Play in steering/steering wheel

[Badeye]

Hey folks, I'm new here and glad to be here. I'm trying to get good information on mitigating the looseness in the steering/steering wheel (not death wobble). It's not terrible but it's an issue I'd like to resolve on my 2023 stock Gladiator Sport S. Thanks for any help with this.

I have the same 2023 GladiatorS , remember it’s a Jeep thing like the rest said?

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[Rocksalt]

Hey folks, I'm new here and glad to be here. I'm trying to get good information on mitigating the looseness in the steering/steering wheel (not death wobble). It's not terrible but it's an issue I'd like to resolve on my 2023 stock Gladiator Sport S. Thanks for any help with this.

I have a 2020 Sport S with original aluminum steering box. No play in steering. No wander. Tracks straight. Now has 47k miles.
If your newer jeep with steel steering box has slop it needs to be fixed under warranty. Some steering boxes were bad. Some needed flash upgrades. Bottom line is sloppy steering is not a Jeep thing.

 

[Lunentucker]

Especially after you upgrade with lift and tires, do these:


Check all components for proper torque

Adjust the steering gearbox pre-load IF the steering wheel moves more that a clock position right of left before it alters your path

Upgrade the steering stabilizer to Fox or Falcon adjustable

Install Metalcloak Sector Shaft Brace

Install Mopar longer control arms or geometry correction brackets to improve positive caster

Learn how to do your own alignments (easy on a Jeep)

Forget you ever heard "It's a Jeep thing", because it doesn't have to be

 

[Remy_Dog]

All of these comments are constructive. I purchased a new 2022 Gladiator Sport S and as I drove it home it seemed " off " to me. Also, when I hit the first pot hole and virtually any raised ridge or bump it literally wobbled and felt loose. I purchased Rubicon take off shock thinking the Sport S shocks were just junk. Well, I was correct. With 1,300 miles both front shocks were leaking hydraulic fluid. After the shock replacement the issue improved a lot. I then went up to 265/70r17 tires and after that it was like driving a vehicle. I now have a Gladiator Rubicon on 37's with nearly everything Synergy has for the front suspension and I have nothing but praise for their products. This Gladiator now drives better than my F150 Super Crew on 33's. I hope this helps.

I wholeheartedly agree and very much appreciate everyone’s input. I’ve learned a ton from every one that generously took time to input. I’m new here but the responses confirm that I joined the right group of people!

 

[Remy_Dog]

If you take the steering of a JT and the steering of a car with IFS, if all else was equal, there's no reason for any difference in the "play" or "delay" in steering. The steering works the same, there are the same angles working for and against directional changes.
Remember my quest to outrun the storm here a while back, in and out of traffic, getting around anything I could, dodging road debris. There was no problem with steering performance. And there should not be. If anything, there may be more slop in a traditional IFS system because of the multitude of joints involved. You have a joint at the pitman end of the drag link over to the right knuckle. That's two, then you have a joint from right end of tie rod at the right knuckle over to the left knuckle, another joint. 4 joints and otherwise rigid links (supposedly.......)
4 joints compared to the IFS with pitman to drag link joint, idler arm will have a joint, then a joint at each end of the left and right tie rods for 4 more joints. Any play in any of those spots means slop.
The steering gear is the same.

There's 3 joints for each picture (left outer tie rod joint is out of the frame of the picture0
So 6 joints, not to mention the pivot point of the idler arm which is a bushing that can wear and get loose (and often does have some play, even when new)

If the steering is "loose" - don't blame it on the solid axle itself. Think of the fantastic riding and handling WJ (or the fine ZJ which was almost as good)
Both solid axles, neither had any play at all in the steering and response was immediate, swift.

Hadn’t thought about the Pittman and joints. I’m mechanically inclined but admit this is something I have no how to properly accomplish this approach. Any advice is more than appreciated.

 

[Lunentucker]

 

[Remy_Dog]

This is great, thanks! I welcome all the information I can get.

 

[RoamingGladiator]

The slinky tag got me rolling, I love it.

 

[Lunentucker]

This is great, thanks! I welcome all the information I can get.

Death Wobble, DW, Death Wobble, DW, Death Wobble, Shimmy, Wander, Drift, Bump Steer | Jeep Gladiator Forum - JeepGladiatorForum.com

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...torque-values-all-of-them-in-one-place.67915/

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...-service-and-repair-manual-free-online.78333/

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...ng-wander-fix-cost-me-0-updated-1-7-23.57677/

 

[Remy_Dog]

Death Wobble, DW, Death Wobble, DW, Death Wobble, Shimmy, Wander, Drift, Bump Steer | Jeep Gladiator Forum - JeepGladiatorForum.com

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/?-2020-2023-jt-gladiator-torque-values-all-of-them-in-one-place.67915/

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...-service-and-repair-manual-free-online.78333/

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...ng-wander-fix-cost-me-0-updated-1-7-23.57677/

Homework I actually want to do, hahaha! Thank you!

 

[Schaft]

Adjusting the steering gearbox would be the first thing I would do.
It's free. Can't hurt.

My used '21 JTR had 15,000 miles on it when I bought it January 23.
Parked, the steering wheel would turn three inches before engaging.
Driving down the road felt like being a pinball in a pinball machine.
I adjusted mine myself. Now the play is one inch.
Still a bit of wander but it's tolerable.

There are many YouTube videos about adjusting
a Saginaw style steering gearbox like we have.
This video is for an early JT with the aluminum box
but the instructions are still good for the steel box.

 

[Schaft]

Adjusting the steering gearbox would be the first thing I would do.
It's free. Can't hurt.

My used '21 JTR had 15,000 miles on it when I bought it January 23.
Parked, the steering wheel would turn three inches before engaging.
Driving down the road felt like being a pinball in a pinball machine.
I adjusted mine myself. Now the play is one inch.
Still a bit of wander but it's tolerable.

There are many YouTube videos about adjusting
a Saginaw style steering gearbox like we have.
This video is for an early JT with the aluminum box
but the instructions are still good for the steel box.

Yeah, that’s the video I was going to recommend

 

[ShadowsPapa]

But don’t most modern IFS vehicles have rack and pinion steering?

Yeah and people keep comparing and you can't.
The steering ratio and wheelbase also matters - people keep comparing the wrong vehicles.
The steering on my 2022 is as good as it was on my 2011 Silverado.

Do you have a unicorn JT that right off the lot had zero steering input delay at 80mph?

Nope, and those I've taken for a test drive have had no steering play or lash. Drove a 2024 Mojave X and it was very very solid steering. You move the wheel and it responded.
I've posted about my high-speed adventure outrunning a derecho here a while back and it was extremely responsive.
Once my 2020 was fixed with the 2nd steering gear, it was fine.

 

[JamesWyatt]

Yeah and people keep comparing and you can't.
The steering ratio and wheelbase also matters - people keep comparing the wrong vehicles.
The steering on my 2022 is as good as it was on my 2011 Silverado.


Nope, and those I've taken for a test drive have had no steering play or lash. Drove a 2024 Mojave X and it was very very solid steering. You move the wheel and it responded.
I've posted about my high-speed adventure outrunning a derecho here a while back and it was extremely responsive.
Once my 2020 was fixed with the 2nd steering gear, it was fine.

Ok, well maybe there's some miscommunication on my part regarding what I'm considering steering play. I'm not talking about a full clock position issue as someone mentioned, which would definitely be mechanical issues that need addressing versus throwing add-ons at the problem.

I'm talking about less than 1/2" of play when parked with the engine running. Not sure what it was before I started adding mods, maybe it was the same. But now it tracks true on the instate at 80mp whereas stock, it did not. The factory setup of Mojave base black wheels and Falken MTs was really (really) difficult to drive at 80mp in high crosswinds. There was enough delay in steering input that it handled like a bobsled. Today it now drives like I would expect – as good as my 2018 Power Wagon did.

Mods added in order and their effect on the steering for my Mojave:

1. BFG KO2s in 315 (big improvement over the stock MTs, but still not ideal)
2. Method 707 Bead Grips (most dramatic improvement, makes me think factory wheels were out of round or deformed in some way)
3. Fox ATS 2.0 Steering Stabilizer (the last bit of improvement to where it now feels like I have no delay at all with regard to steering input)

 

[Snowcavemike]

Hey folks, I'm new here and glad to be here. I'm trying to get good information on mitigating the looseness in the steering/steering wheel (not death wobble). It's not terrible but it's an issue I'd like to resolve on my 2023 stock Gladiator Sport S. Thanks for any help with this.

I just added the Senergy steering brace. Used to wander. Drives straight. No wander at all

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