Tires already feathering

[Sftdyna0326$]

BTW... don't confuse a vehicle that tracks straight to be aligned. My Jeep tracked PERFECTLY, I mean let go of the wheel and go straight for a long way yet the tires were feathering. On the rack they found toe to be out.
ONLY an alignment rack will show you what's really going on.

From your mouth to FCA service dept ears!!

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[Sftdyna0326$]

Pics or it didn't happen.

I call bull poop on Sftdyna0326$

ANY tire feathering is indicative of an alignment problem 99% of the time it's toe. You are toe'd inward. Swapping front tires is usually frowned upon. Always rotate your back straight forward and your fronts crisscrossed to the rear.
If you are doing what you say the feathering will go away but you are masking a problem. Also you will most likely wear out the edges of the tires before the overall tread is low.
All you need to do is DEMAND they put the Jeep on the alignment rack and show you the results. Talk to the head manager if need be... you are out of alignment my friend.

I clearly pointed out prudence would dictate that the alignment be checked! I am currently in the same boat.

 

[safety_glasses]

Update:

At first the tech told the service rep that the tires need to be rotated at least every 5k because the KO2 tires can wear rough. Since there was 8k on the odometer they assumed this hadn't been done. I explained that those Rubi rims and tires were put on at 3k so there is only 5k on them and there is no way this is normal wear for any amount of mileage. After the service rep and I talked and I explained to him that something had to be out he agreed.

As expected the toe was out by about 50% on the left front. BAM! There's the reason.

The dealership I go to is great, sometimes you just need to be able to talk face to face about a situation. He recommended that I rotate every 5k, since I will be doing oil changes every 4k I will simply rotate them. They also showed me the recommended pattern for rotating in a spare, did an oil change and rotated the tires for free.

Regarding a steering wheel being off, it can be an alignment issue but it can also be that the drag link needs adjustment. For example when you put a lift on it is normal for the wheel to tilt to one side. Simply adjusting the drag link corrects this.

While there I also got the cruise control software recall done.

Interesting note: I had a question about our A/C and they noted that there was an A/C software update but that I wouldn't have been notified since it wasn't a recall. That made me wonder how software updates are handled. I asked the dealer and I am waiting to hear back.

What was the recommended rotation by the dealer, if you don't mind sharing?

 

[Sftdyna0326$]

What was the recommended rotation by the dealer, if you don't mind sharing?

Oh I called him out on this one! I asked that exact question and clearly pointed out that we would need to rotate almost every 1000 miles or once a month based on the wear my tires have exhibited. His reply was 39.95. Per month of course. Atleast I’m my case. I just had my friend rotate them in my garage so we don’t let the issue get to far. Usually they true up in 500 or so miles.

 

[Capt-Zoom]

Its a feel thing. 30psi seems to give the best grip (especially on minnesotas icy roads) and cushion for bumps and potholes. Since im still getting 60k and exceeding the suggested life in years of the tire i am happy. This is on my tj.

Will say that the bridgstones AT suck at 36 and not much better at 34. Will be dropping another 2psi for more testing soon. I have no idea what the psi sensors zre set at so i am hesitant to drop to 30psi right away.

Mine came from dealer at 50psi which made the handling on the ride home downright scary.

 

[WXman]

This is the second "tire feathering" thread I've seen today with not a single picture to show us. For all we know, the tires could look totally normal.

 

[cabnfvr]

....Interesting note: I had a question about our A/C and they noted that there was an A/C software update but that I wouldn't have been notified since it wasn't a recall. That made me wonder how software updates are handled. I asked the dealer and I am waiting to hear back.

I can answer that one as it's part of what I do (not at Jeep). Many software upgrades are created to resolve issues, but not everyone has those issues. (same for hard parts, not just software). Now let's say 1,000 people have the A/C issue enough to ask their dealer about it. That's 1,000 upgrades at Jeep's costs. And it's the right thing for them to do.... but..... Jeep sold over 85,000 JLs since March. If they upgrades all 85,000 that 84,000 that didn't need it. If it costs Jeep only 100 dollars per that would still be 8.4 million spent unnecessarily. Soon Jeep would be out of business and we'd all be out looking for used JKs.

 

[DanW]

I can answer that one as it's part of what I do (not at Jeep). Many software upgrades are created to resolve issues, but not everyone has those issues. (same for hard parts, not just software). Now let's say 1,000 people have the A/C issue enough to ask their dealer about it. That's 1,000 upgrades at Jeep's costs. And it's the right thing for them to do.... but..... Jeep sold over 85,000 JLs since March. If they upgrades all 85,000 that 84,000 that didn't need it. If it costs Jeep only 100 dollars per that would still be 8.4 million spent unnecessarily. Soon Jeep would be out of business and we'd all be out looking for used JKs.

Yep, and folks like me don't think it is an issue, so I won't be caring to ask for that upgrade. I'd guess, though, that a software upgrade probably, even with development cost, is in the neighborhood of 10 bucks or so, just for the 10 minutes it might take a tech to give to it to get it done. If something doesn't bother someone, and they don't even perceive it as a problem, then it isn't a problem for them.

 

[DanW]

This is the second "tire feathering" thread I've seen today with not a single picture to show us. For all we know, the tires could look totally normal.

Yeah, I'd like to see it, but I tend to trust people until I have a reason not to. The fact is, every automobile assembly line will let a few out the door with improper alignment. Even if it is only slightly off, it can cause feathering or some kind of abnormal or premature wear. I don't doubt this has happened to some folks. It happens to Mercedes and even Rolls Royce, too.

 

[Jeepsterfreak]

Update:

Interesting note: I had a question about our A/C and they noted that there was an A/C software update but that I wouldn't have been notified since it wasn't a recall. That made me wonder how software updates are handled. I asked the dealer and I am waiting to hear back.

What’s the question on the A/C?

Some are reporting intermittent blasts of hot air from lower heating vents while running A/C. Is this a software fix?

 

[mgroeger]

What’s the question on the A/C?

Some are reporting intermittent blasts of hot air from lower heating vents while running A/C. Is this a software fix?

That is EXACTLY the problem. I don't want to turn this into an A/C thread but since it has come up (after I poked it) here's what I found out.
I have the problem you described. While at dealer I mention it and they said there is an A/C software update but they don't know what the update exactly does, they just know there is an update. They do the update and within the hour FCA is on the phone with the tech manager asking him what I am experiencing and telling him the following...
"Owners are experiencing lack of cooling or bursts of hot humid air. Check the lower left corner of the condenser for leaks if A/C is not blowing cold enough. For the bursts of hot air explain to the customer that if you are driving for long periods of time with the recirc button on the computer will open the damper and allow a burst of outside fresh air in so that oxygen levels will not get low (I'm not making this up)."
The service guy was kind of chuckling and says that this falls under normal because the Jeep was designed that way. I told him I have tried to replicate it by opening the recric damper and can't get the same effect which leads me to believe there may be another port.
So... it is normal BUT maybe this software will do something. I will be going on a road trip in a few weeks and will find out. The drives around town don't seem to trigger it all the time.

My wife said the same guy he design the A/C to work like this was probably the one to have auto stop/start set to on

 

[mgroeger]

This is the second "tire feathering" thread I've seen today with not a single picture to show us. For all we know, the tires could look totally normal.

I'm not a "pics or it didn't happen" kind of guy. I'm not going to waste my time posting about something I know is an issue just to generate a thread. After 30+ years wrenching on cars I know what a feathered tire looks and feels like and what causes it.
That being said I did try to take pics but it's hard to capture an angle that does it justice. You don't have to believe me, I had a tech advisor and service tech believe me and acknowledge it was feathered and they fixed the problem... toe was out which is exactly what can cause a tire to feather while allow the Jeep to track completely straight.

 

[Jeepsterfreak]

I'm not a "pics or it didn't happen" kind of guy. I'm not going to waste my time posting about something I know is an issue just to generate a thread. After 30+ years wrenching on cars I know what a feathered tire looks and feels like and what causes it.
That being said I did try to take pics but it's hard to capture an angle that does it justice. You don't have to believe me, I had a tech advisor and service tech believe me and acknowledge it was feathered and they fixed the problem... toe was out which is exactly what can cause a tire to feather while allow the Jeep to track completely straight.

Found this on the internet so it must be true:

The indicator of excessive positive or negative toe angle is a tire feathering or scuffing that can be detected by stroking your fingertips across the edge of each tread bar or tread block. A feather edge on the inside of the tread bar indicates excess toe-in, while a feather edge on the outside of the tread bar indicates toe-out. Because toe angle is affected by changes in camber and caster angles, it’s always the last angle to be adjusted during the wheel alignment process. In addition, any change in camber or caster angles will immediately change the toe angle. Toe angle geometry can also be greatly affected by changes in suspension height.

 

[Jeepsterfreak]

That is EXACTLY the problem. I don't want to turn this into an A/C thread but since it has come up (after I poked it) here's what I found out.
I have the problem you described. While at dealer I mention it and they said there is an A/C software update but they don't know what the update exactly does, they just know there is an update. They do the update and within the hour FCA is on the phone with the tech manager asking him what I am experiencing and telling him the following...
"Owners are experiencing lack of cooling or bursts of hot humid air. Check the lower left corner of the condenser for leaks if A/C is not blowing cold enough. For the bursts of hot air explain to the customer that if you are driving for long periods of time with the recirc button on the computer will open the damper and allow a burst of outside fresh air in so that oxygen levels will not get low (I'm not making this up)."
The service guy was kind of chuckling and says that this falls under normal because the Jeep was designed that way. I told him I have tried to replicate it by opening the recric damper and can't get the same effect which leads me to believe there may be another port.
So... it is normal BUT maybe this software will do something. I will be going on a road trip in a few weeks and will find out. The drives around town don't seem to trigger it all the time.

My wife said the same guy he design the A/C to work like this was probably the one to have auto stop/start set to on

You should copy this over to the A/C thread.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...the-floor-vents-for-3-5-mins-then-stops.9720/

 

[mgroeger]

Done

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