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MOTC JL

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Hey, MOTC JL. If you're still experiencing concerns after the TSB was performed, we recommend revisiting the dealer for assistance. If you would like any help from our team, please reach out.

Kate
Jeep Cares
I did bring the Jeep back to the dealer but they said thereā€™s nothing they can do because they canā€™t replicate the grinding sound...very disappointing because itā€™s definitely there and hereā€™s a short video of it.
 

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JeepCares

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I did bring the Jeep back to the dealer but they said thereā€™s nothing they can do because they canā€™t replicate the grinding sound...very disappointing because itā€™s definitely there and hereā€™s a short video of it.
I'm very sorry to hear that, MOTC JL. Unfortunately, if the dealer is unable to pinpoint the cause of your concern, we are limited in the assistance we can provide further. If you choose to visit another dealer for a second opinion, we can certainly assist.

Kate
Jeep Cares
 

Jeep&dogs

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No offense @JeepCares but this is the 3-5 gear box that has been designed for these things in 3 years and there is still steering issues, even the 2021ā€™s are posting issues. As someone that has been in the industry all my life this is pretty sad I must say. Itā€™s hit or miss if you get ā€œA GOOD ONEā€ even with the latest box. I personally have 3 of these boxes and every one the lash is set differently on. From a manufacturing standpoint thatā€™s actually pathetic. FCA needs to figure out if itā€™s an assembly issue or a production issue and get this taken care of.

This is coming from someone that has owned too many Jeeps to count, and has also driven too many straight axle vehicles in my lifetime and also has had the opportunity to drive probably close to 50 of the JL platforms. The dealers donā€™t have a clue half the time and they are just throwing on the crap parts FCA is supplying them with. You should send some of the engineering department some screen shots of this forum and tell them to go back to the drawing board and figure out where the issue is once and for all. Stop letting the accounting department run the show. With the Bronco coming out you are going to have some issues and a 392 Hemi Jeep that drives like crap isnā€™t going to be your life preserver.
 

Rodeoflyer

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No offense @JeepCares but this is the 3-5 gear box that has been designed for these things in 3 years and there is still steering issues, even the 2021ā€™s are posting issues. As someone that has been in the industry all my life this is pretty sad I must say. Itā€™s hit or miss if you get ā€œA GOOD ONEā€ even with the latest box. I personally have 3 of these boxes and every one the lash is set differently on. From a manufacturing standpoint thatā€™s actually pathetic. FCA needs to figure out if itā€™s an assembly issue or a production issue and get this taken care of.

This is coming from someone that has owned too many Jeeps to count, and has also driven too many straight axle vehicles in my lifetime and also has had the opportunity to drive probably close to 50 of the JL platforms. The dealers donā€™t have a clue half the time and they are just throwing on the crap parts FCA is supplying them with. You should send some of the engineering department some screen shots of this forum and tell them to go back to the drawing board and figure out where the issue is once and for all. Stop letting the accounting department run the show. With the Bronco coming out you are going to have some issues and a 392 Hemi Jeep that drives like crap isnā€™t going to be your life preserver.
Amen. What concerns me is the massive hit and miss with the TSB. Some say it's fantastic and some say it's worse than before. Are they performing a pre and post test drive? Is it a QC issue with the part, with the dealers, etc? Who knows, however mine isn't bothering me to the extent that I want to waste weeks or months waiting on a part that may or may not improve things. I'm tempted to buy the AB box myself and take it to the dealer in hand with all the required parts (bolts etc) and say here, install this correctly.
 

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Jeep&dogs

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So I started with the aluminum box, it was the latest one since the Jeep was a 2020 it came with it. That box had 1-1 1/2ā€ of dead spot and some wandering. I had the TSB done back in September of 2020 and had the cast iron box put in by the dealer. When I got it back I was absolutely not impressed. It really was zero difference from the aluminum box, but it was no worse. The dead spot might have improved by 1/2ā€.

I have added a ton of aftermarket steering pieces, actually I have officially changed out EVERY stock part of the steering. It still didnā€™t drive as good as my 2004 Lj with 142k on it. I have fought a steering wobble/shimmy for MONTHS and have spent well over 4K trying to eliminate this.

For the hell of it before I ended up selling the Jeep I bought another cast iron box on my own dime. I currently have 3 of the new boxes, there is an over center spec that FCA lists for the boxes, there is a 4 inch pound variable the list as ā€œallowableā€ if you know ANYTHING about machine tolerance you understand that is huge when you are talking about rotational resistance. Out of the three boxes I have in my possession all three were different! The newest one was the tightest at lust about the maximum allowable according to FCA.

I installed it in the Jeep last night and finished up today and guess what, the difference in the way the Jeep drives is NIGHT AND DAY. The wheel is firm, ZERO dead spot, no wandering at all, and my shimmy is pretty much non existent.

So two things FCA get your manufacture to get their crap together and build these boxes consistently. And you might want to look into your bleeding process.

I followed this to the letter and after the first round with the vac pump I turned the wheel as listed and there was no signs of air in the system. I pulled a vacuum on it again for the heck of it and when I released it it sucked the reservoir dry. I topped it off and ran the Jeep again, no signs of air, everything looked good. Figured what the hell I will pull vacuum on it again, sucked it dry again, I did this six times before it stopped pulling in more fluid.

So @JeepCares how do I get reimbursed for the box I purchased out of my pocket to fix your issue?

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Rodeoflyer

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Well hot damn, that's good to hear! I know you've been fighting this for awhile. At least I know it's fixable now.
 

Jeep&dogs

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Well hot damn, that's good to hear! I know you've been fighting this for awhile. At least I know it's fixable now.

The steering is just as tight if not tighter than my wifeā€™s 2020 grand Cherokee. I have been running 6.8* caster and I honestly could probably drop that down quite a bit and it would still be tighter than it was with the other box,Itā€™s THAT much different.
 

Rodeoflyer

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The steering is just as tight if not tighter than my wifeā€™s 2020 grand Cherokee. I have been running 6.8* caster and I honestly could probably drop that down quite a bit and it would still be tighter than it was with the other box,Itā€™s THAT much different.
That is just fantastic. I'm so happy to hear you nailed it and happy to know I can too now. My Jeep is 95% perfect and steering is the only thing bugging me now. I was about to drop $750 on Rustys or RPM steering. I think I'll hold off on that for now and get this new steering box ordered and installed.
 

MntsRcalln

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The steering is just as tight if not tighter than my wifeā€™s 2020 grand Cherokee. I have been running 6.8* caster and I honestly could probably drop that down quite a bit and it would still be tighter than it was with the other box,Itā€™s THAT much different.
I'm glad you finally got to the bottom of this. I agree with you 100%. Absolutely no reason you had to go through what you did to figure it out. FCA is going to get themselves in a sh*t storm as soon as someone with a little pull like a celebrity or a politician's kid wraps one of these things into a tree because of this box. Damn shame that's what it takes these days.
 

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2500 hd

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The steering is just as tight if not tighter than my wifeā€™s 2020 grand Cherokee. I have been running 6.8* caster and I honestly could probably drop that down quite a bit and it would still be tighter than it was with the other box,Itā€™s THAT much different.
I'm glad you finally got your's sorted out. I don't have the skill or knowledge to do that.
I got tired of having to keep the death grip on mine all the time, I finally sold it..
 

Rodeoflyer

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I'm glad you finally got your's sorted out. I don't have the skill or knowledge to do that.
I got tired of having to keep the death grip on mine all the time, I finally sold it..
You're not the only one. I've heard countless stories of fed up owners who sold or traded their JL's due to the steering. My friend back in TX brought a '20 2.0t home for a few days last year in anticipation of buying one. He's owned several HD trucks and about a half dozen different jeeps up to the JK model. The steering is what turned him off. I told him to go test drive a '21 and let me know if it's better.
 

jroever

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Just had the TSB done and slack is gone, very minor pull to the left but I might be able to live with that.
However - I noticed the steering gear box bolts were not torqued to spec and when I added my synergy track bar brace back on and tried to torque to 99 ft-lbs spec one of the four bolts broke!!!
I am wondering if the demand for gear-boxes and bolts due to the TSB is causing sub-par materials to be entering the market since suppliers can deliver quality parts fast enough?!?

PS: another thing that makes me wonder - there is no sticker with part or serial number on my new steering gear box - could the dealer have used reclaimed parts?
Jeep Wrangler JL Steering issues cured by installing new Steering gear box! (per TSB 08-074-20) 1616994120877
 

DudeBro

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Question, has anyone had an issue with the pump making a really loud noise when turning the wheel and giving it gas? I had my gear box changed out in January, though really haven't driven it much, since for about a month it was at another dealer getting the rear axle replaced. But It sounds to me like they damaged the pump when installing the new box, possibly running it while dry. The steering does still feel tight, it just sounds horrible. It's loud enough that I've had a few people turn and give me weird looks driving through parking lots. I've kept an eye on it and the fluid levels are fine, there aren't any bubbles in the fluid and obviously no leaks.

I've already taken it back to the dealer who installed it once and they told me its fine and they're supposed to make a little noise, but I'm calling BS on that. Before the install the pump was silent apart from the typical high pitch electric pump whine.

@JeepCares What should I do? If the dealer is lying to me to get out of fixing their mistake, do I take it to a different dealer?

I was really hoping to purchase this jeep after my lease runs out but damn it seems to spend more time at the dealer being "Repaired" than being driven.
 

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So I started with the aluminum box, it was the latest one since the Jeep was a 2020 it came with it. That box had 1-1 1/2ā€ of dead spot and some wandering. I had the TSB done back in September of 2020 and had the cast iron box put in by the dealer. When I got it back I was absolutely not impressed. It really was zero difference from the aluminum box, but it was no worse. The dead spot might have improved by 1/2ā€.

I have added a ton of aftermarket steering pieces, actually I have officially changed out EVERY stock part of the steering. It still didnā€™t drive as good as my 2004 Lj with 142k on it. I have fought a steering wobble/shimmy for MONTHS and have spent well over 4K trying to eliminate this.

For the hell of it before I ended up selling the Jeep I bought another cast iron box on my own dime. I currently have 3 of the new boxes, there is an over center spec that FCA lists for the boxes, there is a 4 inch pound variable the list as ā€œallowableā€ if you know ANYTHING about machine tolerance you understand that is huge when you are talking about rotational resistance. Out of the three boxes I have in my possession all three were different! The newest one was the tightest at lust about the maximum allowable according to FCA.

I installed it in the Jeep last night and finished up today and guess what, the difference in the way the Jeep drives is NIGHT AND DAY. The wheel is firm, ZERO dead spot, no wandering at all, and my shimmy is pretty much non existent.

So two things FCA get your manufacture to get their crap together and build these boxes consistently. And you might want to look into your bleeding process.

I followed this to the letter and after the first round with the vac pump I turned the wheel as listed and there was no signs of air in the system. I pulled a vacuum on it again for the heck of it and when I released it it sucked the reservoir dry. I topped it off and ran the Jeep again, no signs of air, everything looked good. Figured what the hell I will pull vacuum on it again, sucked it dry again, I did this six times before it stopped pulling in more fluid.

So @JeepCares how do I get reimbursed for the box I purchased out of my pocket to fix your issue?

Jeep Wrangler JL Steering issues cured by installing new Steering gear box! (per TSB 08-074-20) 1616994120877
Hi, Jeep&dogs. Per the TSB, repairs are "Reimbursable within the provisions of the warranty." That said, I am not a trained technician, so I am unsure if your repair was within the provisions. However, a dealer tech or case specialist would be able to assist you with that. We ask that you contact either your preferred dealer or Jeep Cares via phone at 877-426-5337 for additional assistance.

Kate
Jeep Cares

Question, has anyone had an issue with the pump making a really loud noise when turning the wheel and giving it gas? I had my gear box changed out in January, though really haven't driven it much, since for about a month it was at another dealer getting the rear axle replaced. But It sounds to me like they damaged the pump when installing the new box, possibly running it while dry. The steering does still feel tight, it just sounds horrible. It's loud enough that I've had a few people turn and give me weird looks driving through parking lots. I've kept an eye on it and the fluid levels are fine, there aren't any bubbles in the fluid and obviously no leaks.

I've already taken it back to the dealer who installed it once and they told me its fine and they're supposed to make a little noise, but I'm calling BS on that. Before the install the pump was silent apart from the typical high pitch electric pump whine.

@JeepCares What should I do? If the dealer is lying to me to get out of fixing their mistake, do I take it to a different dealer?

I was really hoping to purchase this jeep after my lease runs out but damn it seems to spend more time at the dealer being "Repaired" than being driven.
Good afternoon, DudeBro. If you had the TSB performed and are still having issues, we would like to get you back to the dealer as soon as possible for additional repairs. Please send our team a private message with more details so we can get started.

Kate
Jeep Cares
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