Test drove a JL with the wandering issue

[KCC_703]

Its a test... if you can white-knuckle it home at 41psi, you can handle anything...

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[offcamber]

Hello everyone. Prospective buyer here.
I've been to several dealership test driving different models. Really trying to decide if I should keep my truck, or trade it on a JL.
Anyway, I have owned 2 Jeeps in the past. A 1988 YJ (I think that's the year) that I owned in the mid 90s, and a 2007 JK that I owned in 2010. So I am familiar with Jeep solid axles.

I also test drove 4 total Jeeps so far. a 4-door sport manual, a 2-door Rubicon Automatic, a 2-door Rubicon Automatic with the 2.0, and now a 2.0 4-door Sahara.
All bone stock, all from dealership lots with a salesperson sitting right next to me.

The Sahara was really difficult to keep pointed straight down the road. It kept wandering all over the place. Obviously this isn't normal, as none of the other jeeps did it.

One thing I noticed when driving it with my hands off of the wheel, when accelerating it made the jeep steer to the left. When decelerating it made the jeep steer to the right.
Now this made me think it's a rear axle issue causing this wandering. Does this sound right?

It's got me a little worried about buying one. Are there any resources to read up about this?

I don't have to buy a jeep this year, I can certainly hold off another year or two until this problem is fully worked out. This wandering issue has me considering this.

I had the same issue on my JK for over a year and I spent a mint replacing front end parts with no end in sight. Then one day I had the rear end off the ground with it on jack stands and I realized that there was play in the driver side axle mount for the LCA. Pulled it off and the hole was wallered out allowing the arm to move around. I had a shop weld on a new tab and redrilled it and the Jeep drove wonderfully afterwards.

 

[Kytann]

I had the same issue on my JK for over a year and I spent a mint replacing front end parts with no end in sight. Then one day I had the rear end off the ground with it on jack stands and I realized that there was play in the driver side axle mount for the LCA. Pulled it off and the hole was wallered out allowing the arm to move around. I had a shop weld on a new tab and redrilled it and the Jeep drove wonderfully afterwards.

Did the pull change depending on whether you were accelerating or decelerating?
Thats the part that gets me, makes me think this Sahara had something loose in the rear end.

 

[KrispyKotex]

When I got my 4 door, it wandered BAD until I checked the tire pressure which was at 44 psi. Once lowered to 37, the wandering went away and no issues since. Tire pressure does fluctuate widely in cold/warm weather, and the side of the jeep that faces the sun. Staying on top of this throughout the year is important.

 

[FirstF80InSpace]

I test drove a Sahara and it was wandering all over the place. My guess is they really pump up the tires. Not sure why they do that.

I bought one anyways and mine wandered a bit, not as much as the test drive one. When I got home and let the tires cool down, they were at 43 PSI. I dropped it down to 39 PSI and have not had any wandering issues at all.

 

[offcamber]

Did the pull change depending on whether you were accelerating or decelerating?
Thats the part that gets me, makes me think this Sahara had something loose in the rear end.

Yes, accelerating caused it to yaw to the right, letting off the gas caused it to yaw to the left.

 

[Ekoik]

My Rubicon wandered like crazy out of the showroom. Service said it was "within spec" I took it to a shop that knows what they are doing and it was wildly out of alignment from the factory, but "within spec". The spec is way too loose according to the shop.

Shop realigned and it was much better. Today I read this thread and sure enough my tires were at 41lbs. Took them down to 36 and it's like night and day. Incredible. No more wander of any kind.

 

[iklln6]

One thing I noticed when driving it with my hands off of the wheel, when accelerating it made the jeep steer to the left. When decelerating it made the jeep steer to the right.

I had a 2013 Rubicon, a 2016 Rubicon, and then (which is what i drive presently) a 2018 JL Rubicon. Aside from the aesthetics, the JL felt very different from the nearly identical 2013 and 2016 models. I recall driving down the highway on the way back from the dealership and really noticing the sensitivity of the power steering. So much so that I was half mentally preparing for being pulled over for swerving around. It wasn't a consistent pull one way or the other, it was more like a pull away from center.

It took a couple of days to get used to, but that's it. But I can tell you from experience with two JK's leading to the JL THAT the steering on the JL does feel totally different and is almost difficult to drive at first. But in my case it was just very sensitive steering that felt very much like inconsistent alignment issues

 

[8flat]

My 4-door rubi came with 44psi and we put 5,000 miles on it before I aired the KO2s down, yet it still drove like a champ. So strange how these vary. I ran it up to 85 on a 2lane highway and it still drove perfect. Odd.

Funny because I was debating on whether to buy a JL after reading about so many steering/wander issues.

 

[JimmyDoom]

Hello everyone. Prospective buyer here.
I've been to several dealership test driving different models. Really trying to decide if I should keep my truck, or trade it on a JL.
Anyway, I have owned 2 Jeeps in the past. A 1988 YJ (I think that's the year) that I owned in the mid 90s, and a 2007 JK that I owned in 2010. So I am familiar with Jeep solid axles.

I also test drove 4 total Jeeps so far. a 4-door sport manual, a 2-door Rubicon Automatic, a 2-door Rubicon Automatic with the 2.0, and now a 2.0 4-door Sahara.
All bone stock, all from dealership lots with a salesperson sitting right next to me.

The Sahara was really difficult to keep pointed straight down the road. It kept wandering all over the place. Obviously this isn't normal, as none of the other jeeps did it.

One thing I noticed when driving it with my hands off of the wheel, when accelerating it made the jeep steer to the left. When decelerating it made the jeep steer to the right.
Now this made me think it's a rear axle issue causing this wandering. Does this sound right?

It's got me a little worried about buying one. Are there any resources to read up about this?

I don't have to buy a jeep this year, I can certainly hold off another year or two until this problem is fully worked out. This wandering issue has me considering this.

There are many threads on this issue. Here is just a few of them. My "loose" steering was improved with a new steering box. I still have the wondering issue even after replacing the steering dampener, track bar and the LCA's....all after market parts.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...has-play-and-drifts.3691/page-255#post-775061
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...g-the-dreaded-steering-issue-on-18-jlu.30604/
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/mopar-lca-swap.22474/
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...e-fix-for-the-steering-wandering-issue.28326/

 

[Cogent]

Hello everyone. Prospective buyer here.
I've been to several dealership test driving different models. Really trying to decide if I should keep my truck, or trade it on a JL.
Anyway, I have owned 2 Jeeps in the past. A 1988 YJ (I think that's the year) that I owned in the mid 90s, and a 2007 JK that I owned in 2010. So I am familiar with Jeep solid axles.

I also test drove 4 total Jeeps so far. a 4-door sport manual, a 2-door Rubicon Automatic, a 2-door Rubicon Automatic with the 2.0, and now a 2.0 4-door Sahara.
All bone stock, all from dealership lots with a salesperson sitting right next to me.

The Sahara was really difficult to keep pointed straight down the road. It kept wandering all over the place. Obviously this isn't normal, as none of the other jeeps did it.

One thing I noticed when driving it with my hands off of the wheel, when accelerating it made the jeep steer to the left. When decelerating it made the jeep steer to the right.
Now this made me think it's a rear axle issue causing this wandering. Does this sound right?

It's got me a little worried about buying one. Are there any resources to read up about this?

I don't have to buy a jeep this year, I can certainly hold off another year or two until this problem is fully worked out. This wandering issue has me considering this.

I recently purchased my 2019 2-door JL and immediately discovered that it had a bad steering problem (it is stock). After discussing it with the dealer sales and service folks where I bought it (they were clueless), and researching the issue on line, I decided to wait and see if FCA comes up with a fix. I believe the problem that most owners of new JL's experience with the steering has a common cause, most likely having to do with changes in the steering system implemented with the new JL, such as the electrically controlled steering system, programming of control functions, etc. or a combination of like changes. Folks who have tried to address this problem by varying the tire pressure, realignment, and/or replacing stock steering system components with after-market parts are only applying bandages to a fundamental problem, and giving FCA a pass by doing so. I've read so many descriptions by owners of how their JL steering behaves, most describing it as a "wandering" problem. In my two previous Wranglers, and my 2016 Trailhawk, when you nudge the steering wheel right or left, the vehicle swerves slightly and immediately returns to center track. You don't change direction appreciably unless you maintain the rotational direction of the steering wheel. However, in my new JL, if I nudge the wheel right or left, the JL tracks in the direction of the brief steering wheel rotation without returning to center track as one would expect in a normal steering system. The result is that with each minor steering correction, the new JL requires a subsequent counter correction to keep it on track. That is why the new JL requires much more concentration to keep it on track, especially at higher speeds, and why folks complain about being exhausted after driving the new JL for long distances on the highway. It's a shame that FCA has not addressed this problem, as the new JL would be much more fun to own and drive if it did not have this defect. Perhaps FCA will own up to this situation and fix it, but if I were considering buying a new JL, I would think thrice about investing in an expensive vehicle wherein thousands of new owners have been, like me, disappointed, not only with the flawed steering situation, but with a manufacturer who will not identify and fix the problem for their loyal customers.

 

[Kurlon]

My 4-door rubi came with 44psi and we put 5,000 miles on it before I aired the KO2s down, yet it still drove like a champ. So strange how these vary. I ran it up to 85 on a 2lane highway and it still drove perfect. Odd.

Funny because I was debating on whether to buy a JL after reading about so many steering/wander issues.

Same here, my JLU Rubi is still at 41psi as purchased, 4k miles, drives well. I'm also getting 24 to 25mpg... I'm a little hesitant to lower the pressure and kill the milage.

 

[Kyanche]

However, in my new JL, if I nudge the wheel right or left, the JL tracks in the direction of the brief steering wheel rotation without returning to center track as one would expect in a normal steering system. The result is that with each minor steering correction, the new JL requires a subsequent counter correction to keep it on track.

I wonder if what's really happening is there's a physical dead zone in the steering rack, but the steering wheel's angle sensor doesn't have a matching dead zone in the software. In other words, supposing your wheel is like 0.25 degrees off center, that obviously won't cause your front wheels to turn. Maybe the electronic power assist sees that, and it was designed for a car where 0.25 degrees off center would actually cause the front wheels to turn, so it kicks up the assist just enough to turn the wheels.

 

[Kytann]

I wonder if what's really happening is there's a physical dead zone in the steering rack, but the steering wheel's angle sensor doesn't have a matching dead zone in the software. In other words, supposing your wheel is like 0.25 degrees off center, that obviously won't cause your front wheels to turn. Maybe the electronic power assist sees that, and it was designed for a car where 0.25 degrees off center would actually cause the front wheels to turn, so it kicks up the assist just enough to turn the wheels.

Probably not. If that were the case, it would be a software fix and Jeep would've already taken care of it.
A hardware fix is much more costly to implement.

 

[NotmyJK]

Test drove a two door sport Saturday and there was a huge dead spot in the steering wheel. We are replacing my wifes JKU with 227K miles on it with 35s and the steering is way tighter than the JL we test drove. My 2000 TJ on 38x15.5 Nittos has way tighter steering than the JL did. Wanting to order a new Rubicon next month to replace the JKU but this steering issue has me second guessing it.

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