Wabujitsu
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- Jeff
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I’ve watched a lot of videos of folks showing that their steering is way off after the TSB fix. Each video shows the driver sawing the steering wheel back and forth while driving. Each video also shows the vehicle responding to the steering input; you can see the front ends shimmying back and forth slightly.
This brings up a few thoughts.
Many run low pressures in their tires per common Jeep procedure. With lower pressures the sidewalls flex more, which affects steering, especially with 17” rims wrapped with large rubber. When you madly saw the wheel back and forth, the tires’ sidewalls flex before the vehicle responds. I can do the same thing with our two Jeeps, which both have excellent steering.
A better way to test your steering is to make a SLIGHT adjustment with the steering wheel and then determine if the vehicle begins to track in that direction, and how quickly it does so after you make the adjustment. If you make that slight adjustment and nothing happens, you may have a real issue, especially if you have to turn the steering wheel too far to get the vehicle to slightly change direction.
You also should consider the tread of your tires. MTs on pavement are usually pretty squirrelly. That’s just inevitable with an aggressive mud tread. My Jeep has Toyo ATs; my wife has a hybrid MT/AT set of Geolanders with a more aggressive off-road tread. Hers, because of the tread type, is slightly more squirrelly on road than my Jeep, but I expected that due to the tread pattern. It still handles very well in my opinion.
Also, with a solid front axle (not “axel”, which is a skating maneuver), the seat-of-the-pants feel is significantly different than an IFS setup. Jeeps rock back and forth more by design. In an IFS vehicle you automatically provide steering input based upon how an IFS handles irregularities on the road. With IFS, when one front tire hits an irregularity in the road, it only affects that tire. With a solid axle, that irregularity on only one tire affects BOTH front tires. A solid axle responds differently on those same irregularities, so if you provide the same IFS steering adjustments based upon feel, the vehicle responds differently. As I was getting used to a solid axle again, I found that I was CONSTANTLY over-correcting my steering.
This post is NOT intended to denigrate ANYONE with perceived steering issues. I’m just providing food for thought for those vexed by their steering. Peace.
This brings up a few thoughts.
Many run low pressures in their tires per common Jeep procedure. With lower pressures the sidewalls flex more, which affects steering, especially with 17” rims wrapped with large rubber. When you madly saw the wheel back and forth, the tires’ sidewalls flex before the vehicle responds. I can do the same thing with our two Jeeps, which both have excellent steering.
A better way to test your steering is to make a SLIGHT adjustment with the steering wheel and then determine if the vehicle begins to track in that direction, and how quickly it does so after you make the adjustment. If you make that slight adjustment and nothing happens, you may have a real issue, especially if you have to turn the steering wheel too far to get the vehicle to slightly change direction.
You also should consider the tread of your tires. MTs on pavement are usually pretty squirrelly. That’s just inevitable with an aggressive mud tread. My Jeep has Toyo ATs; my wife has a hybrid MT/AT set of Geolanders with a more aggressive off-road tread. Hers, because of the tread type, is slightly more squirrelly on road than my Jeep, but I expected that due to the tread pattern. It still handles very well in my opinion.
Also, with a solid front axle (not “axel”, which is a skating maneuver), the seat-of-the-pants feel is significantly different than an IFS setup. Jeeps rock back and forth more by design. In an IFS vehicle you automatically provide steering input based upon how an IFS handles irregularities on the road. With IFS, when one front tire hits an irregularity in the road, it only affects that tire. With a solid axle, that irregularity on only one tire affects BOTH front tires. A solid axle responds differently on those same irregularities, so if you provide the same IFS steering adjustments based upon feel, the vehicle responds differently. As I was getting used to a solid axle again, I found that I was CONSTANTLY over-correcting my steering.
This post is NOT intended to denigrate ANYONE with perceived steering issues. I’m just providing food for thought for those vexed by their steering. Peace.
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