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

[Geekjeep]

Yup. Can anyone comment on how we fix the notchy feel. My box got replaced with tsb. I had to add fluid three times. Didn’t do anything for the notchy feel. I also cycled steering side to side 15 times. Some bubbles came up. Could there be more or is there another issue

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[CMFINC]

thats what i get for thinking the dealer service center would do a good and right job.. now i have to go to town and hit auto parts store for fluid. no mopar fluid for me.. dout auto zone has mopar fluid

 

[ShadowsPapa]

thats what i get for thinking the dealer service center would do a good and right job.. now i have to go to town and hit auto parts store for fluid. no mopar fluid for me.. dout auto zone has mopar fluid

The only way I find it in our area is online - Amazon, etc. - no store carries it.

 

[LoJac963]

Went in person to my local dealership and found out my parts were in, no one ever called. Went into service to schedule an appointment and the great guy I dealt with at first is no longer at that dealership. New guy seemed like he didn't give a crap about the TSB so now I have an appointment to drop off the truck for diagnosing......

He asked what the truck was doing so I unfolded the TSB and read him the symptoms lol. I mean honestly, the last guy said it would be done without question once parts were in. My parts are sitting at the parts desk and now you (new guy) wants to diagnose....

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Went in person to my local dealership and found out my parts were in, no one ever called. Went into service to schedule an appointment and the great guy I dealt with at first is no longer at that dealership. New guy seemed like he didn't give a crap about the TSB so now I have an appointment to drop off the truck for diagnosing......

He asked what the truck was doing so I unfolded the TSB and read him the symptoms lol. I mean honestly, the last guy said it would be done without question once parts were in. My parts are sitting at the parts desk and now you (new guy) wants to diagnose....

The fellow at Dewey Dodge/Jeep in Ankeny, Steve, was new - been there 2 months. He seemed like a "regular guy" - played in a band, an ordinary joe. He actually looked at and read the TSB. I explained it was mostly my wife - saying cops would think she was drunk, boy this thing sure wanders, etc. and I said I was on the fence but after watching her, she's a very good driver, I agreed. I told him I took a drive and emptied all of my prejudices, pretended I was driving it for someone else to see if I could feel it and I could.
He, being new, took it back to a couple of other guys who read it over - one being a tech from the shop. Another guy asked "it's not a Rubicon is it" Geesh, should that matter???? I said no - then he asked if it was lifted - uh, no....... Thankfully HE wasn't involved!
A tech heard some of this and heard them tell me they were pretty busy and could I leave it - the tech said he'd check it out. So I waited. An hour later they came forward with more papers and told me "The tech agreed, your truck has a problem". That was that. They ordered the parts, I was to leave it with them the next day - Friday. I did - and the gear came in but no bolts. I have plenty of vehicles, so I told them to keep it.

In your case, the fact that parts were ordered for THAT JT along with the TSB should be all it takes. I doubt they can simply order and stock-pile these things without a work order or associated TSB since they are restricted to 1 per week. So the parts are there - that is the only thing that should matter - and it should point to the newbie that someone beleived the truck needed said parts.

 

[LoJac963]

The fellow at Dewey Dodge/Jeep in Ankeny, Steve, was new - been there 2 months. He seemed like a "regular guy" - played in a band, an ordinary joe. He actually looked at and read the TSB. I explained it was mostly my wife - saying cops would think she was drunk, boy this thing sure wanders, etc. and I said I was on the fence but after watching her, she's a very good driver, I agreed. I told him I took a drive and emptied all of my prejudices, pretended I was driving it for someone else to see if I could feel it and I could.
He, being new, took it back to a couple of other guys who read it over - one being a tech from the shop. Another guy asked "it's not a Rubicon is it" Geesh, should that matter???? I said no - then he asked if it was lifted - uh, no....... Thankfully HE wasn't involved!
A tech heard some of this and heard them tell me they were pretty busy and could I leave it - the tech said he'd check it out. So I waited. An hour later they came forward with more papers and told me "The tech agreed, your truck has a problem". That was that. They ordered the parts, I was to leave it with them the next day - Friday. I did - and the gear came in but no bolts. I have plenty of vehicles, so I told them to keep it.

In your case, the fact that parts were ordered for THAT JT along with the TSB should be all it takes. I doubt they can simply order and stock-pile these things without a work order or associated TSB since they are restricted to 1 per week. So the parts are there - that is the only thing that should matter - and it should point to the newbie that someone beleived the truck needed said parts.

One would think it would have been a no brainer since the parts are sitting there. I will drop it off wednesday and make sure they know my parts are there under my name so maybe they will just do the TSB work and be done with it. I am curious what happens to "my" parts if they decline with work since I installed the Mopar lift myself.

 

[Gaitero]

I may be going slightly off topic here, but having seen the video showing the steering box separating from the frame arouses my curiosity. The video makes me think that there are no compression tubes inside the frame for the bolts to pass through, and that the outboard side of the frame is flexing to allow the movement that is seen. It is also possible that the bolts are stretching, and that the larger bolts with the new box are to reduce that. If it is frame flex that is seen in the video, that is going to cause fatigue and failure in the long term, and may cause the bolts to work loose. It would seem that the Synergy brace would still seem like a good idea even with the new steering box, and I would be interested if anyone getting the new steering box notices further improvement after subsequently installing the Synergy brace.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

One would think it would have been a no brainer since the parts are sitting there. I will drop it off wednesday and make sure they know my parts are there under my name so maybe they will just do the TSB work and be done with it. I am curious what happens to "my" parts if they decline with work since I installed the Mopar lift myself.

A. It's a MOPAR lift
B. The TSB says zip about a lift
C. The bottom line on page one says "if the customer mentions any of the above - FIX IT" well - not in those words, but still....
D. My bet is those parts were ordered using your VIN with the TSB.......
E. The dealer I had work on mine gets JTs off the truck, lifts them, puts different wheels and tires on them and sells them with lifts. There's a JT Sport sitting in the front of their store now with a 2" MOPAR lift and 35" tires. Bet they won't deny that one getting fixed!

 

[LoJac963]

A. It's a MOPAR lift
B. The TSB says zip about a lift
C. The bottom line on page one says "if the customer mentions any of the above - FIX IT" well - not in those words, but still....
D. My bet is those parts were ordered using your VIN with the TSB.......
E. The dealer I had work on mine gets JTs off the truck, lifts them, puts different wheels and tires on them and sells them with lifts. There's a JT Sport sitting in the front of their store now with a 2" MOPAR lift and 35" tires. Bet they won't deny that one getting fixed!

Exactly, that is why it is so frustrating but I will hope they do they work this coming week. I am going to take off my Fuels/37s and put my stock Rubi wheels back on. I think I will check the toe also while I am at it. You seem very knowledgeable on these, any resources or pointers on checking toe. I have been watching some vids but curious what you think, where to measure, what to use to get accurate measurements, etc.

 

[HWKIGRL]

I’ve seen the photos posted here but where exactly is the steering box (gear) located? In the video from awhile back about the DIY “fix” he has to remove items to get to the box...I’m an idiot I’m sure but I was looking all over the darn place last night and couldn’t figure out where it was. So yes I’m that big of an idiot when it comes to tech or auto stuff, if you need to point it out please do but then at least answer...lol
Just for piece of mind I’d like to see it so am I able to view box without removing anything or is it “hidden”?

 

[LoJac963]

I’ve seen the photos posted here but where exactly is the steering box (gear) located? In the video from awhile back about the DIY “fix” he has to remove items to get to the box...I’m an idiot I’m sure but I was looking all over the darn place last night and couldn’t figure out where it was. So yes I’m that big of an idiot when it comes to tech or auto stuff, if you need to point it out please do but then at least answer...lol
Just for piece of mind I’d like to see it so am I able to view box without removing anything or is it “hidden”?

It is on the driver side, if you move the front of the fender liner away you can see the steering box and also check the part number right there as well. I will definitely check the part number before I leave the dealership if I can get them to do the work.

 

[JTMana]

when i dropped my mojave off, i had front and rear leveling kit along with a fox steering stabilizer, the SA didnt give me any push back about those parts being installed. i just recieved my mojave a couple days ago, it feels a lot better, compared to my cross country trip before the TSB fix. i havent been driving that much, ill report back once i do more highway miles

 

[HWKIGRL]

It is on the driver side, if you move the front of the fender liner away you can see the steering box and also check the part number right there as well. I will definitely check the part number before I leave the dealership if I can get them to do the work.

Thank you! That I can work with..lol!
It’s driving so much better but after some comments about aluminum box and wrong parts number I just want the peace of mind!

 

[Gatorized]

Went in person to my local dealership and found out my parts were in, no one ever called. Went into service to schedule an appointment and the great guy I dealt with at first is no longer at that dealership. New guy seemed like he didn't give a crap about the TSB so now I have an appointment to drop off the truck for diagnosing......

He asked what the truck was doing so I unfolded the TSB and read him the symptoms lol. I mean honestly, the last guy said it would be done without question once parts were in. My parts are sitting at the parts desk and now you (new guy) wants to diagnose....

Sounds like JeepCares needs to get involved - sooner rather than later.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Exactly, that is why it is so frustrating but I will hope they do they work this coming week. I am going to take off my Fuels/37s and put my stock Rubi wheels back on. I think I will check the toe also while I am at it. You seem very knowledgeable on these, any resources or pointers on checking toe. I have been watching some vids but curious what you think, where to measure, what to use to get accurate measurements, etc.

There are a couple of excellent videos on youtube - likley that's what you've seen.
It's not easy for just one person to do without the "rack" and equipment, but with a helper just holding the other end of a tape measure you can get so close it should be in spec.
The key is to measure as close to the exact center on the fronts of the tires and the same on the back. Since you can't get exactly half-way up on the face of the tire (darned Jeep gets in the way LOL) then measure as high as you can front and back -making sure that if you measure the same height on the back as you do on the front.
If you can measure up 15" on the front face of the tire but only 14" up on the back (likely due to lower control arms in the way - or go over them?) then measure 14" high on the front and back.
You are looking for the difference in the spacing of the fronts of the tires vs. the spacing of the rear of the tires. If the tires were exactly 0 degrees on both sides, pointed perfectly straight ahead, you'd have 0 toe (not good)
If the tires are 1/4" closer in the front when straight ahead than they are in the back, you have toe-in by that much.
Because the normal "forces" of a rear wheel drive vehicle want to push the fornt tires outward, you want them in just a bit - that way when on the road they are most likely straight and not out or in. Other angles can affect that but that gets too darned complex to deal with.
So get a helper, use a stiff tape measure, keep it tight and straight - pick a spot in the tread pattern as close as possible to the middle of the tire as you can, and as high up as you can go so you are the same height measuring front and back of the tire, and measure. Then measure the rears of the front tires from the same places on the tread.
Once you have toe set - THEN you center the steering wheel.
Modern alignment equipment measures toe in angles and not fractions of an inch because, well, frankly, you can have toe-in set at a certain spot with 32" tires and then put on 35's and although the ANGLE won't change, the measurement will because the tires are bigger!
So it makes sense, especially with Jeep vehicles with so many tire sizes to choose from, to use the angle. But setting using inches (fractions of an inch) it fine and some specs are written that way.

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