Rubicon sand driving issues

[Sand Flea]

When this occurs, are you in 4wd high or 4wd low?

I am with others in thinking this is a mechanical issue, either with the locker or a broken axle.

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[Ahre]

I have a 2019 Rubicon 2 door. Used to be able to just shift and go at the beach, but.....Recently it has started struggling in the soft sand. Even aired down, and Traction Control manually turned off. The "Service traction control" comes on and the steering wheel looks like I am turning a hard left to go straight. ONLY on the sand. I have two seemingly capable Mopar master techs at 2 different Jeep dealerships stumped about it. Only stored code Is for some type of steering sensor, and not wheel speed sensors.... which they have dismissed as it is perfect on the road. This is a sand only issue. As soon as I am out of 4x4, its as if it never happened and all the lights that were on, go off. Anyone have any insight for me?

When you manually turned off Traction Controll, did you press and hold the button for five seconds?

 

[Jeepjenn1970]

from the sounds of it you might have a front locker trying to engage…or it’s engaging on a partially striped drive shaft.
Try using the front locker and see what happens!

When this occurs, are you in 4wd high or 4wd low?

I am with others in thinking this is a mechanical issue, either with the locker or a broken axle.

Wouldn't I have "symptoms" all the time if the axle were compromised in some way? And I am in 4 high.

 

[Jeepjenn1970]

When you manually turned off Traction Controll, did you press and hold the button for five seconds?

I did not hold for 5 seconds. Just learned of this yesterday as part of the STARS reply my tech got. I will test this theory as soon as I can. But I have to wonder why I would need to turn traction control off at all, never had to with previous JK and JL (non-Rubicon) models I have owned?

 

[Jeepjenn1970]

Try going in the sand and locking your lockers. See if it behaves any different. With both lockers locked all wheels are mechanically linked and must turn the same speed. That should take any BLD issues off the table. Without the lockers engaged the traction control system will try to use the BLD which uses the brakes to transfer power from the faster spinning wheel to the slower spinning wheel (I think BLD works even when traction control is turned off). It should at least try to go straight. See if you get any lights that way.

I will try the lockers and see how she responds. Thank you for the idea!

 

[Jeepjenn1970]

Maybe a broken axle shaft? That would make it pull hard to one side, especially in the sand.

ONLY pulls in the sand. Everywhere else, all is perfect.

 

[Sand Flea]

I air down and drive in 4 low when on the beach.
When you put it in 4 low, traction control is disabled automatically.

 

[Ahre]

I did not hold for 5 seconds. Just learned of this yesterday as part of the STARS reply my tech got. I will test this theory as soon as I can. But I have to wonder why I would need to turn traction control off at all, never had to with previous JK and JL (non-Rubicon) models I have owned?

TC needs to be completely off (5sec hold) in sand, mud, snow, loose gravel, etc because you want all the selected drive wheels (two or four) to drive exactly the same. Which is also why you should lock the Diff.

 

[Ratbert]

I air down and drive in 4 low when on the beach.
When you put it in 4 low, traction control is disabled automatically.

Reduced, not disabled.

 

[Russ Chung]

I'm surprised no one has suggested that the front axle disconnect is the problem. The FAD should be disconnected whenever you are in 2WD and automatically connect whenever you are in 4WD. If the FAD fails to connect, you would be in three wheel drive. That would not have much affect on your steering if you were on firm ground, but would cause the symptoms you described when on soft sand.

 

[oldcjguy]

@Jeepjenn1970 Did you have time to try any of the remedies/diagnostic ideas? Curious if any of them helped. ie lockers and/or holding traction control button for 5 seconds.

To answer your question about why you never had to do this on previous JK and JL jeeps... Software. JLs have a much better and more capable traction control and ABS system than JKs and software in those systems is constantly being update and improved. Sand is one of those areas that can be tricky for sensors. It provides significant traction and load to all 4 wheels, but that traction and load is constantly varying between wheels.

 

[3TV]

Check and see if you are even getting drive to the right front tire. Get in deep sand, try to get a little stuck, in a situation where you need all four tires pulling. Then lock the lockers and have someone check to see if you are getting drive to the right front tire. If all tires turn except the right front you have a problem getting drive to the right front tire, which will cause the Jeep to try and turn that way, and you have to compensate by steering to the left. Either a locker that isn't locking, a FAD that isn't connecting, or a broken axle shaft could cause that.

 

[Capt. Don]

Check and see if you are even getting drive to the right front tire. Get in deep sand, try to get a little stuck, in a situation where you need all four tires pulling. Then lock the lockers and have someone check to see if you are getting drive to the right front tire. If all tires turn except the right front you have a problem getting drive to the right front tire, which will cause the Jeep to try and turn that way, and you have to compensate by steering to the left. Either a locker that isn't locking, a FAD that isn't connecting, or a broken axle shaft could cause that.

I like this reply. Only thing that I would add is that in my JKR a bent right front axle shaft also caused some related symptoms off-road and cantankerous performance from my front locker. I can see FAD failure also causing this and again wonder if a bent right front axle shaft would cause that ?

 

[Old Jeeper]

I’m thinking it’s something physically happening to get the steering wheel 90 off. With the TC Code being a symptom.

That would make the list:
Intermediate shaft
Steering box (and it’s frame mounting)
Drag link
Track bar
Maybe Tie Rod

Do you have the revised steel steering box? Can you take some close ups of the items above.

@Roky

X2

if the steering wheel is turning 90°, something Hass to be doing it it’s a mechanical connection to the steering box with through the Pitman arm somewhere in there something is really going haywire.

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