality is you are just plain wrong. Go do a little research and then come back and try again.

Jeep was slapped with a class action lawsuit over the steering issues between the JK and JL that resulted in a recall for the steering stabilizers.

 

[word302]

Jeep was slapped with a class action lawsuit over the steering issues between the JK and JL that resulted in a recall for the steering stabilizers.

You keep proving my point.

 

[Simann]

You keep proving my point.

And your point is?

 

[word302]

And your point is?

That you have no idea what you’re talking about.

 

[Simann]

That you have no idea what you’re talking about.

Where did you earn your mechanical engineering degree? Intern with any auto manufacturers?

 

[mgroeger]

Where did you earn your mechanical engineering degree? Intern with any auto manufacturers?

Come on man seriously. We are trying to provide solid info from those of us in the off road community that do our own work and share that with you and others. We've given you information and articles to show you that a steering damper can mask a real problem and a well tuned front end can run without a damper for diagnostic purposes. Stop being a DB about this and move on.

 

[Simann]

Come on man seriously. We are trying to provide solid info from those of us in the off road community that do our own work and share that with you and others. We've given you information and articles to show you that a steering damper can mask a real problem and a well tuned front end can run without a damper for diagnostic purposes. Stop being a DB about this and move on.

You call me a douche bag for citing a recall? On page two a member mentioned that a failing steering stabilizer is not responsible for wandering steering, which it clearly is a major part of the issue, admitted by Jeep in their recall after a class-action lawsuit. A new stabilizer fixed my issue, which the dealer tech was able to reproduce. Why the hell would I take the time to make that up? Believe me, i've got way more important things to do than be entangled in a keyboard war on a damn Jeep forum with people like you.

 

[word302]

You call me a douche bag for citing a recall? On page two a member mentioned that a failing steering stabilizer is not responsible for wandering steering, which it clearly is a major part of the issue, admitted by Jeep in their recall after a class-action lawsuit. A new stabilizer fixed my issue, which the dealer tech was able to reproduce. Why the hell would I take the time to make that up? Believe me, i've got way more important things to do than be entangled in a keyboard war on a damn Jeep forum with people like you.

Did you read any of the articles posted? You THINK that a new stabilizer fixed your issue but in reality it’s only masking a more serious problem. Dealer techs have very little experience doing anything but throwing parts at a problem. We’re actually trying to help you and you’re just being obtuse..

 

[Simann]

Did you read any of the articles posted? You THINK that a new stabilizer fixed your issue but in reality it’s only masking a more serious problem. Dealer techs have very little experience doing anything but throwing parts at a problem. We’re actually trying to help you and you’re just being obtuse..

That's your issue, you and some others are trying to "help me" when I never asked for anyone's help in the first place.

My steering issue was resolved over a series of 4 visits and multiple stabilizers being replaced, the last being an updated part number that fixed the issue completely. To make statements like "that wasn't your problem, drive without the stabilizer to diagnose it" is just ridiculous, especially after Jeep has already been sued and released a recall to fix my exact issue. Its not out of the realm of possibility that my truck only suffered from a bad batch of steering stabilizers and not a incorrectly assembled steering gear box.

This negative sentiment that some of you have towards dealer technicians of them knowing less than you is an issue. I can agree, not all are highly trained or have the years of experience, but you can't make umbrella statements like that. After all, parts are the problem, so its not unconventional to think that replacing parts would fix a problem..

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