Loose Steering Wheel

I searched the forums and found nothing on this, as I thought it may a common issue, so I'm posting...

I have 2008 2DR with 40,000 miles that my 16/17 year old son has been driving for the past year or so. I don't get to drive it very much these days, but I did get the honor just the other day. Of course that honor was given to me as I had to take for a brake job. While I was driving to the to service center, I notice the steering wheel moving or giving slightly up and down like it's not fully locked. I tried releasing the latch...re-positioning the wheel...and re-engaging the latch a few times, but the wheel still moves or gives. Now it's not like it is flopping up and down or anything like that, but it was annoying to me as a driver to feel the steering wheel move. I asked my now 17 year son how long this has been happening, and I got back the standard teenager response...I don't know!!!

It's still covered by the extended factory warranty until around 100,000 miles, so I could take back to the dealer if need be. If it's quick fix, then I would just rather do it myself and teach myself and son a few things.

Has anybody else experience this?

There is a grommet and fitting on the steering shaft at the firewall that can separate and when it does, you will have a loose steering wheel just as you have described. Open up your hood and look to see if the fitting has come loose or, in some cases slipped down all the way to the steering box. If it has, push it back up into the grommet and tap it firmly back in place using a long screw driver and hammer. You can add a hose clamp to the base of the fitting to help prevent it from sliding out again.

I perform that fix years years ago, as that's the clunking sound during steering wheel rotation. I did indeed fix that with the rubber insert and hose clamp foundo the JK Forum.

This loose feel is just in the steering wheel tilt up/down movement. It appears to me the tilt/position lock is just not locking down the steering wheel 100%...it seems like it's only giving 95% (now I sound like a coach). My son doesn't care and didn't even notice until I brought it to his attention. It's like that little rattle you can't find at times, things like that drive me nuts.

Also after driving to have the brakes serviced, I thought the spare tire was falling off. We bought and installed the LOD rear bumper with tire carrier for his Christmas, and let's say it got an adjustment as well. No more rattle there!

I just didn't know if was normal wear and tear or what. I may have to dive in and see just how the tilt steering wheel locking system works.

My 79 CJ-5 Renegade with tilt wheel never did it...lol!!!

Thanks!

tjssixx said:

I perform that fix years years ago, as that's the clunking sound during steering wheel rotation. I did indeed fix that with the rubber insert and hose clamp foundo the JK Forum.

This loose feel is just in the steering wheel tilt up/down movement. It appears to me the tilt/position lock is just not locking down the steering wheel 100%...it seems like it's only giving 95% (now I sound like a coach). My son doesn't care and didn't even notice until I brought it to his attention. It's like that little rattle you can't find at times, things like that drive me nuts.

Also after driving to have the brakes serviced, I thought the spare tire was falling off. We bought and installed the LOD rear bumper with tire carrier for his Christmas, and let's say it got an adjustment as well. No more rattle there!

I just didn't know if was normal wear and tear or what. I may have to dive in and see just how the tilt steering wheel locking system works.

My 79 CJ-5 Renegade with tilt wheel never did it...lol!!!

Thanks!

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Ah, sorry about that, I was sure that would have been the fix you needed.

I'm always a bit reluctant to take apart a steering wheel with an airbag in it but, what you are describing is something I've had to deal with in the past on my old CJ. Turned out that a couple of bolts securing the tilt in the steering wheel had come loose and the only way to tighten them up was to take the steering wheel apart. Not saying this is what's happening to you but, it is possible.

Just an update on the loose steering wheel issue. It turn out to be a Jeep's issue and their "FREE" fix that added locking keys to the new bolt system. The original bolts had backed out and were quite loose. They tried to say at first that it was because of the larger tires and the stress that place on the steering wheel, but retracted once they removed the airbag and saw the bolts backing out.