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

[ShadowsPapa]

Ha! You're lucky. My back right was 47, 11PSI higher than recommended. The others were all around 42-45. That was white knuckle from the dealership home (about 1 hr on highway) with strong winds (40 sustained, gusts 60+).

What happened to pride in workmanship?
I guess the era of my father is gone. He cared - so much, they made him chief inspector. These days it's see nothing, report nothing, suggest no improvements.

That would be scary - and the loss of traction with the tires so over-inflated, thank goodness you didn't have to make a panic stop or swerve. You'd be driving on only the center 1/3 of the tire (a rough guess, don't hold me to it!)

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[Plainsman]

I had the TSB done to my Gladiator and just noticed while putting up paperwork that they installed the steering gear for the JL and not the JT, confirmed it by checking gear part number itself. Does anyone here know what the difference is?

 

[mountainpass]

Hey I wanted to update the steering box on the ‘21 is the new version. My experience driving it home (500 mi) from the dealer... the steering felt almost too tight. If you even thought about turning the wheel it turned! I t was a bit of work, lots of correction on the highway. Now, it may be I’m just not used to it yet, I’ll give it couple weeks, and see how it is.

Well that's good, but wonder if any 2020's left factory with new version. I currently shopping for one and one I am looking considering has 7-20 as build date on door sticker. Has anyone checked their 2020?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Well that's good, but wonder if any 2020's left factory with new version. I currently shopping for one and one I am looking considering has 7-20 as build date on door sticker. Has anyone checked their 2020?

July 2020 surely won't have the new gear. It would have to be a very late 2020, about the time the TSB came out, perhaps a slight lead on the TSB.
Then it's REALLY simple to tell - lift the flimsy liner, look to see if it's cast aluminum or steel - one will be silver/gray, the other black, and both will have bar code part numbers on them - compare to the pictures in this short thread (HAHAHAHAHA) or the numbers on theTSB.

 

[mountainpass]

Yeah I assumed it wouldn't but the pickings are slim on the remaining jeeps.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Yeah I assumed it wouldn't but the pickings are slim on the remaining jeeps.

Boy you've got that right. No matter the model. I looked around for several days trying to find my wife a new Grand Cherokee - as far as on the lots - wow, nothing. Every one of them was either black or white or a color my wife hated, or didn't have the stuff we wanted. Granted it's easier with a GC because they come with all the fun stuff included on some trim levels, unlike a Gladiator where you pretty much build it as you go. But still - we ended up ordering to get something she liked with the options we insisted on. The dealer lots - all but devoid of Grand Cherokees. Even the biggest Chevy dealer in the area has a lot that's almost half empty.

 

[StingGraydiator]

Hello all, I recently had the TSB done to my Overland. Didnt have any issues getting it done, and they actually did it pretty quick. I was happy with the improvement but wasnt blown away.

I still had some slack in the center of my steering, and I actually started hearing a slight clunk when moving around the center of my wheel. I figured this may just be the new steering box and that was it. Well, I started hearing the clunk as I went over bumps, so I called the dealership, and they said to bring it back. They ended up replacing the steering box again, and it seemed to be even better, but the clunk was still there, and I still had some slop in the steering.

Today, I inspected the steering components, and discovered that my power steering fluid was low from the replacement, and the steering column at the joint going into the steering box was loose!
I tightened the bolt (pretty easy to do), and WOW! My steering is perfect now.
No issues, and steers like my Subaru Legacy, which is a compliment.

Moral of the story: check the dealerships work. I thought I had gotten a bad part, but the dealership was lazy, and missed a loose bolt twice! Im going to be taking the wheels off and re-checking all the bolts they touched. Cant trust anyone these days.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Hello all, I recently had the TSB done to my Overland. Didnt have any issues getting it done, and they actually did it pretty quick. I was happy with the improvement but wasnt blown away.

I still had some slack in the center of my steering, and I actually started hearing a slight clunk when moving around the center of my wheel. I figured this may just be the new steering box and that was it. Well, I started hearing the clunk as I went over bumps, so I called the dealership, and they said to bring it back. They ended up replacing the steering box again, and it seemed to be even better, but the clunk was still there, and I still had some slop in the steering.

Today, I inspected the steering components, and discovered that my power steering fluid was low from the replacement, and the steering column at the joint going into the steering box was loose!
I tightened the bolt (pretty easy to do), and WOW! My steering is perfect now.
No issues, and steers like my Subaru Legacy, which is a compliment.

Moral of the story: check the dealerships work. I thought I had gotten a bad part, but the dealership was lazy, and missed a loose bolt twice! Im going to be taking the wheels off and re-checking all the bolts they touched. Cant trust anyone these days.

I am SOOO glad you checked all of that. Granted, it likely wouldn't have been a major issue under normal conditions, but that loose bolt leads to wear in a spot you don't want wear and could give out when you need it most.
The stupid part of it is that the bolt you talk about is one of the five that's to be replaced if I understand you correctly.

 

[Sazabi19]

What happened to pride in workmanship?
I guess the era of my father is gone. He cared - so much, they made him chief inspector. These days it's see nothing, report nothing, suggest no improvements.

That would be scary - and the loss of traction with the tires so over-inflated, thank goodness you didn't have to make a panic stop or swerve. You'd be driving on only the center 1/3 of the tire (a rough guess, don't hold me to it!)

I get that I bought it during the whole covid thing and the dealer doesn't usually do the normal vehicle setup thing and there was no one in the shop, but I had hoped he checked tire pressure. He obviously didn't, guess he just didn't think about it. It got addressed when I went back the next day and he apologized as I had to let air out when I went home.

 

[CMFINC]

frist its the cluch thing. no big deal..ok next its steering.. i dont seem to have a problem with it wife cant drive it.. like shes DUI.. LOL. now friday after the dealer did the steering box FIX. i had them do computer for the 37in tires. ok.. wheel is not centered any more. not off a lot but still off. steering feels stiff. get home and after reading and help from others here TELLING ME cheek fluid i find no fluid in my rez for the new gear box.. dealer servise replace a hydrolic item never cheeks the fluid.?????..spend $30 took care of that alls good. sunday i find out the back up camera now dont work. so after playing around with settings turning them on and off everything seems right should work.. no.. get out the book and trying to see why it dont work.. poof now it works.. WTF..changed nothing everything set like it should one min no work next min it works ok alls good. now tonight go to store and start stop system unavailable pops on. just about long enough to think WTF is that.. than it went off. ok.. get to store get in to come home and like 5 miles driving poof it comes on again.. may be like 5 sec or so it goes back off. all this in just 2 months. i dont feel good im on disability and now what?? back to the shop AGAIN?? A 4 HOUR ROUND TRIP JUST THERE AND BACK.. im having a bad day i guess as im right now really starting to hate this phucking thing.. needed to vet. good thing dealers not open right now im sure id say shit i just need not say. and in the morning i still might be pissed and say things anyways.

 

[Sazabi19]

frist its the cluch thing. no big deal..ok next its steering.. i dont seem to have a problem with it wife cant drive it.. like shes DUI.. LOL. now friday after the dealer did the steering box FIX. i had them do computer for the 37in tires. ok.. wheel is not centered any more. not off a lot but still off. steering feels stiff. get home and after reading and help from others here TELLING ME cheek fluid i find no fluid in my rez for the new gear box.. dealer servise replace a hydrolic item never cheeks the fluid.?????..spend $30 took care of that alls good. sunday i find out the back up camera now dont work. so after playing around with settings turning them on and off everything seems right should work.. no.. get out the book and trying to see why it dont work.. poof now it works.. WTF..changed nothing everything set like it should one min no work next min it works ok alls good. now tonight go to store and start stop system unavailable pops on. just about long enough to think WTF is that.. than it went off. ok.. get to store get in to come home and like 5 miles driving poof it comes on again.. may be like 5 sec or so it goes back off. all this in just 2 months. i dont feel good im on disability and now what?? back to the shop AGAIN?? A 4 HOUR ROUND TRIP JUST THERE AND BACK.. im having a bad day i guess as im right now really starting to hate this phucking thing.. needed to vet. good thing dealers not open right now im sure id say shit i just need not say. and in the morning i still might be pissed and say things anyways.

This is... hard to understand.

 

[Gator Pit]

Dropped off my truck to have the TSB performed and I just messaged the service department to get an update. They told me that they are working on it but the tech has found that the pinion nut needs to be replaced. Of course they don't have one in stock and they are trying to track one down Has anyone else had this happen yet? I have been following along since the beginning of this tread and I don't recall seeing anyone else have this one before.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Dropped off my truck to have the TSB performed and I just messaged the service department to get an update. They told me that they are working on it but the tech has found that the pinion nut needs to be replaced. Of course they don't have one in stock and they are trying to track one down Has anyone else had this happen yet? I have been following along since the beginning of this tread and I don't recall seeing anyone else have this one before.

Two things can happen to the nut - the pitman shaft threads were not cleaned or were damaged and they ran the nut off anyway and messed up the threads
or
they cross-threaded it going on, but that's not simple to do.
I'll have to look to see what sort of nut they used, but if self-locking (like used in the old days) then it's possible it was loose - but not common unless it's been run off and on a couple of times to wear the interference fit for lock nuts.

 

[PyrPatriot]

They did an alignment? The steering gear swap won't impact that - so it was off to begin with.

My dealer said my alignment was off (probably due to off roading trips) and it needed to be fixed before the tech could confirm the wandering was due to the steering (so they admitted it did wander).

 

[watarski]

Contacted my service dept again - they had to order the correct (JT) steering gear since they installed the 4 door JL part.

Power steering fluid is about halfway between max and min.

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