Loose Steering?

[HermesTheLuckyOne]

Howdy! This is my first post! I just bought a Mojave on Saturday and was wondering if anyone has had an issue with the steering feeling loose. I am sure there is amore technical term for it, but that's what it feels like. I've had Jeeps before and never had this feeling while driving them. I have to constantly give it correction to stay centered in my lane. Thoughts? Alignment? Are the tires pulling? I love my Gladiator and always will, even with the quirks that come along with it. Happy Friday everybody!

Sponsored

 

[Zissou]

Compared to every other car I've driven, my Mojave has the loosiest, goosiest steering I've ever felt. I am constantly providing steering input vs something like say my M2 which has the heaviest steering of any car I've ever owned.

My gf just got a new Wrangler Sport S, 2 door and it feels like a sports car by comparison vs my Gladiator.

Pretty sure the loose steering feel is a product of the Mojave's lift, suspension, and tires.

If it feels dangerous though, of course have a dealer check it out.

 

[brianinca]

The steering box design is not the best; the original aluminum material exacerbated this, and the supposed fix was to change to a steel box. The difference in the new box for my truck was DRAMATIC, even though I'd altered suspension geometry to increase caster to a sensible 6 deg.

Since the Mojave is higher up even than the Rubicon in front, that low caster in the stock specification (4.0 - 5.5 deg) will magnify a problem in the new, steel steering box. Just because they changed the material doesn't mean the underlying engineering defect is gone, just mitigated in most cases. You can CERTAINLY have a badly adjusted or badly manufactured steering box with the improved material - it's steel, OK, but it's broke.

There is a writeup here on adjusting the pre-load for the steering box, and here is a new-build Jeepers experience: https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...ffective-steering-wander-fix-cost-me-0.57677/

No solid axle Jeep should wander around, it's complete bullshit when people shrug and say "Jeep thing". I've a lifted 93 YJ that steers way better than my JTR did off the lot. It needs fixed.

 

[Lunentucker]

Very common. They're are a number of possible causes and possible fixes.
First you should get the dealer to check it out. Second you should drive another one to get a sense of whether yours is any different.
Wind makes them move quite a bit as well.
Is it all stock with no lift?

 

[Rahkmalla]

When i first drove a willys, it felt very wander-y. Doing a lot of steering to stay straight. I didn't buy that one. But i later bought a willys, and it felt loosey goosey too. I'm about 5.5k miles in, and that initial wander i've felt is now gone. Like, let go of the wheel and it tracks straighter than most cars i've driven with no hands on the wheel.

No idea if this is a thing that's common to clean up as the vehicle breaks in, but i've got a mojave on the way so I guess i'll find out soon enough.

 

[Oneshotlucky]

Howdy! This is my first post! I just bought a Mojave on Saturday and was wondering if anyone has had an issue with the steering feeling loose. I am sure there is amore technical term for it, but that's what it feels like. I've had Jeeps before and never had this feeling while driving them. I have to constantly give it correction to stay centered in my lane. Thoughts? Alignment? Are the tires pulling? I love my Gladiator and always will, even with the quirks that come along with it. Happy Friday everybody!

Funny you should ask! Last time I drove a keep was in the Army! M151!! They were all over! Anyway, got a Willy’s sport and felt like what you explained. Got a Metal Cloak 2.5 game changer lift and all is fine, if fact way better!!!

 

[JET_83]

I hope your Mojave treats you well aside from that, mine is hot garbage, would never own that trash trim again

 

[yoda13]

I hope your Mojave treats you well aside from that, mine is hot garbage, would never own that trash trim again

You must be having lots of issues, which I am sorry for, but if it has turned you off the Mojave specifically, you must be having issues with shocks, springs, seats, or steering wheel?

 

[JET_83]

You must be having lots of issues, which I am sorry for, but if it has turned you off the Mojave specifically, you must be having issues with shocks, springs, seats, or steering wheel?

It’s a really rough ride, steering is all over the place, but it veers specifically to the left and has since I bought it

 

[yoda13]

It’s a really rough ride, steering is all over the place, but it veers specifically to the left and has since I bought it

There’s one issue we share, my steering isn’t the best either, I just thought that a lot of JTs suffered from that.

 

[JET_83]

I’m waiting for my Overland to get here so I won’t have those issues anymore, but sadly it’s still in JS status

 

[JET_83]

I don’t want to give up the Jeep aspect because I do love them, just need the best daily driver of the trims while still being off-road capable.

 

[WetWilly]

The

Howdy! This is my first post! I just bought a Mojave on Saturday and was wondering if anyone has had an issue with the steering feeling loose. I am sure there is amore technical term for it, but that's what it feels like. I've had Jeeps before and never had this feeling while driving them. I have to constantly give it correction to stay centered in my lane. Thoughts? Alignment? Are the tires pulling? I love my Gladiator and always will, even with the quirks that come along with it. Happy Friday everybody!

The night I drove mine home from the dealership was in a good old Florida thunderstorm with high winds etc, it had me about ready to turn around and take it back. The next day driving was a little better, but a little wishey washie still.
I was preparing myself to do the steering box adjustment, but put if off and kept driving it. It has been about three weeks now since I brought it home and it seems a little easier to drive, I need less than two lanes to keep it in the middle now. Since I have gotten use to it I have decided maybe it was just me being use to my other tighter handling car. Anyway I have decided to not mess with it and just drive it. My wife says she thinks it drives just fine, but she drives on the sidewalk and curbs most of the time anyway =) Enjoy

 

[TrainMan]

I can't believe this is still happening to people. The steel box was supposed to be the correction. It dramatically corrected mine. Yet from the factory they are still sloppy.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Every solid axle Jeep I have ever owned has had the pull to the left or right depending on the terrain and tires. It's not a Trim level thing, it's basically comes down to them being solid axles and the type of tires your running, tread design, some will be worse than others, it's still going to do it. Never understood why people get so worked up over it, years and years of research and post about Wranglers doing it, you would think by now people would just accept it or buy something else.

Sponsored