What actually _is_ normal steering?

[RagTopDeluxe]

I picked up a 2020 2 door Rubicon in March. I have had steering issues also. Jeep was wandering all over the road. My husband took it to the dealer and they checked everything but told him they couldn't do anything until it had 1000 miles. My husband lowered tire pressures from 43 to 32. Jeep rode much better but it was still not right. When it reached 1000 miles it went back to the dealer. This time they test drove it and saw for themselves that there was a problem. Long story short they ordered and replaced the steering box and Jeep is much better on the road

Did you get your alignment checked? The Rubicons have the same lower control arms as the other Jeeps, but sit higher. That means they have a lower caster.

My Rubicons were both at 4.7* from the factory. My ‘19 had bad steering (wandered terribly, etc) and was helped by longer LCAs. I put adjustable LCAs on my ‘20 and got my caster to ~7* and love it.

Sponsored

 

[Jennalee]

If your wife said the JL was terrifying to drive that is not normal. My car before my JL was a Lexus and going from that to my JL was no problem or adjustment period at all. Drives nice and straight just bumpier and a lot more fun. I’m sorry if you got one with steering issues, you may not get much help from the dealer with that.

EDIT: also when I drove it home from the dealer tires were at 42 psi. I dropped them down to 32/33 and it drives even better.

 

[californiajeeping]

Question for everyone: On a perfectly straight long road, if you hold the steering wheel perfectly straight, does your JL stay in the lane?

 

[Jennalee]

Question for everyone: On a perfectly straight long road, if you hold the steering wheel perfectly straight, does your JL stay in the lane?

When I tested mine it drove straight down the lane with hands off the wheel. Never tested it while holding the steering wheel straight but I would imagine it would do the same thing?

 

[JavaRunner]

We are getting more used to the Jeep handling, but I think I am going to still take it in to get looked over. We narrowed it down a bit to be the worst between 40 and 55, on a straight road. It’s then it feels as if we are constantly wandering from one side of the lane to another.

 

[4xFUN]

Question for everyone: On a perfectly straight long road, if you hold the steering wheel perfectly straight, does your JL stay in the lane?

Holding the steering wheel 'perfectly straight' on a long straight road is not a valid test for the vast majority of drivers as most steering wheels, even if 'centered' are slightly off center...

 

[Texan42]

Thanks for the feedback. Neither of us were expecting it to drive like a sedan, its obviously not. My wife was driving a 2014 Subaru Forester XT (damn fast sleeper car, btw), so we know it wouldn't be the same. But I guess we didn't anticipate feeling like she was gonna get pulled over for being a drunk driver as she pinballs from one line to the other. Hoping it is just a matter of re-learning some muscle memory, and applying the correct amount of steering feedback.

It just felt different than the other JLs we test drove (both saharas, 1 4 cyl, 1 6 cyl, this one is a 6). But often times reading these forums tends to put problems in your head.

Most people don't realize how great Subaru is to drive.

 

[ricku]

Question for everyone: On a perfectly straight long road, if you hold the steering wheel perfectly straight, does your JL stay in the lane?

My 2dr Rubicon does.

 

[JavaRunner]

Most people don't realize how great Subaru is to drive.

Its a bummer they dropped the turbo from the newer Foresters, Its a pretty fun car.

 

[Texan42]

Its a bummer they dropped the turbo from the newer Foresters, Its a pretty fun car.

I remember the old Subaru's...north Carolina Winters and twisty roads in the mountains.....they were great.... If Subaru came out with a "Wrangler" style vehicle.......oh, boy.

 

[Bruc29]

I have a non lifted Sahara and from day 1 I was struggling to keep it in the lane, I was constantly trying to correct it to go straight, I’ve had alignments done and it was the same, I finally bought adjustable lower control arms and put my caster around 6.2 ish and added an adjustable trackbar to recenter the axle, now my Jeep drives straight, a lot less wander, and the “dead spot” is significantly less than the 2” I had in either direction

 

[JavaRunner]

I have a non lifted Sahara and from day 1 I was struggling to keep it in the lane, I was constantly trying to correct it to go straight, I’ve had alignments done and it was the same, I finally bought adjustable lower control arms and put my caster around 6.2 ish and added an adjustable trackbar to recenter the axle, now my Jeep drives straight, a lot less wander, and the “dead spot” is significantly less than the 2” I had in either direction

I'm not shy about doing these kinds of things to mine, but I have to learn a whole new vocabulary of parts! I've done brake pads/calipers, plugs, starters, and alternators, but never messed with steering before. Also don't want to waste money throwing parts at it.

 

[RagTopDeluxe]

Question for everyone: On a perfectly straight long road, if you hold the steering wheel perfectly straight, does your JL stay in the lane?

My ‘20 does. My ‘19 did not.

 

[RagTopDeluxe]

We are getting more used to the Jeep handling, but I think I am going to still take it in to get looked over. We narrowed it down a bit to be the worst between 40 and 55, on a straight road. It’s then it feels as if we are constantly wandering from one side of the lane to another.

That is not acceptable steering. It shouldn’t be that difficult.

I find myself doing occasional small corrections when I drive on the freeway, but it’s so minor I don’t think about it.

 

[entropy]

Question for everyone: On a perfectly straight long road, if you hold the steering wheel perfectly straight, does your JL stay in the lane?

Yeah my 2018 did and so does my 2018. In fact I can let go the steering wheel completely for a while, similar to a regular car. I did this a lot after modifying my jeeps suspension to make sure everything was straight.

Sponsored