2016 steering has a thump when return to/past center.
08-23-2016, 02:55 AM
#1
JK Freak
Thread Starter
2016 steering has a thump when return to/past center.
My buddy has a bone stock 2016 Sport 2 door. It has only a few thousand miles at this point. He and his wife took the Jeep exploring for a weekend in the mountains and were primarily on dirt/gravel roads. He says that the was going at a decent rate, maybe 30 MPH and he caught a sharp edged and deep pot hole with the left front tire. He knew immediately that it hit hard, but noticed nothing immediately with the vehicle. A few turns later he realized that if he turned right and held it for a few seconds on a curve, when the steering wheel came back up to straight and center there is a little "bump" or resistance as he passed by straight going to the left. If he takes the steering wheel and goes back and forth across the straight up steering wheel position, it does not do this, only if he turns right and holds it a few seconds and then goes back past straight to the left. It happens every time in this scenario.
He's going to bring the Jeep to me this evening to look at, but I'm not sure how exactly to diagnose it being that he says that I cant just put the vehicle on stands and rock the wheel back and forth to recreate it. Any ideas on what may have taken damage from a pot hole and cause this sort of symptom?
The steering wheel is still straight when going down the road. It has a factory stabilizer. No lift, no aftermarket wheels or tires, no added accessories or weight.
His Jeep is the Blue one, it is still bone stock as pictured.
He's going to bring the Jeep to me this evening to look at, but I'm not sure how exactly to diagnose it being that he says that I cant just put the vehicle on stands and rock the wheel back and forth to recreate it. Any ideas on what may have taken damage from a pot hole and cause this sort of symptom?
The steering wheel is still straight when going down the road. It has a factory stabilizer. No lift, no aftermarket wheels or tires, no added accessories or weight.
His Jeep is the Blue one, it is still bone stock as pictured.
08-23-2016, 03:48 AM
#3
JK Freak
Thread Starter
Really? With 3,000 miles and stock tires? My 03 Grand Cherokee with slightly oversized tires has 130,000 miles on the stock Dana 30 ball joints and it's tight and good to go. I surely would not expect the balls to fail at 3K miles on these JKs! Unless the impact shattered the inner nylon sleeve? I suppose that could have happened.
08-23-2016, 06:43 AM
#4
JK Enthusiast
Yeah best bet would be to jack up front end and get under the tire with a pry bar of sorts to check for play.
If it really is that new that sort of thing would most definitely be covered under warranty and the dealer should take care of it. Yes they will put the same crap joint back in but it's free.99 minus the time.
If it really is that new that sort of thing would most definitely be covered under warranty and the dealer should take care of it. Yes they will put the same crap joint back in but it's free.99 minus the time.
08-27-2016, 08:53 AM
#7
Super Moderator
My buddy has a bone stock 2016 Sport 2 door. It has only a few thousand miles at this point. He and his wife took the Jeep exploring for a weekend in the mountains and were primarily on dirt/gravel roads. He says that the was going at a decent rate, maybe 30 MPH and he caught a sharp edged and deep pot hole with the left front tire. He knew immediately that it hit hard, but noticed nothing immediately with the vehicle. A few turns later he realized that if he turned right and held it for a few seconds on a curve, when the steering wheel came back up to straight and center there is a little "bump" or resistance as he passed by straight going to the left. If he takes the steering wheel and goes back and forth across the straight up steering wheel position, it does not do this, only if he turns right and holds it a few seconds and then goes back past straight to the left. It happens every time in this scenario.
He's going to bring the Jeep to me this evening to look at, but I'm not sure how exactly to diagnose it being that he says that I cant just put the vehicle on stands and rock the wheel back and forth to recreate it. Any ideas on what may have taken damage from a pot hole and cause this sort of symptom?
The steering wheel is still straight when going down the road. It has a factory stabilizer. No lift, no aftermarket wheels or tires, no added accessories or weight.
His Jeep is the Blue one, it is still bone stock as pictured.
Attachment 655175
He's going to bring the Jeep to me this evening to look at, but I'm not sure how exactly to diagnose it being that he says that I cant just put the vehicle on stands and rock the wheel back and forth to recreate it. Any ideas on what may have taken damage from a pot hole and cause this sort of symptom?
The steering wheel is still straight when going down the road. It has a factory stabilizer. No lift, no aftermarket wheels or tires, no added accessories or weight.
His Jeep is the Blue one, it is still bone stock as pictured.
Attachment 655175
Trending Topics
08-27-2016, 09:08 AM
#8
JK Junkie
Mine was a bad trackbar joint. Did exact same thing. I think what you can gather from all these posts is that if anything is lose or allowed to have play when you turn the wheel it causes this problem. I'd get under it on the ground and have him turn the wheel back and forth. Study all the joints. If you don't find any play I'd be surprised. Then I'd lift the front end and check ball joints. Also like stated below he could have a damaged SS
08-28-2016, 10:18 AM
#9
JK Enthusiast
If you have a jack and jack stands available; jack up the Jeep, place jack stands under the front differential and cycle the steering looking for damaged or loose components.
08-28-2016, 11:38 AM
#10
JK Enthusiast
You can also get a good idea of what's loose with the tires on the ground. Leaving them down adds some stress to the components when you start moving the wheel, this is usually how I chase down loose steering components