Steering question

[wanderer]

So I just got the metal cloak 3.5 game changer on while it was being put on I was in a rental bmw suv front wheel drive. Nice in some ways. FRUSTRATING in others. When the front wheel drive wasn’t freaking out over LA freeway. Bumps. The steering felt firm and spot on which is how I felt about my gladiator steering. But when Igor back in the gladiator after the lift the steering felt loosey goosey is that my imagination after. Driving the BMW or is it the lift. And now as in just empty every pocket do I need a steering stabilizer or something to make it feel
Like stock again?

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[Wkyfiregladdy]

Has it been aligned? If your caster is off that can make your steering feel off

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The BMW is likely rack and pinion steering and will be tight. No use comparing apples to oranges.
That being said - if your steering is loose feeling, it may be caster (needs more)
I assume the lift came with lower control arms that were longer or adjustable. Did they check alignment and if so, what's the caster at now?

or like in my case - it was the steering gear itself and the dealer replaced it under warranty. Wander is gone.

Modern short SUVs usually have rack and pinion steering and even thinking about turning the thing moves that direction. But the Jeep shouldn't have loose steering or wander.

 

[Renegade]

The center of gravity of your Jeep is higher now too, and that can contribute to a feeling that it is swaying when turning. Did you change tire sizes too? If so, what size, and what air pressure are you running!

 

[wanderer]

I am running. BFG ko2.37 x 12.5. I had them on for several months with out a lift before getting the lift When the lift went on it is a full package. All control arms metal cloak game changer. 3.0 it was initially fine And drove. Fine the shop did an alignment but the spring were bowed and needed isolators. From metal. Cloak. However the shop put on day star spring perches instead. The springs are. Now. Pretty straight. I don’t think they did another alignment the steering wheel is a few degrees off dead center too. Thoughts ?

 

[seven30]

What is the toein set at currently? With such large tires it becomes very sensitive to small changes.

Chrysler does something weird to the steering boxes on these JL/JT Jeeps. If you've ever driven the older GC with straight axle it steers incredibly well. Not sure why but its the odd steering box is a deliberate design. Maybe to reduce rollover by slowing down steering.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Went back to the dealer today for a PS fluid refill, a couple of other things. Ended up chatting about my steering gear replacement, etc. The service writer had driven my truck around when they did the first steering gear replacement last fall. He drove it out of their shop, around the building and parked it out front today.
He said man, that steering is tight and responsive. This one really did it.
We chatted about how some people claim the JT will always steer poorly, wander or be unstable because of either or both of these - solid axle, or "it's a jeep thing" and he said no, the JT should not, modern Wranglers will not (although the short wheel base can make them quirky)
He agreed the JT should steer and handle just fine and he said mine was finally there like the others, they all agreed both times that mine had a problem. I didn't even have to convince them, I took it in with my comments and said "you decide" and both times they replaced the steering gear without prejudice.
This second time it took them no time at all to say it needed a new gear and wrote down "internal fault" for the first replacement.

Then of course there's tires - but I didn't talk or discuss with them about their always filling all tires to 40-41 psi. My wife's new WK2 - 41 psi. My stock JT tires (Dulers) - 40 psi. My new General Grabbers - that are wider than my stock tires, not quite as wide as the Rubicon Falkens - 40-41 psi. Really? A tire the same diameter as the Bridgestone Dueler, but wider by about .8" and the door sticker says the stick tires should be 38 - and they fill these wider tires to 40??
I decided lets settle this once and for all - ask the people who made my new tires! Yes, I contacted an engineer at General.
Well, maybe not an engineer in that respect, but his title was cool -
Technical Product Services Engineering
PLT Replacement business unit

I gave him the info on my stock Bridgestone Dueler tires, what my truck weighed (curb weight, and max gross weight) and all the dope from the door frame sticker - including the factory PSI of 38 for the Bridgestone tires.
I gave him the exact info from my new General tires, told him what the dealership did.
He did some math using both the OEM tires and my new tires and came up with 33 psi.
I ran them down from 40 to 35 and will chalk test things, but the 33 sort of fits. They are wider than the tires on my wife's WK2 and her door sticker says 36 psi for her tires - and those Grand Cherokees ARE HEAVY SUVS! Make no mistake, they are not light. Heck, she has a TOW RATING of 200 pounds more than my JT!

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