Steering Wander

[NVULLC11]

Check to see if your caster is too low. 6° is the sweet spot. Easily checked at home. Longer LCAs transformed my steering.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/big-driving-improvement-after-lca-swap.54439/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/jl-rubicon-caster-measure.25691/

Does an alignment need done after installing the LCAs?

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[JeepinPete]

Where abouts in PA are you?

 

[NVULLC11]

Where abouts in PA are you?

Pittsburgh Area

 

[ShellNate7974]

Is yours to the point where it does not stay straight when taking hands off the wheel? It's a constant correction and kinda tiring having to try and keep it straight all the time. I have read multiple post/forums and some say its normal and some say its not. A lot of people say theirs does not wander and is straight as can be.

It does not pull if that’s what you’re asking. It’s not like needing a front end alignment. It reminds me of driving on a highway that has groves or channels in the pavement & it just feels like you really have to totally focus on the road.

 

[Ratbert]

As others have said, you need to drive another one to see if it's relatively normal or not. Whether it feels "bad" or not depends on how bad it really is along with whatever you're accustomed to in other vehicles.

 

[rickinAZ]

Does an alignment need done after installing the LCAs?

No. And you can center the steering wheel yourself without jacking the Jeep up. You adjust with a 15mm wrench and a pipe wrench. You'll hear on the forum how easy various DIY projects are. Well this really is EASY - 5 minute job. You can fiddle with it, drive around to determine that it's centered, and fine-tune if necessary. The LCAs are another matter since they're torqued down to 190 lbft and harder to reach without a lift. I paid a shop $100 to install mine.

 

[Wbino]

Oh wait.....

 

[ObiMatt87]

I can share my experiences with our mid-model year 2018 Sahara JLU on 33s (KO3s) and late model year 2024 Rubicon XR on stock 35s (KO2s):

• The 2018 suffered from the original aluminum steering box and weak steering stabilizer, both replaced under TSB/warranty (steel box and new stabilizer).
• This helped the play/wander, but it was still more than it should have been and despite alignment at a brake/alignment chain there was always a very slight pull to the right.
• I replaced the weak OEM steering stabilizer with a Fox 2.0 ATS steering stabilizer. With its multiple levels of tension adjustments that really helped a lot.
• I installed a Steer Smarts Yeti sector shaft brace to further stiffen steering flex. This did help further, but I was not completely satisfied.
• I finally took it to a Jeep off-road specialty shop and through them installed a new JKS adjustable trackbar that was hugely more beefy than OEM and the RockJock Currentlync steering system.
• Finally, after that was all installed, the shop aligned it. With their knowledge of the intricacies of Jeep suspensions, they got everything fined tuned so for the first time it tracked rock solid straight and the steering is HUGELY better-feeling all-round, with much less play in center.

• The 2024's steering feel is a vast improvement overall compared to the 2018's original feel, and it is clear Jeep learned much over the last few years. Overall, it is acceptable, though not as tight as I'd prefer, and the big 35s do play into the overall feel some, no doubt. For now, though, definitely not worth a change-out, though down the road I may have some steering components changed out to make it even better. It does have that slight pull to the right, so sometime in the near future I'll take it to the off-road shop to have them align it right.

For your immediate needs, I'd recommend taking it to a Jeep off-road specialty shop with good ratings that knows what it's doing with alignments. I think you'll find that will make as much of a positive difference as anything else you can do in the interim.

 

[NVULLC11]

No. And you can center the steering wheel yourself without jacking the Jeep up. You adjust with a 15mm wrench and a pipe wrench. You'll hear on the forum how easy various DIY projects are. Well this really is EASY - 5 minute job. You can fiddle with it, drive around to determine that it's centered, and fine-tune if necessary. The LCAs are another matter since they're torqued down to 190 lbft and harder to reach without a lift. I paid a shop $100 to install mine.

 

[ShellNate7974]

I can share my experiences with our mid-model year 2018 Sahara JLU on 33s (KO3s) and late model year 2024 Rubicon XR on stock 35s (KO2s):

• The 2018 suffered from the original aluminum steering box and weak steering stabilizer, both replaced under TSB/warranty (steel box and new stabilizer).
• This helped the play/wander, but it was still more than it should have been and despite alignment at a brake/alignment chain there was always a very slight pull to the right.
• I replaced the weak OEM steering stabilizer with a Fox 2.0 ATS steering stabilizer. With its multiple levels of tension adjustments that really helped a lot.
• I installed a Steer Smarts Yeti sector shaft brace to further stiffen steering flex. This did help further, but I was not completely satisfied.
• I finally took it to a Jeep off-road specialty shop and through them installed a new JKS adjustable trackbar that was hugely more beefy than OEM and the RockJock Currentlync steering system.
• Finally, after that was all installed, the shop aligned it. With their knowledge of the intricacies of Jeep suspensions, they got everything fined tuned so for the first time it tracked rock solid straight and the steering is HUGELY better-feeling all-round, with much less play in center.

• The 2024's steering feel is a vast improvement overall compared to the 2018's original feel, and it is clear Jeep learned much over the last few years. Overall, it is acceptable, though not as tight as I'd prefer, and the big 35s do play into the overall feel some, no doubt. For now, though, definitely not worth a change-out, though down the road I may have some steering components changed out to make it even better. It does have that slight pull to the right, so sometime in the near future I'll take it to the off-road shop to have them align it right.

For you immediate needs, I'd recommend taking it to a Jeep off-road specialty shop with good ratings that knows what it's doing with alignments. I think you'll find that will make as much of a positive difference as anything else you can do in the interim.

I’m fairly certain from the original post & I know for a fact that my comment about my 2025 that neither one is an alignment issue. This is concerning “wander” or with my case I could possibly describe it as a slight sway at highway speeds. Possibly just body sway. I know vehicles well enough to know that it’s not an alignment problem or a problem with slack in the steering gear or components.
It feels more like some give in the sway bar or end links. I just don’t feel the need to begin sinking money into aftermarket products to upgrade a brand new vehicle.

 

[chulyn1]

The wandering you describe is exactly what I dealt with on a brand new 2024 Wrangler Sport. I went through all the possibilities that folks suggested in this forum with absolutely no change in the steering. The steering had about 2 inches of play in the steering wheel before it actually engaged and wandered side to side just as you describe. I eventually installed a Fox steering stabilizer which helped a little bit. I bought it at Sansing Jeep in Foley, Al where they told me that the play in the wheel was normal. I finally took it to Hill-Kelly Jeep in Pensacola and convinced the Service Mgr that the steering box was defective. They replaced the steering box under warranty and I now have positive steering with no wandering and it is actually fun to drive instead of providing the thrill a minute lane jumping experience it once was. This was all done with less than 1300 miles on it. Good luck.

 

[NVULLC11]

Say you are on a straight road, no groves or uneven pavement. You get your jeep going straight. You have both hands on steering wheel to keep it very steady. If I do that, my jeep does not stay straight. It will wander randomly to either the right or left and if I don’t correct the wheel, i will end up either on the road shoulder or in the left lane. I feel this is not normal ?

 

[Raghudhar]

Hello, I just bought a 2025 Jeep Wrangler Willys, this is my 1st Jeep purchase. I notice it has wander in the steering. Is this normal? If so how much wandering is normal? I can be driving on a straight road and still have to constantly correct the steering wheel as it will wonder to the left and right to the point it looks like I am drunk. It will not stay straight after taking hands off the wheel. Also noticed the steering wheel is off center.

If not normal, is there a fix or something I should tell the dealer to check?

I felt the same thing after I bought a brand new 2025 rubicon 392.
dealer was kind to recognize. They tried to see if the issue was with alignment or steering or suspension. After exhausting all the possibilities we test drive three more brand new rubicons to conclude all of them do the same.
mine does more during acceleration

 

[SadRobot]

Mine drifts passenger if I let go of the wheel and it's been aligned multiple times. Most likely cause seems to be the large MT tires and crown of the road. When it was stock with the stock 31s it had no wander though that I can remember. The steering wheel has always been a bit loose though because of the aluminum steering box. I can turn it about 2 inches before the Jeep will respond at all.

 

[bcupton]

I had the wandering issue after doing a 2.5-3” lift. Upper and lower control arms fixed it. You should not have the issue in an unmodified new jeep

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