Steering Wheel Issues

[Mr.BoJangles_91]

Hey Folks -

I'm posting this here to see if anyone else has this issue. I've been dealing with this dead zone in the steering and if there is just the slightest breeze its a fight to keep the jeep going straight. It's a constant juggle and after two long drives through windy Eastern Washington, the thought of selling the jeep crossed my mind.


Spec's -
Teraflex leveling kit
Teraflex wheel spacers
Mopar Lift LCA
35"
Falcon Nexus EF 2.2 Steering Stabilizer
TSB 08-074-20 - New Steering Gear

Do other people have this issue? Any solves?

I think I'm gonna get rid of the wheel spacers.... maybe that will help.

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[Roky]

Hey Folks -

I'm posting this here to see if anyone else has this issue. I've been dealing with this dead zone in the steering and if there is just the slightest breeze its a fight to keep the jeep going straight. It's a constant juggle and after two long drives through windy Eastern Washington, the thought of selling the jeep crossed my mind.


Spec's -
Teraflex leveling kit
Teraflex wheel spacers
35"
Falcon Nexus EF 2.2 Steering Stabilizer
TSB 08-074-20 - New Steering Gear

Do other people have this issue? Any solves?

I think I'm gonna get rid of the wheel spacers.... maybe that will help.

Get a set of Mopar lift lcas and put them on and drive it again. That looks like a wandering issue. How tall is the leveling kit?

 

[Mr.BoJangles_91]

Get a set of Mopar lift lcas and put them on and drive it again. That looks like a wandering issue. How tall is the leveling kit?

Oops, sorry forgot to add that to the OP. I have those installed.

1" in the front
1/2" in the back

 

[Roky]

Oops, sorry forgot to add that to the OP. I have those installed.

1" in the front
1/2" in the back

Tire pressure?

 

[Mr.BoJangles_91]

Tire pressure?

Goodyear Duratracs 35" and I run 34 all around.

 

[hoag4147]

Goodyear Duratracs 35" and I run 34 all around.

How long ago was TSB completed? May want to check torque on everything, especially the IShaft bolt. Folks have reported it was loose and created some slop.

 

[Roky]

Goodyear Duratracs 35" and I run 34 all around.

You can tighten the lash in the steering box, but be super careful, a little is a lot. Just google tightening steering box Jeep jl and a few vids will pop up. Might try 30 psi warmed up, see if that helps. I’ve heard a couple people having dead spots in the new boxes.

 

[Mr.BoJangles_91]

New box was installed 6 months ago. Will go ahead and re-check torque spec's.

When I first got the new box in, the steering was perfect. It has gotten worse over time.

 

[Mr.BoJangles_91]

Update - Also noticed all the weights fell off the back tire (most likely wasn't causing the issue)

But that gave me another reason to contact the dealership that installed the steering box + the larger tires

Dropped it off first thing this AM. Already got a text saying they re-balanced the wheels and checked the steering box. Turns out it was low on fluid.

They checked all torque specs, filled it up and check for leaks. Good to go and free of charge.

I'm still in the believe it when I see it camp so will report back later this afternoon

 

[Mr.BoJangles_91]

Slight improvement but still a good "dead spot" in the wheel. I'd say I can move the wheel from about 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock before I get any response from the wheels.

It turns, whatever the rod in the engine bay is called before the steering box, just fine and is 100% responsive. I'm loosing the responsiveness after the steering box.

I'm going to remove the wheel spacers in the next day or so to see if that helps.

If not I may try tightening the steering box like this video suggests

Jeep JT JL Wandering Sloppy Steering Fix for FREE, How to for the Gladiator Wrangler Dead Spot Slop - YouTube

And then just live with it for the next few years before trading for a bronco (half joking)

 

[hoag4147]

Slight improvement but still a good "dead spot" in the wheel. I'd say I can move the wheel from about 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock before I get any response from the wheels.

It turns, whatever the rod in the engine bay is called before the steering box, just fine and is 100% responsive. I'm loosing the responsiveness after the steering box.

I'm going to remove the wheel spacers in the next day or so to see if that helps.

If not I may try tightening the steering box like this video suggests

Jeep JT JL Wandering Sloppy Steering Fix for FREE, How to for the Gladiator Wrangler Dead Spot Slop - YouTube

And then just live with it for the next few years before trading for a bronco (half joking)

Get dealer to install new box. That one sounds defective. Wouldn’t be the first new box that was bad.

 

[limeade]

Aside from the other's great advice on what it could be, what are you running for tie rod and drag link? How many miles on your Jeep? How many miles with the leveling kit and 35's?

There are a couple potential issues which haven't been mentioned yet.

First, the obvious: The Mopar lift LCA's are a great addition to a stock Rubicon, putting the caster from 6-6.5*. But since you also added 1" spacers to the front, your caster is probably low again. This in and of itself can cause a wandering/flighty feeling when driving. You could add either adjustable upper (keeping the Mopar LCA's) to adjust your caster or go with new adjustable LCA's. Another option is to get a set of RK Adventure Series lowers. These aren't adjustable, but would put your caster probably at 7-7.5*.

Second, if you have stock tie rod, drag link, and/or ball joints, any one or all of them may be worn out. Let's assume your new steering box is good. If there's any slop in one or more tie rod ends, this can cause slop in the steering wheel.

It's easy to blame FCA now days (and rightfully so for a lot of people). But since you have a modified suspension and larger tires, you should look at the remaining stock steering parts to see if there's any wear. The stock tie rod ends and ball joints aren't very robust and can wear very quickly. Maybe someone near you has a take off tie rod and drag link for you to try to see if it tightens the steering up. I'd hate for you to buy some aftermarket parts if it actually was a bad steering box.

 

[limeade]

Update - Also noticed all the weights fell off the back tire (most likely wasn't causing the issue)

But that gave me another reason to contact the dealership that installed the steering box + the larger tires

Dropped it off first thing this AM. Already got a text saying they re-balanced the wheels and checked the steering box. Turns out it was low on fluid.

They checked all torque specs, filled it up and check for leaks. Good to go and free of charge.

I'm still in the believe it when I see it camp so will report back later this afternoon

Depending on how low the fluid in the reservoir got, there may be some air in the system. This too can affect the steering. It could take several weeks of regular driving to work the air out, along with consistently checking the resevoir to keep it topped off.

Or you could bleed the system yourself, which takes just a few minutes. All you need is a bottle of the Mopar Electronic Power Steering Fluid and some jack stands. Once your Jeep's front axle is supported on stands, ensure the tires/wheels can move side to side freely and be able to contact the steering stops. Turn the steering wheel side to side fully multiple times. It helps to have someone do this so you can watch the PS reservior. If you see air bubbles in the reservior, this is air trapped in the system. Continue turning the wheel, pausing slightly upon getting to maximum turn. This will work the air out of the system. Add fluid as needed during this time. Once all air bubbles have stopped, remove the jack stands and ensure the fluid level is correct.

 

[Mr.BoJangles_91]

Aside from the other's great advice on what it could be, what are you running for tie rod and drag link? How many miles on your Jeep? How many miles with the leveling kit and 35's?

There are a couple potential issues which haven't been mentioned yet.

First, the obvious: The Mopar lift LCA's are a great addition to a stock Rubicon, putting the caster from 6-6.5*. But since you also added 1" spacers to the front, your caster is probably low again. This in and of itself can cause a wandering/flighty feeling when driving. You could add either adjustable upper (keeping the Mopar LCA's) to adjust your caster or go with new adjustable LCA's. Another option is to get a set of RK Adventure Series lowers. These aren't adjustable, but would put your caster probably at 7-7.5*.

Second, if you have stock tie rod, drag link, and/or ball joints, any one or all of them may be worn out. Let's assume your new steering box is good. If there's any slop in one or more tie rod ends, this can cause slop in the steering wheel.

It's easy to blame FCA now days (and rightfully so for a lot of people). But since you have a modified suspension and larger tires, you should look at the remaining stock steering parts to see if there's any wear. The stock tie rod ends and ball joints aren't very robust and can wear very quickly. Maybe someone near you has a take off tie rod and drag link for you to try to see if it tightens the steering up. I'd hate for you to buy some aftermarket parts if it actually was a bad steering box.

All good advice. I'm at 33k. Roughly 4k since new tires and steering box. And 3k since leveling kit.

All the other components are stock. I went out there the other day and tried to shake things around and didn't notice any budging from anything but will go give it another try. I'm not really in the market for purchasing more components.

I did call the dealership and going to stop by again on Friday morning. I added the leveling kit to even out the rake. At this point I'll take the rake over the sloppy steering

 

[limeade]

All good advice. I'm at 33k. Roughly 4k since new tires and steering box. And 3k since leveling kit.

All the other components are stock. I went out there the other day and tried to shake things around and didn't notice any budging from anything but will go give it another try. I'm not really in the market for purchasing more components.

I did call the dealership and going to stop by again on Friday morning. I added the leveling kit to even out the rake. At this point I'll take the rake over the sloppy steering

Understand about not wanting to throw money at it.

When you checked out the front end, if you just grabbed the tie rod and drag link to check for wear, that won't work. You've got to turn the steering wheel side to side a bit (say 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock) while you look at each joint, rod end, etc. looking for unnatural movement. That's the easiest way to diagnose worn out bushings, tie rod ends, etc.

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