Bad steering box 68418449AE

[cecaa850]

¿feb 2019?

The first shipment left from the Toledo, Ohio, factory on Friday, April 12, 2019.

Could very well have been April. I was going from memory which doesn't appear to be reliable at this point.

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[Sandia]

New to the forum and I have been watching the steering issue posts. I purchased my Gladiator in February of this year. I had no idea about this issue, as I had not been watching any of the jeep forums.

I drove an Over Land we picked out on the lot, got it on the Interstate and stayed with traffic for about 5 miles. I noticed right away the jeep would move from left to right continously, like a boat will head hunt at idle speeds. I commented to the salesman but he never answered me.

Long story short, they didn't have what we wanted and was about to leave when a transport pulled in with exactly the color and options we wanted. Made a deal and drove it home.

Two weeks later the wife and I were going to Tyler, Texas to a funeral when a A&M student ran a stop sign and we hit him in right rear quarter panel. Wound up costing $14,000 to get it fixed. Broke the front axle housing and axle half in tow. Shop did a great job on repair and we have been driving it for about 4 weeks.

Our JT steering does wander and is a bear to drive under certain road, wind, etc. conditions. I stopped by the Jeep dealer and talked to the Service Manager about the issue. This is a pretty new dealership. The service manager told me that they have not had anybody complain about the steering, but he also said they don't have many new JT's out there yet. He told me when I bring it in for first free oil change they would make a service write up on it and assign it to their best tech. He also said we could drive any of the new ones on the lot or all of them if we wanted. They have a bunch of them for sale.

Following closely and hoping Jeep steps up and does the right thing. Hope it doesnt have to result in fatality's before the problem is addressed.

Thanks for the opportunity to post.

 

[MrJeep]

Was your steering box replaced as part of the repair?

 

[Sandia]

Was your steering box replaced as part of the repair?

No, the passenger side, bumper and tire took the hardest blow, broke the passsenger side axle tube and axle in two, bent all of the control arms, track bar, shock, bumper . That was it for the most part. The fender was knocked off, and believe it or not, no sheet metal damage not even a scratch. Crazy.

 

[MrJeep]

No, the passenger side, bumper and tire took the hardest blow, broke the passsenger side axle tube and axle in two, bent all of the control arms, track bar, shock, bumper . That was it for the most part. The fender was knocked off, and believe it or not, no sheet metal damage not even a scratch. Crazy.

I guess I was asking if you had the problem before the accident, it's not clear from your post. Sorry about your trouble.

 

[Sandia]

I guess I was asking if you had the problem before the accident, it's not clear from your post. Sorry about your trouble.

Sorry I wasn't clear, but I had the problem day one, the wreck was not the root cause. It was not any worse after the accident, about the same. Hope that helps.

 

[Scrubb84]

This sucks... I may have lied when I said the 4th box fixed the steering 100%. I got a falcon 2.1 stabilizer put on the day after the box install and its felt like there’s air in the system. Hard to explain, like a bounce to the wheel in both directions. I finally got a new falcon 2.2 stabilizer on (that I thought was the bounce problem) and no change. So, its not the typical deadzone like all 3 other boxes had, the tires move the instant I move the steering wheel, but then stop for a second until I move the wheel enough to build pressure and then they keep turning. I guess the first few weeks it was just hard to tell something wasnt right because the other 3 boxes were so fn bad. I have since checked every bolt & bushing, and I even tried the “fuse pull technique” with no change. Im having the system bleed on tuesday even though I don’t think air would stay in the system after 1,600 miles. But thats the best way I can describe whats going on.

 

[Brfertig [HACKED ACCOUNT]]

I have an update yall. I have done all the steering upgrades that other have such as the Synergy sector shaft, adjustable track bar, fox steering stabilizer, Synergy steering stabilizer relocation kit, control arms, blah blah blah. I was still unhappy with my steering this whole time. Tonight I am finally happy with my Jeep for the first time in 3 months of owning it.

 

[wvyankee2]

I guess I'm fortunate to only have about 1" of play in mine, but don't like it! I am driving a 2019 JLU loaner right now while I await a rear Pinion seal replacement on my JT. There is ZERO play in this steering on the JL. Like driving a car. This is how I want my JT to drive!

 

[Brfertig [HACKED ACCOUNT]]

I guess I'm fortunate to only have about 1" of play in mine, but don't like it! I am driving a 2019 JLU loaner right now while I await a rear Pinion seal replacement on my JT. There is ZERO play in this steering on the JL. Like driving a car. This is how I want my JT to drive!

I went back and tightened it a bit more. Its gone.

 

[Rayzzz]

I went back and tightened it a bit more. Its gone.

The dealership pissed me off so bad today I'll not be going back there again. I've not wanted to mess with adjustment but I will be now. Did the adjustment lock nut or bolt give you a problem when making the adjustment.

 

[Brfertig [HACKED ACCOUNT]]

The dealership pissed me off so bad today I'll not be going back there again. I've not wanted to mess with adjustment but I will be now. Did the adjustment lock nut or bolt give you a problem when making the adjustment.

Go see the thread in the how to section.

 

[HWKIGRL]

Went to dealership today to get new wheels and tires installed. Asked them to check the steering, as it was terrible, lots of play, realistically 10:30-1:30 No movement of wheels. He said “oh that’s a Jeep thing” I said “no, drove other Gladiators and Wranglers that do NOT have dangerously loose steering” he said they’d check it out. They did. He told me “it’s all good, that’s just how Gladiators drive” then told me it would “be better or worse with the new wheels and tires” GREAT

They also mixed up my tire order, I ordered BF Goodrich KO2s 315/70/17r got BFG KO2 35/12.5. I actually love them!!

 

[furrymurray]

The dealership pissed me off so bad today I'll not be going back there again. I've not wanted to mess with adjustment but I will be now. Did the adjustment lock nut or bolt give you a problem when making the adjustment.

What did your dealer do? Or not do?

 

[Rayzzz]

Thanks I found it in the DIY section.

What did your dealer do? Or not do?

I'm waiting on the dealership owner to call me back and I will share later but I can say it was very sad to be treated that way . Ongoing problem sense Oct. 2019

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