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

[jbehrn]

Just picked up my Gladiator from the dealer... It may too early to reply, BUT - after driving only 5 miles home it does seem better. One interesting note is that the invoice notes TSB REV F... The last revision I recall mentioned was REV B.

How long did it take them to do the work? I dropped my Gladiator off today and was told 2 days...

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[aaalex93]

How long did it take them to do the work? I dropped my Gladiator off today and was told 2 days...

Had mine done about a month ago.

Took 6 weeks for the parts to arrive and a day and a half for install.

Worth the wait!

 

[AJ-MJ]

AJ-MJ said:
Just picked up my Gladiator from the dealer... It may too early to reply, BUT - after driving only 5 miles home it does seem better. One interesting note is that the invoice notes TSB REV F... The last revision I recall mentioned was REV B.

How long did it take them to do the work? I dropped my Gladiator off today and was told 2 days...


I dropped it off in the morning and it was finished by noon.

 

[Backwoodsraider]

How long did it take them to do the work? I dropped my Gladiator off today and was told 2 days...

They picked mine up friday morning, at 1230 called and said assigned tech, 345 called and said done

 

[DobaMark]

Per the TSB, it's only an allowance for 1.9 hours of work (unless it's been revised upwards in later versions).

 

[Rollcast]

Summary: JTR dropped off at 7:45 this morning and TSB completed today. The steering is significantly improved. Steering feel was immediately, noticeably more firm, and it doesn't require constant input.

Full story:
June 2019 - Test drove a JT Sport on a lark and actually made a comment to my wife about the really nice handling. It drove great. Steering was tight and pinpoint accurate. When I started reading this forum to research the JT, I was surprised by steering complaints.

March 2020 - Picked up my ordered JTR and knew immediately that the steering was an issue. It wasn't horrible, but is that really what you want out of a new vehicle? "Not horrible." There have been scary moments on the interstate with wind and truck traffic. My wife drove it a couple of times and basically refused to drive it unless absolutely necessary so the steering was a problem.

November 2 - Went to the dealer for JeepWave oil change and mentioned the steering to the service writer. Tech confirmed it had an issue, found TSB and said he tried to order parts, but they weren't allowed to order until November 9. "We'll order ASAP and let you know when parts arrive." No big deal.

December 14 - Dealer texted that parts arrived. Service scheduled for next day.

December 15 - Took it to the dealer for the service. TSB completed same day. Confirmed correct parts installed. Minor mess on frame and steering wheel isn't centered, but that's a pretty easy fix. My ticket also cites Rev. F as someone previously said. (Service writer mentioned that after I came in on 11-2 with steering complaint, she had a boatload of others come in asking about the steering and TSB. She also mentioned that if the customer brought it up, she just approved the service and ordered the parts without any further testing or hassle.)

The servicing dealer is about 5 miles from my house, but I drove home "the long way" (7-8 miles) so I could hit a couple of miles of freeway. My conclusion is that the TSB is a significant improvement.

 

[DaveL]

Well done Joe.
Enjoy.
Makes a big change!

 

[atxatxatx]

Picked my Mojave up this morning after the TSB was completed (and a few other items).
I drove it a good 30 miles afterwards to verify it was ok. obviously the steering is significantly better and how it should be, freeway driving was way better. I made sure the correct part was installed before leaving the dealer.
Thanks to all the posters on this forum who shared information about this TSB over the past few months.

Without Jeepcares, I'd be stuck in a ridiculous wait list. 1st level support was terrible, unfortunately I had someone who should never have been in customer service, but the 2nd level Jeepcares person I was assigned was awesome, so kudos to them. 3.5 months for me to get it all done. Dealership did a good job also, I feel bad for them with the struggle to get parts, FCA just needs to make it a recall and get it done.

To others on the fence about it, just go and get it done. If dealers are giving you pushback, then get jeepcares involved - you pay a lot of money for the vehicle, don't be shy about making it right.

 

[alx_glad]

Update: Got a call yesterday that my parts are in. Dropped it off this morning and eagerly waiting for it to be done. My Service Advisor is great and seems to know how to handle it. I did ask him to double check the parts to make sure they are correct He said is should be complete by tomorrow because it needs to be re aligned. . Night and day from my other Service Advisor who basically tried to make me sound crazy about the handling of my own truck smh. Will give you an update when I get it back.

 

[Bacon]

I just picked up my Gladiator from the dealer and the steering is definitely tighter and more consistently so at different speeds. The wheel is ever so slightly off center (was more so before) so I may just adjust that myself. They also reset the computer so my speedo is off by about 6mph (37") which I'll have to redo tomorrow after the storm.

I'm glad that this saga is over.

EDIT: A word

 

[Scruf]

Dropped off my Jeep this morning at 8:30, finished at 2:30.

Only drove it a few miles coming home, but the steering does seem to be a little tighter and it seemed to track ok on the hwy. the weather is nasty today, so not the best conditions. Not as dramatic of a change as I had imagined... but then again it is a lifted Jeep on 35"s, haha. Also, mine may not have been as terrible as others experienced. As I put a few more miles on it in the coming weeks, the improvement might be more noticeable, especially when I pull my cargo trailer. Definitely glad I got it done though.

Westgate Jeep in Raleigh did a great job. They were easy to work with. No hassle about doing the repair. No complaints about my 2" lift. It took 4 months to get all the parts in, but that's on Jeep, not the dealer. Repair appears to have been done correctly and in a timely manner.


And for what it's worth, my caster is at 5.3*. I have a 2" lift with adjustable lower control arms, so I was curious to know what my caster was.

 

[TrainMan]

Btw the TSB is now on Rev. F. Not sure what the changes are. If someone has a copy please post.

 

[jbehrn]

Good word this afternoon that my Gladiator’s steering box was replaced! Now the dealer is trying to find out why I’m getting intermittent popping sounds from the front-end when the wheels are turned. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll have it back and can see how the steering feels.

 

[firehog]

Well I guess I will add to the 2,000+ posts .....

After watching this thread since it started I decided to get the TSB done.
First, a little history:
I have owned several jeeps, but none in the last 15 years. I purchased my JT July 7th, 2020. It is a June 13, 2020 build. I can’t say my steering was horrible, its just how I remember my old jeeps, even the TJ’s. However, I would expect it to be better by now for many reasons. I added the Synergy brace and it made a very noticeable improvement as well as a Fox steering stabilizer. Watching others reviews of the TSB fix I came to the conclusion that it could still be better than what it is, so I pulled the trigger.
I went to my loca dealer where I purchased my JT and lets just say it wasn’t happening. So I went to the nearest dealer 30 miles away (same company) where I will not admit how many vehicles I have purchased and had no issues. The service manager asked a couple of pertinent questions and the parts were on order. I had to remove the sector shaft where it attaches to the steering box, but not the brace (easy). Lift was not an issue. Keep in mind they have not done this repair for anyone. He was surprised the parts would take a month. Luckily, he got them in 2 weeks. I had them install today, verified correct part numbers and computer flash,etc. Much to my surprise they were done in two hours! In fact, slightly faster than the book. Pretty impressive for not having done this yet. Especially considering some of the posts I’ve read. I checked the PS reservoir before I left and it was almost empty. The mechanic was surprised as he said he used a vacuum tool to try and prevent air (no bleeder in PS system). Anyways, glad I saw that here on posts and checked, so was he. Lol. Learning moment.
Now for the results:
Very happy I did this. It steers as good as my 2020 Chevy Duramax! I live 45 minutes away from dealer in a very rural, windy, shitty road near the Rogue River so I definitely put it to the test on top of 80 mph on highway. I feel much more confident where the jeep is going to go next, lol. No more darting, pushing or squirreliness. And it turns more effortlessly. So if you are like me and on the fence, I would recommend doing the update. I hope you all have as pleasant, pain free experience as mine was!

 

[JK4AER]

Dropped mine off one week ago today and am still waiting. Local dealer has had some staffing issues.

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