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

[DaveL]

Man, sometimes they have a one track mind. Make an appt just for them to look at the steering. Is it pulling or does it feel loose?

A while back I asked @JeepCares for help. They helped me a lot. However, I'm Canadian and it's a different company in Canada. Same Jeep....

I contacted them because the selling dealer service department refused to change the steering gear. They took it for a test drive (6 minutes long.) It was parked in the shop for quite a while.

Picked up the Jeep. No charge for the service work. However, Had to sign the work order. Signed it as follows:
"Jeep was not repaired. instructions on TSB, which the dealer was given, were not followed. Jeep is dangerous. If there is an accident or damage, or claim this will be used in court." Took a photo and left.

How did @JeepCares help? They provided me with a phone number. When I called I said I had already contacted @JeepCares. That helped me a lot...

My new contact at FCA Jeep Canada Customer Care was polite, listened, and helped. He explained that
In Canada, FWIW, the process requires
1. Service appointment
2. Recommendation from the Service Manager to FCA Jeep that the steering gear be changed.
3. Dealer orders the Steering Gear, and it takes a while to get...

Remember it's a different country, different company, and different rules. Yes the original TSB reads a certain way. I know that.

FCA Jeep CanadaCustomer Care was very helpful, all along the way.

The new steering gear was installed and it was much better. Not perfect--still a dead band. Good enough...?

Now there is a new TSB out.
The new TSB has been written better to prevent dealer/mechanic error. It adds an alignment, and replacement of the track bar.

It took about 15 months from first complaint to the selling dealer to get it done. Don't know how many times I hears, "It's a Jeep Thing". That's why it's in my signature here.

Drove my first Jeep all summer about 55 years ago. It was a Canadian Army surplus Jeep. I understand why it handled as it did.

BTW consider how your dealer test drives your jeep. Ours was driven 6 minutes and it was driven on smoothest of roads at low speed. It would have been a better test if 4 guys had hopped in the Jeep and taken it to get coffee...and driven fast to get back to work. (That happened at the nearby MB dealer; the dash cam video with sound went viral! )

Sponsored

 

[Glenn671]

A while back I asked @JeepCares for help. They helped me a lot. However, I'm Canadian and it's a different company in Canada. Same Jeep....

I contacted them because the selling dealer service department refused to change the steering gear. They took it for a test drive (6 minutes long.) It was parked in the shop for quite a while.

Picked up the Jeep. No charge for the service work. However, Had to sign the work order. Signed it as follows:
"Jeep was not repaired. instructions on TSB, which the dealer was given, were not followed. Jeep is dangerous. If there is an accident or damage, or claim this will be used in court." Took a photo and left.

How did @JeepCares help? They provided me with a phone number. When I called I said I had already contacted @JeepCares. That helped me a lot...

My new contact at FCA Jeep Canada Customer Care was polite, listened, and helped. He explained that
In Canada, FWIW, the process requires
1. Service appointment
2. Recommendation from the Service Manager to FCA Jeep that the steering gear be changed.
3. Dealer orders the Steering Gear, and it takes a while to get...

Remember it's a different country, different company, and different rules. Yes the original TSB reads a certain way. I know that.

FCA Jeep CanadaCustomer Care was very helpful, all along the way.

The new steering gear was installed and it was much better. Not perfect--still a dead band. Good enough...?

Now there is a new TSB out.
The new TSB has been written better to prevent dealer/mechanic error. It adds an alignment, and replacement of the track bar.

It took about 15 months from first complaint to the selling dealer to get it done. Don't know how many times I hears, "It's a Jeep Thing". That's why it's in my signature here.

Drove my first Jeep all summer about 55 years ago. It was a Canadian Army surplus Jeep. I understand why it handled as it did.

BTW consider how your dealer test drives your jeep. Ours was driven 6 minutes and it was driven on smoothest of roads at low speed. It would have been a better test if 4 guys had hopped in the Jeep and taken it to get coffee...and driven fast to get back to work. (That happened at the nearby MB dealer; the dash cam video with sound went viral! )

My dealer was great. I was with the shop Forman on the test drive. He immediately felt the pull and said yes we will do the TSB. I haven’t seen the new one with the track bar replacement though.

 

[salsadoc]

the track bar replacement seems to be only for early built JLs. it’s in page 3 of the newest TSB

 

[5JeepsAz]

 

[Whatsamod]

Something that bothers me a lot about this TSB: every day, I read about it taking a month to get parts, yet new JT's and JL's roll off the line. To me, it seems that Jeep views our safety as less important. It sickens me to think that way after owning Jeeps for 34 years. It use to be that Jeep spearheaded the community spirit of its brand. Now Jeep seems to follow significant corporate rules and has forgotten what helped to build its cult following.

 

[LAJEEPR]

My 2020 JTR is at the dealer right now for the TSB work. Took it in beginning of November, was approved for the TSB work. Waited for parts like everyone else. Last week had it in for an oil change and they let me know the steering parts were in. 3.5 months wait. But then...I also have been sitting on installing an AEV 2.5 lift and a Steersmarts front track bar. The dealer is big AEV shop so I brought the whole kit in when I dropped off for TSB work. They are doing the TSB and then the lift install. Pick it up tomorrow. Going to feel like a very different vehicle.

Got truck back from dealer. Took a day trip out to the desert to give it a test. Route involved freeway, sandy washes, washboard, and two-lane mountain/country roads. Big improvement. Part of it can also be attributed to the new suspension and track bar, but for the TSB they replaced the gear box and pitman arm which had excessive wear for ~3000 miles on the odometer. I can let go of the wheel and it tracks straight. It is not tight but is more responsive to slight corrections. Less dead zone. Happy with the outcome.

 

[DaveL]

My dealer was great. I was with the shop Forman on the test drive. He immediately felt the pull and said yes we will do the TSB. I haven’t seen the new one with the track bar replacement though.

The dealer who refused spent some time with the Jeep in the shop. Then took it on a short test drive. Had left the Jeep there. It was there all day. Handed the TSB to the service writer.

Convinced that they have a standard test drive. One with no hazards so they won't have insurance claim.

Your drive is the way it should be done. Our appointment was pre-covid. There was no reason that I couldn't have gone on the drive.

FCA Jeep Canada Customer Care was really helpful. They were patient with me. I was angry.

 

[NEWBWHEELER]

Ok I just got my Jeep back from getting the steering box replaced and my first impression is what a difference! I will say that I put on the Mopar Fox steering stabilizer on back in the fall and that firmed up the steering somewhat but this is another level on top of that. Now it feels like your actually holding something and have to actually put in imput to turn the vehicle if that makes any sense. I’ve literally only driven it around my block (my neighbour takes it too his dealership out of town and leaves me his ride as a loaner...VIP I tell yah!) so if I notice anything wonky in the next few days I’ll fill you all in.

 

[Breyton]

I'm in Toronto, Canada. Just picked up mine. Very little effort with dealer. Parts took two days. Definitely better at highway speeds. Some dealers are just better than others.

 

[Rayzzz]

I installed a steering sector shaft brace on mine before the steering box replacement. After driving mine for about two hundred miles after having the steering box replaced the pitman arm nut worked it's way loose. I was pulling a 16 dual axle trailer on twisty back roads and Wow when the steering pitman arm popped off the splines of the steering box and dropped down, steering got crazy loose and scared the sh/t out of me because it was taking almost a full turn of rotation to correct direction. I think the sector shaft brace kept the nut from falling off and maybe the the pitman arm falling off. I had to stop at a friend's house and lucky found an Hex key that worked and a pair of channel locks to tighten the pitman nut. When I got it back home and tighten all the parts everything was loose and no signs of lock tight on anything. Best I can tell nothing was messed up but my underwear Ha ha. If your steering box is replaced it would be a good idea to check hardware for correct torque to be safe.

 

[DaveL]

I'm in Toronto, Canada. Just picked up mine. Very little effort with dealer. Parts took two days. Definitely better at highway speeds. Some dealers are just better than others.

I'm just west of Pearson Airport ( ;-) )
The selling dealer was no help fixing this. However, another Jeep dealer treated us well.
All in all it took a year and a half.
That wasn't fun.

 

[DaveL]

the track bar replacement seems to be only for early built JLs. it’s in page 3 of the newest TSB

Mine was before the cutoff date. Made in November 2018. The selling dealer said all TSB's were done. Sure they were.... 8-)

 

[Glenn671]

I installed a steering sector shaft brace on mine before the steering box replacement. After driving mine for about two hundred miles after having the steering box replaced the pitman arm nut worked it's way loose. I was pulling a 16 dual axle trailer on twisty back roads and Wow when the steering pitman arm popped off the splines of the steering box and dropped down, steering got crazy loose and scared the sh/t out of me because it was taking almost a full turn of rotation to correct direction. I think the sector shaft brace kept the nut from falling off and maybe the the pitman arm falling off. I had to stop at a friend's house and lucky found an Hex key that worked and a pair of channel locks to tighten the pitman nut. When I got it back home and tighten all the parts everything was loose and no signs of lock tight on anything. Best I can tell nothing was messed up but my underwear Ha ha. If your steering box is replaced it would be a good idea to check hardware for correct torque to be safe.

I’ve heard this from several people. Dealership did not put lock tire. ??‍

 

[Whatsamod]

I picked my JT up Thursday night from having the TSB done. I have to say there is a big difference in the steering. A few things I would like to note:

1. Thank you to the members of the forum for sharing. I, like others, had the dead spots(notchy steering) while turning after the replacement. The lock-to-lock method worked perfectly to remove the air bubbles.
2. Thank you @JeepCares, Kate, and Helen are fantastic. They helped to get my truck working right again after a dealership messed it with a poor alignment instead of doing the replacement.

 

[VI JEEP]

I picked up mine today, Wow! I didn't really think I would notice until highway but first turn out of dealer it felt so much tighter. The old steering felt like our 1980 Chev Bel Air station wagon that I learned to drive on...super loose and unresponsive. I only drove it home but couldn't believe how great it felt. Dealer of course messed up and didn't order the correct bolts. I even mentioned it when I took it in for TSB appointment and they approved and created a work order. I said "make sure you order bolts as I have read that a lot of people have ordered gear and it did not have the right sized bolts". I was told...Yes all good as it comes as a kit, when they called to say parts were in I asked if bolts are there too, Yes we are good. Drop it off Friday first thing and get a call late Friday afternoon, the gear is installed but the bolts don't fit...can't get new ones until 9am Monday. Can we keep it over the weekend? The outcome was worth the hassle and wait. I just wonder how it ever got past original road test by Jeep Engineers and not flagged as an issue right away. I look forward to driving it out of town and getting it on an open road.

Sponsored