Steering play / dead spot fixed with new gear box

[EugeneTheJeep]

Some boxes are no good. My JT’s steering box was replaced by the dealer. I went from a ~1.5 in dead spot to hardly any play. It’s a joy to drive now. I was able to get this done without all much drama. Here’s what I recommend:

1. Take a video on a straight road from the driver’s seat that shows the steering wheel and the road. Move the wheel to one side of the dead spot and hold and then to the other side and hold while the Jeep continues straight. (If you can’t make a video like this, a new steering box probably won’t help you.)

2. Explain to the service advisor that you understand how a Jeep should drive (follows the road camber, bounces different over bumps, blows in the wind, slow response with large sidewalks, etc.), but your Jeep has a real problem.

3. Very Important: Ask for their senior steering, alignment, suspension technician and make it clear that you’re willing to wait for them to be available.

4. Suggest the steering has too much play and refer to star case #S1819000003. They have access to a wealth of information on this topic. However, be careful not to do their job for them to avoid a confrontation. You’re trying to head off the “it’s normal for a Jeep” response.

5. Escalate to managers only as a last resort.

6. After a steering gear box replacement, check your steering fluid for a few days. Mine dropped quite a bit due to trapped air.

Edit: video added

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[NC_Overland]

Some boxes are no good. My JT’s steering box was replaced by the dealer. I went from a ~1.5 in dead spot to hardly any play. It’s a joy to drive now. I was able to get this done without all much drama. Here’s what I recommend:

1. Take a video on a straight road from the driver’s seat that shows the steering wheel and the road. Move the wheel to one side of the dead spot and hold and then to the other side and hold while the Jeep continues straight. (If you can’t make a video like this, a new steering box probably won’t help you.)

2. Explain to the service advisor that you understand how a Jeep should drive (follows the road camber, bounces different over bumps, blows in the wind, slow response with large sidewalks, etc.), but your Jeep has a real problem.

3. Very Important: Ask for their senior steering, alignment, suspension technician and make it clear that you’re willing to wait for them to be available.

4. Suggest the steering has too much play and refer to star case #S1819000003. They have access to a wealth of information on this topic. However, be careful not to do their job for them to avoid a confrontation. You’re trying to head off the “it’s normal for a Jeep” response.

5. Escalate to managers only as a last resort.

6. After a steering gear box replacement, check your steering fluid for a few days. Mine dropped quite a bit due to trapped air.

I think I got lucky that they had the shop foreman work on mine so I guess he was the senior tech on that issue. I work for the dealership group, but I’m not one to throw that around, so I’m not sure if they even know that. Maybe that helped? I don’t know.

Good idea on checking the power steering fluid, I didn’t even think about that.

 

[DaveL]

Thanks for your post. Our JLU wandering and vague steering hasn't been fixed by the dealer. In fact the dealer was shut down for most of the pandemic. They've been bought out. Maybe the "new" dealership will help us resolve this issue. It's unsafe.

 

[steve68]

my dealership use a 4 mile loop so the techs come back with the "can't duplicate the problem" cause the cant drive over 40 mph,

drove mine today and if you don't constantly move the steering wheel it goes left or right which ever way it wants to,

noticed @jeepcare has totally disappeared from these steering threads!

they closed mine as soon as they talked to the dealer not me,

 

[Onebigyoshi]

Some boxes are no good. My JT’s steering box was replaced by the dealer. I went from a ~1.5 in dead spot to hardly any play. It’s a joy to drive now. I was able to get this done without all much drama. Here’s what I recommend:

1. Take a video on a straight road from the driver’s seat that shows the steering wheel and the road. Move the wheel to one side of the dead spot and hold and then to the other side and hold while the Jeep continues straight. (If you can’t make a video like this, a new steering box probably won’t help you.)

2. Explain to the service advisor that you understand how a Jeep should drive (follows the road camber, bounces different over bumps, blows in the wind, slow response with large sidewalks, etc.), but your Jeep has a real problem.

3. Very Important: Ask for their senior steering, alignment, suspension technician and make it clear that you’re willing to wait for them to be available.

4. Suggest the steering has too much play and refer to star case #S1819000003. They have access to a wealth of information on this topic. However, be careful not to do their job for them to avoid a confrontation. You’re trying to head off the “it’s normal for a Jeep” response.

5. Escalate to managers only as a last resort.

6. After a steering gear box replacement, check your steering fluid for a few days. Mine dropped quite a bit due to trapped air.

You think you can attach the same video that you provided to the dealers? I think that would really help alot of people decide if they have a problem or not. I still have yet to see a video of someone moving the steering wheel left or right and holding it without any response. The videos I saw on here complaining about the steering play they were just jerking the wheel back and forth really fast and think that's an issue.

 

[EugeneTheJeep]

You think you can attach the same video that you provided to the dealers? I think that would really help alot of people decide if they have a problem or not. I still have yet to see a video of someone moving the steering wheel left or right and holding it without any response. The videos I saw on here complaining about the steering play they were just jerking the wheel back and forth really fast and think that's an issue.

Video added to the original post.

 

[Onebigyoshi]

Video added to the original post.

Really appreciate it. Hmm now I'm conflicted again. Looks like mine behaves similar to yours but I'll have to drive it on the highway to be sure. Right before you return the steering wheel back to the center looks your truck was starting to veer to the left, or maybe not? I feel like when I turn my steering wheel 1 inch left or right the response is slightly delayed but it'll respond when I hold it there. This is my first vehicle with solid axle suspension so I have nothing to compare it to.

 

[Onebigyoshi]

Video added to the original post.

Hope it's not too much trouble but when you get a chance can you take a video of your new steering box? Would love to compare the two

 

[NC_Overland]

Hope it's not too much trouble but when you get a chance can you take a video of your new steering box? Would love to compare the two

I don't have video, but mine was like his before the new steering box. Now I don't do that at all. Its not like a 911 or anything, but its perfectly acceptable and tracks just fine.

 

[Factoid]

Everyone should post a steering video showing both the play (dead spot) and drifting (Turning when the wheel is pointing straight) while on the highway at speed.

 

[Onebigyoshi]

Everyone should post a steering video showing both the play (dead spot) and drifting (Turning when the wheel is pointing straight) while on the highway at speed.

Yeah yours track straight as an arrow. My tracking significantly improved after I did an alignment and Mopar LCAs. Your video doesn't show steering play if any. How does yours compare with OPs?

 

[Onebigyoshi]

I'll try to post a video of mine tomorrow

 

[Factoid]

Instant response. It is better than any other solid axle I’ve driven.

Mopar lift, 37’s, Synergy brace and track bar, Falcon 2.2 stabilizer.

 

[Onebigyoshi]

Looks like this forum doesn't accept the video format from my phone. Well I don't think it'll help anyways because it's really difficult to tell that my truck is actually responding when I'm turning my wheel left or right even though it looks like its got steering play. But honestly thought I had more play before but after taking a 300 mile trip yest and testing it periodically, I probably have quarter to maybe half inch of play. I'm pretty happy in how my truck drove. I'll definitely look into the synergy brace and see if that tightens up the little bit of play I have

 

[NC_Overland]

Some boxes are no good. My JT’s steering box was replaced by the dealer. I went from a ~1.5 in dead spot to hardly any play. It’s a joy to drive now. I was able to get this done without all much drama. Here’s what I recommend:

1. Take a video on a straight road from the driver’s seat that shows the steering wheel and the road. Move the wheel to one side of the dead spot and hold and then to the other side and hold while the Jeep continues straight. (If you can’t make a video like this, a new steering box probably won’t help you.)

2. Explain to the service advisor that you understand how a Jeep should drive (follows the road camber, bounces different over bumps, blows in the wind, slow response with large sidewalks, etc.), but your Jeep has a real problem.

3. Very Important: Ask for their senior steering, alignment, suspension technician and make it clear that you’re willing to wait for them to be available.

4. Suggest the steering has too much play and refer to star case #S1819000003. They have access to a wealth of information on this topic. However, be careful not to do their job for them to avoid a confrontation. You’re trying to head off the “it’s normal for a Jeep” response.

5. Escalate to managers only as a last resort.

6. After a steering gear box replacement, check your steering fluid for a few days. Mine dropped quite a bit due to trapped air.

Edit: video added

As far as #6 goes, mine is way low. I checked it yesterday and its well below the cold low mark.

So what power steering fluid do these things use? The owners manual said to use Mopar Elctric Power Steering Fluid. Is that correct?

Two issues with that. I thought electric power steering didn't use fluid? My Canyon didn't. Also, its super expensive. I don't want to pay for that, nor do I want to wait for an appt to have it topped off. Its $20 for a 16oz bottle.

Is there anything else acceptable to use?

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