New JT Gladiator Steering Issue TSB 08-074-20 (for "Improved Steering Feel")

[arosen1997]

So what's the general consensus on dealers agreeing to do this on lifted jeeps? Anyone had success?

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[TrainMan]

Mine agreed because they installed the Mopar lift, and alignment. I'm still surprised they decided to do the repair. They originally acted like I had no idea what i was talking about. After driving it they agreed it needs the new box.

 

[oldhp3]

I seriously don't understand how they can order the new steering gear, yet can't get the bolts. Shouldn't the bolts and everything be included as a kit? Crazy.

My steering gear, bolts and power steering fluid came in one box. The tech showed me it the next day. They said go drive it and come back so we can check the power steering level. After 75 miles it was below the MIN mark, tech said that's normal as it takes a little time to burp the air out.

 

[oldhp3]

I'm concerned now. I've said probably 50 times (LOL, and I bet that's understated) that mine has been fine. It's not loose steering for sure - but I'm starting to think back and see some things sort of fit together. And maybe I'm too used to older vehicles?
Anyway, trip to Indiana earlier this year - I recall being fatigued driving there. Tired, my arms ached, but I thought that's just getting old. Could be. But I think back to the time I drove from Iowa to Reading, PA - and stopped only 2 hours short of getting there at 10pm and I drove continuously non-stop except for gas (and to empty the Diet Coke I consumed on the way)
So there's how many hours from like 5am to inside PA at after 10pm, and I was still fine, not really that tired.
So on the way back from Indiana, my wife said she'd drive part of the trip - she hops in, the first time she had really driven the truck, especially on highways (Indiana pretty flat)
After a few minutes on the highway - her exact quote was "I hope there's no cops behind us, they'll think I'm drunk weaving back and forth so much".
I didn't think a lot of it at the time.
Then recently we were driving to town and she commented "why don't you drive straight, you keep going to the center line".
I figured she was just being her... she can't stand it when she's not the one driving in most cases.
Then I took it up to another town and the wind was just right - hitting the left front corner of the truck and it felt like for no stronger than the wind was, it wasn't that simple to "just drive". It felt like work.
And then last weekend we drove up to Spirit Lake - a nearly 4 hour trip and again, I was fatigued, got tired out. Wow, that never happens when driving my other cars now that I think of it. Am I really exerting that much mental and physical energy? IF so - why, what is it?
She said she'd drive back.......... so she gets in and after a couple of miles (and it was a hot day) said - man, this thing sure wanders all over, doesn't it.
I kept quiet - as she was contradicting what I had always figured. I didn't want to imply it was just her.
But maybe it's not. That's at least twice she has made a comment about wandering, and she commented on me not keeping it straight, as if I wasn't paying attention or something.
Loose - no, I drove like the wind on the 10th to stay ahead of a massive storm, I was going like a bat outtahell to get home. But then I was going really fast, passing vehicles, wind was extremely strong, and I had both hands FIRMLY on the wheel.
I never considered this JT to be unsafe. Especially after that wild drive.

So now I have to ask myself - was I impacted, EITHER WAY, by what I was reading and seeing? Was I hopeful that the truck was perfect and didn't allow myself to see flaws?
OR, am I now being swayed by all of those who have problems with their steering - sort of like a leading question can impact how someone responds.
So I'm going to try to clear my head, ignore everything I've seen, read, heard, and try to approach is as if it's a test drive of a new vehicle and see.
I hope it's not like some "suggestion" just be reading things here.
I guess there's one sure way to find out - see what another person says.
If there's a problem that's going to shoot all to hell everything I've ever posted about the steering on THIS truck.
If there's not, then it's just me - and worse, just my wife! Wow, I don't want to have to explain "no, it's just you, the truck is fine".

HAHAHA - that's sort of like a story out of true confessions or something, eh?

Can a person be influenced by reading something that says "these have problems" - into thinking they may also have a problem?
Can a person be so convinced that their new vehicle is just fine - that they ignore certain things?
Inquiring minds want to know.

My wife is a GOOD DRIVER, no accidents in the whole time I've known her, well, other than not waiting for the garage door to be CLEAR up and trying to back her GC into the garage several years ago.
No tickets in years, she's a good driver in bad weather for sure - probably better than I am. Her Grand Cherokee has tight, responsive steering, so is it that? ( I do not like the steering on her GC)
Naw, she's driven my other stuff and never once mentioned the steering or handling and I KNOW the 2004 WJ isn't tight with 126,000 miles on it. She's driven my trucks in the past and those weren't exactly sports cars.

Ah, it's all a dream, I guess. A bug in the matrix, that's it.

I had to "drive" mine on the 75MPH interstate. Didn't drive it much on interstate because it was pain to drive. Did most driving 2 lane 55MPH, wasn't as bad. Back roads, didn't stand out, but was putting along at 20-40MPH. Now, at 75MPH it's one hand/two fingers holding the wheel. All together different driving Jeep. I would like to see exactly what was wrong inside the other steering gear boxes.

 

[JKABBQ]

I'm concerned now. I've said probably 50 times (LOL, and I bet that's understated) that mine has been fine. It's not loose steering for sure - but I'm starting to think back and see some things sort of fit together. And maybe I'm too used to older vehicles?
Anyway, trip to Indiana earlier this year - I recall being fatigued driving there. Tired, my arms ached, but I thought that's just getting old. Could be. But I think back to the time I drove from Iowa to Reading, PA - and stopped only 2 hours short of getting there at 10pm and I drove continuously non-stop except for gas (and to empty the Diet Coke I consumed on the way)
So there's how many hours from like 5am to inside PA at after 10pm, and I was still fine, not really that tired.
So on the way back from Indiana, my wife said she'd drive part of the trip - she hops in, the first time she had really driven the truck, especially on highways (Indiana pretty flat)
After a few minutes on the highway - her exact quote was "I hope there's no cops behind us, they'll think I'm drunk weaving back and forth so much".
I didn't think a lot of it at the time.
Then recently we were driving to town and she commented "why don't you drive straight, you keep going to the center line".
I figured she was just being her... she can't stand it when she's not the one driving in most cases.
Then I took it up to another town and the wind was just right - hitting the left front corner of the truck and it felt like for no stronger than the wind was, it wasn't that simple to "just drive". It felt like work.
And then last weekend we drove up to Spirit Lake - a nearly 4 hour trip and again, I was fatigued, got tired out. Wow, that never happens when driving my other cars now that I think of it. Am I really exerting that much mental and physical energy? IF so - why, what is it?
She said she'd drive back.......... so she gets in and after a couple of miles (and it was a hot day) said - man, this thing sure wanders all over, doesn't it.
I kept quiet - as she was contradicting what I had always figured. I didn't want to imply it was just her.
But maybe it's not. That's at least twice she has made a comment about wandering, and she commented on me not keeping it straight, as if I wasn't paying attention or something.
Loose - no, I drove like the wind on the 10th to stay ahead of a massive storm, I was going like a bat outtahell to get home. But then I was going really fast, passing vehicles, wind was extremely strong, and I had both hands FIRMLY on the wheel.
I never considered this JT to be unsafe. Especially after that wild drive.

So now I have to ask myself - was I impacted, EITHER WAY, by what I was reading and seeing? Was I hopeful that the truck was perfect and didn't allow myself to see flaws?
OR, am I now being swayed by all of those who have problems with their steering - sort of like a leading question can impact how someone responds.
So I'm going to try to clear my head, ignore everything I've seen, read, heard, and try to approach is as if it's a test drive of a new vehicle and see.
I hope it's not like some "suggestion" just be reading things here.
I guess there's one sure way to find out - see what another person says.
If there's a problem that's going to shoot all to hell everything I've ever posted about the steering on THIS truck.
If there's not, then it's just me - and worse, just my wife! Wow, I don't want to have to explain "no, it's just you, the truck is fine".

HAHAHA - that's sort of like a story out of true confessions or something, eh?

Can a person be influenced by reading something that says "these have problems" - into thinking they may also have a problem?
Can a person be so convinced that their new vehicle is just fine - that they ignore certain things?
Inquiring minds want to know.

My wife is a GOOD DRIVER, no accidents in the whole time I've known her, well, other than not waiting for the garage door to be CLEAR up and trying to back her GC into the garage several years ago.
No tickets in years, she's a good driver in bad weather for sure - probably better than I am. Her Grand Cherokee has tight, responsive steering, so is it that? ( I do not like the steering on her GC)
Naw, she's driven my other stuff and never once mentioned the steering or handling and I KNOW the 2004 WJ isn't tight with 126,000 miles on it. She's driven my trucks in the past and those weren't exactly sports cars.

Ah, it's all a dream, I guess. A bug in the matrix, that's it.

I think one can be impacted by what one reads or sees. However in this instance what you described your wife say is what most of those who have the steering issues have some or all of what was described.

Here’s my take....I picked up my Gladiator after having the TSB taken care of. I also had them put a Teraflex adjustable track bar on while they were at it. I KNEW instantly the moment I was driving in the parking lot that the steering had changed 100% for the better. I never knew what people described as loose and sloppy steering could be experienced at less than 5mph. I just thought it was a “jeep thing” which I read a lot about. In either case, I thought it was normal until I now know it wasn’t. Easy to note how wandering occurs at high speeds, cross winds, pot holes or manhole covers, dips in the road can cause issues. What I didn’t notice until the TSB was done was the “feel of the wheel”. So much better!

That said...parts manager said I was the first at the dealership to get this done and to send anyone over on the forum that may need it done. The only limitation is he can only order 1 TSB parts kit every week.

 

[Geekjeep]

I’m 3.5 lift on 37s. Dealer didn’t care. It’s a tsb and they’ve seen a ton of steering complaints. There’s no reason for them to not want to do it. I could understand if there’s extra labor from the lift...which there’s not. My dealer didn’t care.

 

[Gatorized]

I'm concerned now. I've said probably 50 times (LOL, and I bet that's understated) that mine has been fine. It's not loose steering for sure - but I'm starting to think back and see some things sort of fit together. And maybe I'm too used to older vehicles?

Can a person be influenced by reading something that says "these have problems" - into thinking they may also have a problem?
Can a person be so convinced that their new vehicle is just fine - that they ignore certain things?
Inquiring minds want to know.

I think everyone has this - some just far worse than others. I knew mine has a bit of play, but it was just a minor correction every few seconds. I can drive with one hand and feel in control. But I can’t take my hands off the wheel and have it track straight for a 1/4 mile like I can in my Mazda 3.
I saw the videos with the 2 inch play each way and read about the white knuckle driving and thought how lucky I was to not be impacted. Then I saw a video demonstrating about an inch of play and realized that was exactly how mine is. So my conclusion is that we all have it, in some cases can live with it, but should all be getting the new steering gear so It doesn’t get worse and end up as an out of pocket expense outside the warranty period. Steering gears are not cheap!

 

[Jellygladiator]

I took mine in to a Jeep dealership in morehead Ky, gave them the number for the TSB. Said bring it in and they would fix it so a day later I pick it up and was told by the service manager that mine did not need replaced since a bolt was tight.
I went home got the TSB printed out and as expected nothing on it says check a bolt!
so I went back up and asked the service manager joe to show me What he went by to just check for a bolt.
he couldn’t do it so I gave him a cooy of the TSB I had and asked him to show me where the hell on it is check a bolt. Well he could not then tried to say they didn’t know about this TSB and that’s why it was just a bolt check. We had a conversation about it before I dropped it off and after AND the TSB number was written on my ticket!! To add insult to injury he tells me when I picked it up “I’m new and things are changed around here” (they have a horrible reputation ) he says “we’ll get along I’ may poss you off but I’ll tell you the truth vs lie to you “ WTF and they charged me for a oil change that was covered by Jeep wave!
needless to say I got my money back and Called the dealership where I bought my Jeep from peppers in Paris TN ( 6 hours from me) Jason in service not only verified my local dealership Did not do what the TSB said to he called the service manager in the next closet town To make sure they completely understood the TSB Then had worked it out for me to take it there for repair.
needless to say still pissed and will be calling FCA on this along with the local shops GM although based on reputation I doubt they even care.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I had to "drive" mine on the 75MPH interstate. Didn't drive it much on interstate because it was pain to drive. Did most driving 2 lane 55MPH, wasn't as bad. Back roads, didn't stand out, but was putting along at 20-40MPH. Now, at 75MPH it's one hand/two fingers holding the wheel. All together different driving Jeep. I would like to see exactly what was wrong inside the other steering gear boxes.

2 fingers - naw, one hand yes.
I can take my hand off the wheel for a while. I've done it for about a quarter mile. And it goes pretty well until it starts tracking left. Then I correct it and take my hand off again, and it decided to go right.
There's one other thing I have noticed - we have been used to driving to town to our favorite ice cream shop. I usually get what they call a "Tornado", the equivalent of a DQ Blizzard.
My 82 SX4 I could drive and eat (well, it's a stick so that could be fun, too), my other vehicles, same thing - just sort of keep a finger on the wheel and even take eyes off the road and you were fine.
The JT you do not take your eyes off the road. My wife likes to look around while driving - I wonder if that's part of her sensation - eyes on the road or you are somewhere else.

I'm going for a drive this AM as I have to see the ent again anyway and do an honest assessment all over again.

 

[tampahoosier]

So what's the general consensus on dealers agreeing to do this on lifted jeeps? Anyone had success?

Every dealer is going to be different. My dealer here in Tampa is a rock star and doesn’t care because they know a lift has nothing to do with it. They know the problem exists from the get go and if you’re under warranty they don’t care. My service managers train of thought was it’s an issue from the factory, period. No lift will cause it, it may exaggerate it, but not cause it. So there is no point in denying the customer.

I have seen some posts over on FB specifically calling out having lifted jeeps and big tires and having no problems getting the TSB approved. I haven’t seen anyone specially say they were denied because of a lift and/or tires, generally it was denial for other BS crappy dealer reasons.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Every dealer is going to be different. My dealer here in Tampa is a rock star and doesn’t care because they know a lift has nothing to do with it. They know the problem exists from the get go and if you’re under warranty they don’t care.
No lift will cause it, it may exaggerate it, but not cause it.

Bingo.

 

[Shootist]

Every dealer is going to be different. My dealer here in Tampa is a rock star and doesn’t care because they know a lift has nothing to do with it. They know the problem exists from the get go and if you’re under warranty they don’t care. My service managers train of thought was it’s an issue from the factory, period. No lift will cause it, it may exaggerate it, but not cause it. So there is no point in denying the customer.

I have seen some posts over on FB specifically calling out having lifted jeeps and big tires and having no problems getting the TSB approved. I haven’t seen anyone specially say they were denied because of a lift and/or tires, generally it was denial for other BS crappy dealer reasons.

Man I wish every dealer was that way. But like everything in life there are some great ones out there and some not so great ones out there.

 

[mghoodlum]

 

[DaveL]

I'm concerned now. I've said probably 50 times (LOL, and I bet that's understated) that mine has been fine. It's not loose steering for sure - but I'm starting to think back and see some things sort of fit together. And maybe I'm too used to older vehicles?
Anyway, trip to Indiana earlier this year - I recall being fatigued driving there. Tired, my arms ached, but I thought that's just getting old. Could be. But I think back to the time I drove from Iowa to Reading, PA - and stopped only 2 hours short of getting there at 10pm and I drove continuously non-stop except for gas (and to empty the Diet Coke I consumed on the way)
So there's how many hours from like 5am to inside PA at after 10pm, and I was still fine, not really that tired.
So on the way back from Indiana, my wife said she'd drive part of the trip - she hops in, the first time she had really driven the truck, especially on highways (Indiana pretty flat)
After a few minutes on the highway - her exact quote was "I hope there's no cops behind us, they'll think I'm drunk weaving back and forth so much".
I didn't think a lot of it at the time.
Then recently we were driving to town and she commented "why don't you drive straight, you keep going to the center line".
I figured she was just being her... she can't stand it when she's not the one driving in most cases.
Then I took it up to another town and the wind was just right - hitting the left front corner of the truck and it felt like for no stronger than the wind was, it wasn't that simple to "just drive". It felt like work.
And then last weekend we drove up to Spirit Lake - a nearly 4 hour trip and again, I was fatigued, got tired out. Wow, that never happens when driving my other cars now that I think of it. Am I really exerting that much mental and physical energy? IF so - why, what is it?
She said she'd drive back.......... so she gets in and after a couple of miles (and it was a hot day) said - man, this thing sure wanders all over, doesn't it.
I kept quiet - as she was contradicting what I had always figured. I didn't want to imply it was just her.
But maybe it's not. That's at least twice she has made a comment about wandering, and she commented on me not keeping it straight, as if I wasn't paying attention or something.
Loose - no, I drove like the wind on the 10th to stay ahead of a massive storm, I was going like a bat outtahell to get home. But then I was going really fast, passing vehicles, wind was extremely strong, and I had both hands FIRMLY on the wheel.
I never considered this JT to be unsafe. Especially after that wild drive.

So now I have to ask myself - was I impacted, EITHER WAY, by what I was reading and seeing? Was I hopeful that the truck was perfect and didn't allow myself to see flaws?
OR, am I now being swayed by all of those who have problems with their steering - sort of like a leading question can impact how someone responds.
So I'm going to try to clear my head, ignore everything I've seen, read, heard, and try to approach is as if it's a test drive of a new vehicle and see.
I hope it's not like some "suggestion" just be reading things here.
I guess there's one sure way to find out - see what another person says.
If there's a problem that's going to shoot all to hell everything I've ever posted about the steering on THIS truck.
If there's not, then it's just me - and worse, just my wife! Wow, I don't want to have to explain "no, it's just you, the truck is fine".

HAHAHA - that's sort of like a story out of true confessions or something, eh?

Can a person be influenced by reading something that says "these have problems" - into thinking they may also have a problem?
Can a person be so convinced that their new vehicle is just fine - that they ignore certain things?
Inquiring minds want to know.

My wife is a GOOD DRIVER, no accidents in the whole time I've known her, well, other than not waiting for the garage door to be CLEAR up and trying to back her GC into the garage several years ago.
No tickets in years, she's a good driver in bad weather for sure - probably better than I am. Her Grand Cherokee has tight, responsive steering, so is it that? ( I do not like the steering on her GC)
Naw, she's driven my other stuff and never once mentioned the steering or handling and I KNOW the 2004 WJ isn't tight with 126,000 miles on it. She's driven my trucks in the past and those weren't exactly sports cars.

Ah, it's all a dream, I guess. A bug in the matrix, that's it.

I drove an old ARmy Surplus Jeep one summer for work. I can assure you it didn't steer as well as our JLU.
I understand how you felt. Talking to neighbours with new JLU's the men say it's fine. The women have all said that it's steering is scary. One said she wouldn't drive it on the highway. They bought it for winter trips from Toronto to Montreal, return. We have lots of JLU's in the neighbourhood.

Meantime, it's a vehicle life safety system.

First dealer we saw refused even after we handed the tsb to them, and read it to them when we picked up our unsafe JLU that they had not fixed. we informed our dealer (when they refused to honour the tsb) that if anything happens such as an accident with vehicle damage or personal injury or death we would go to court. Then we contacted @JeepCares and FCA Jeep Canada Customer Care. We saw a second dealer; parts are ordered. FCA Jeep CCC really helped. And the second dealer is incredible.

If you are in an accident it will be hard to explain to a lawyer why the TSB wasn't followed, and your Jeep wasn't fixed.

This should be a recall. We aren't doing something to make our Jeeps pretty. We're fixing them.

 

[Sazabi19]

I'm concerned now. I've said probably 50 times (LOL, and I bet that's understated) that mine has been fine. It's not loose steering for sure - but I'm starting to think back and see some things sort of fit together. And maybe I'm too used to older vehicles?
Anyway, trip to Indiana earlier this year - I recall being fatigued driving there. Tired, my arms ached, but I thought that's just getting old. Could be. But I think back to the time I drove from Iowa to Reading, PA - and stopped only 2 hours short of getting there at 10pm and I drove continuously non-stop except for gas (and to empty the Diet Coke I consumed on the way)
So there's how many hours from like 5am to inside PA at after 10pm, and I was still fine, not really that tired.
So on the way back from Indiana, my wife said she'd drive part of the trip - she hops in, the first time she had really driven the truck, especially on highways (Indiana pretty flat)
After a few minutes on the highway - her exact quote was "I hope there's no cops behind us, they'll think I'm drunk weaving back and forth so much".
I didn't think a lot of it at the time.
Then recently we were driving to town and she commented "why don't you drive straight, you keep going to the center line".
I figured she was just being her... she can't stand it when she's not the one driving in most cases.
Then I took it up to another town and the wind was just right - hitting the left front corner of the truck and it felt like for no stronger than the wind was, it wasn't that simple to "just drive". It felt like work.
And then last weekend we drove up to Spirit Lake - a nearly 4 hour trip and again, I was fatigued, got tired out. Wow, that never happens when driving my other cars now that I think of it. Am I really exerting that much mental and physical energy? IF so - why, what is it?
She said she'd drive back.......... so she gets in and after a couple of miles (and it was a hot day) said - man, this thing sure wanders all over, doesn't it.
I kept quiet - as she was contradicting what I had always figured. I didn't want to imply it was just her.
But maybe it's not. That's at least twice she has made a comment about wandering, and she commented on me not keeping it straight, as if I wasn't paying attention or something.
Loose - no, I drove like the wind on the 10th to stay ahead of a massive storm, I was going like a bat outtahell to get home. But then I was going really fast, passing vehicles, wind was extremely strong, and I had both hands FIRMLY on the wheel.
I never considered this JT to be unsafe. Especially after that wild drive.

So now I have to ask myself - was I impacted, EITHER WAY, by what I was reading and seeing? Was I hopeful that the truck was perfect and didn't allow myself to see flaws?
OR, am I now being swayed by all of those who have problems with their steering - sort of like a leading question can impact how someone responds.
So I'm going to try to clear my head, ignore everything I've seen, read, heard, and try to approach is as if it's a test drive of a new vehicle and see.
I hope it's not like some "suggestion" just be reading things here.
I guess there's one sure way to find out - see what another person says.
If there's a problem that's going to shoot all to hell everything I've ever posted about the steering on THIS truck.
If there's not, then it's just me - and worse, just my wife! Wow, I don't want to have to explain "no, it's just you, the truck is fine".

HAHAHA - that's sort of like a story out of true confessions or something, eh?

Can a person be influenced by reading something that says "these have problems" - into thinking they may also have a problem?
Can a person be so convinced that their new vehicle is just fine - that they ignore certain things?
Inquiring minds want to know.

My wife is a GOOD DRIVER, no accidents in the whole time I've known her, well, other than not waiting for the garage door to be CLEAR up and trying to back her GC into the garage several years ago.
No tickets in years, she's a good driver in bad weather for sure - probably better than I am. Her Grand Cherokee has tight, responsive steering, so is it that? ( I do not like the steering on her GC)
Naw, she's driven my other stuff and never once mentioned the steering or handling and I KNOW the 2004 WJ isn't tight with 126,000 miles on it. She's driven my trucks in the past and those weren't exactly sports cars.

Ah, it's all a dream, I guess. A bug in the matrix, that's it.

It sounds like you just had the realization that you need this too lol. I would get on the horn with your dealer. This sounds almost exactly what happened to me when I got my Gladiator. The dealer is about an hour away from me in IN (mostly highway) and had to drive that route 3 times (1 was a test drive, other 2 were to go back to sign and come home) and I was fatigued after an hour of trying to keep it straight. The first time coming home was in heavy wind and terrible. Now, after the TSB, it drives so much better. I think you'll be surprised on what you've been putting up with.

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