Tire Guy
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Mike
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2019
- Threads
- 20
- Messages
- 357
- Reaction score
- 487
- Location
- Hampton GA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2020 Sting Gray Rubicon JT, 2017 BMW X5
- Occupation
- Sales Director Alloy Wheel Repair
- Thread starter
- #1
I have had the JT for a year and 19k miles so far. I loved it when I bought it but the steering was so bad and the dealers so fricking unhelpful I really started to hate my JT. It got so bad I didn't want to even drive it. So I read and watched everything I could find on the JL and JT forums and any You Tuber that had a fix.
What I determined was I had two separate problems that made both worse. I had the drifting/wandering problem caused by the steering box deflection and the massive play in the steering wheel, 10-2.
I checked everything that could be checked, tightened, aligned and adjusted air pressures to zero effect. Installed new aftermarket trackbar. Again nothing changed. Still drove like a barge driven by a drunk sailor and damn dangerous.
The game changer was when I watched the videos on the Synergy track bar and sector shaft brace. Once I installed the brace it corrected the drift/wandering problem and even helped a little with the steering play. My personal belief is the deflection in the gear box made the play worse because it required more take up in steering wheel movement to get any movement to the steering components.
Next I did the fuse pull procedure and it was better. Less play but still too much.
The only thing I have not done is adjust the steering gear box lash. I made one attempt but could not get the lock nut to release even with heat. I will try again with a larger breaker bar when it cools down this fall/winter. I saw this past winter how much tighter the steering was when it was cold outside. My concern is making the lash adjustment in hot weather that will be too tight come winter.
For clarification. This is my fourth jeep and third with solid front axles. So I am not new to how jeeps should or should not drive.
So now that my JT is not dangerous to drive I am really enjoying it and starting to do some mods that I had originally planed. And I love it again. It's fun to drive and I get a kick out of it every time I climb in.
Sorry for the long post but I wanted those with the steering issues to have hope that yes it can get better. Mind did and I found that I still love my JT. Will it steer like a sports car? No and I never expect it to. However, it does drive safely now.
What I determined was I had two separate problems that made both worse. I had the drifting/wandering problem caused by the steering box deflection and the massive play in the steering wheel, 10-2.
I checked everything that could be checked, tightened, aligned and adjusted air pressures to zero effect. Installed new aftermarket trackbar. Again nothing changed. Still drove like a barge driven by a drunk sailor and damn dangerous.
The game changer was when I watched the videos on the Synergy track bar and sector shaft brace. Once I installed the brace it corrected the drift/wandering problem and even helped a little with the steering play. My personal belief is the deflection in the gear box made the play worse because it required more take up in steering wheel movement to get any movement to the steering components.
Next I did the fuse pull procedure and it was better. Less play but still too much.
The only thing I have not done is adjust the steering gear box lash. I made one attempt but could not get the lock nut to release even with heat. I will try again with a larger breaker bar when it cools down this fall/winter. I saw this past winter how much tighter the steering was when it was cold outside. My concern is making the lash adjustment in hot weather that will be too tight come winter.
For clarification. This is my fourth jeep and third with solid front axles. So I am not new to how jeeps should or should not drive.
So now that my JT is not dangerous to drive I am really enjoying it and starting to do some mods that I had originally planed. And I love it again. It's fun to drive and I get a kick out of it every time I climb in.
Sorry for the long post but I wanted those with the steering issues to have hope that yes it can get better. Mind did and I found that I still love my JT. Will it steer like a sports car? No and I never expect it to. However, it does drive safely now.
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