[bwpakk]

I never had the feeling of this "floating" but I do know the Patriot is light, and you can feel the wind push you. On ice, I've felt that.

I carry sand bags in the back of the pick-up all winter, for weight and if needed, traction. Kitty litter is good to have too, but sand adds more weight.

I've never had a feeling of floating before either, but since I've modified my suspension, when it snows or is icy I park the Pat and drive wife's Intrepid with 3" ground clearance. My fault though, by installing new bigger springs I've changed the position of all my suspension components. Hopefully I'll be able to drive it soon after we get back from Florida and I get new parts installed.

Never had an alignment either. Always aligned it my self old school way, never had any odd tire wear except the rear was always squatting out from the weight I carry back there.

 

[rakapaul]

bcom - I think I'm going to give the inner tie rods a whirl. My floating seems to be coming from the front vs. the rear. I appreciate everyone commenting on what possible solutions may be and when I get the tie rod replaced, I'll comment back if it was a solution or not.
I will have to say that sandbags and weights aren't going to satisfy me as a solution since they weren't need to begin with.
I find it mind blowing that the Patriot started out as such a good vehicle for many people and then goes to hell for quite a few, whether it is the suspension, drain tubes for sun roof or transmission, those three seem to be the biggest issues. I can't believe Jeep hasn't done anything to take care of their customers based on all of the comments on this site, Edmonds, KBB, etc.

Thanks all!

 

[Treegrower]

I find it mind blowing that the Patriot started out as such a good vehicle for many people and then goes to hell for quite a few, whether it is the suspension, drain tubes for sun roof or transmission, those three seem to be the biggest issues. I can't believe Jeep hasn't done anything to take care of their customers based on all of the comments on this site, Edmonds, KBB, etc. Thanks all!

There IS no excuse when any car company does not provide good customer satisfaction regarding bad vehicle design. The Patriot is an economy vehicle based on the Caliber platform, debuted in 2007 when Daimler/Cerebus had effectively gutted Chrysler and set them up for bankruptcy. It's shameful. The suspension, sun roof, and Jatco tranny issues are unforgivable.

Having said that, here are some tidbits of information:

-It's important to view things relatively. Enthusiast sites tend to amplify problems because more people report problems vs. report satisfaction. Google "vehicle brand" problem and learn for yourself:
http://www.carcomplaints.com/Jeep/Patriot/
http://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Accord/
http://www.carcomplaints.com/Subaru/Forester/
http://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Escape/

- Google your guy's rear end slide problem and find out is is nearly impossible to find any hits, whatever you choose for search terms, indicating it is not really a wide spread problem at all. BUT, with a single thread here, the problem seems AMPLIFIED.

- As much as I love BCOM, I'm going to call him out due to the modifications he has made to his Patriot. I.E., it currently has brand new, "will fit" 2007 style Monroe struts on it. His struts fit, but are dampened to handle the older, shorter, weaker springs vs. what's on his 2011 model. One has to consider the variables this might induce on handling.

So yes, the first generation Patriot problems are abominable. But the response of Chrysler is not unlike EVERY other manufacturer. And, they DID address many of the problems with the 2011 AND later revisions:
-upgraded interior
-upgraded "GEMA" engine after they bought out Hyundai/Mitsubishi in 2009
-upgraded suspension
-new six speed tranny (sorry RossoRacer )
-better, but still lousy sound deadening and wind noise. The old "sow's ear into silk purse" applies the our Pats.

And, rakapaul, don't start throwing $$$$ at parts unless you confirm they are bad! Best of luck returning your car to it's original performance that you noted was o.k..

 

[Tyler-98-W68]

I will state that bcom's choice of replacement struts aren't going to be his issue, you. Know why because I have ordered the same ones. I also have zero problems on ice. Those struts could fit a 2007-2010 fdii without issues and they are supposedly the same as the 2011+ springs.

 

[bcom]

My struts were replaced a few months ago. This wandering around on my vehcile has been going on for over 2 years so no aftermarket part can be to blame. The patriot just has poor quality suspension imo. To many parts have been replaced over the years to remedy this "floating around" but yet nothing has fixed it. This doesnt seem to be a widespread problembt i didnt start this thread and many others have added to it. Some that even have the same problem too so i know im not the only one with the problem.

 

[bcom]

I will state that bcom's choice of replacement struts aren't going to be his issue, you. Know why because I have ordered the same ones. I also have zero problems on ice. Those struts could fit a 2007-2010 fdii without issues and they are supposedly the same as the 2011+ springs.

AGREED

 

[sask_riot]

I've never noticed this feeling on ice. I think ice is actually really fun to drive on. But I do have some really good tires. I still do notice though that my riot wants to follow the ruts in the road, which is pretty annoying. I haven't done any suspension work besides the rro lift, yet. Also only one alignment so far.

 

[bcom]

I still do notice though that my riot wants to follow the ruts in the road, which is pretty annoying.

yes it is! mine is bad for that:doh:

 

[Ignatz]

I've never noticed this feeling on ice. I think ice is actually really fun to drive on. But I do have some really good tires. I still do notice though that my riot wants to follow the ruts in the road, which is pretty annoying. I haven't done any suspension work besides the rro lift, yet. Also only one alignment so far.

Snow ruts or frozen mud ruts? I think my Patriot is better than Wifey's Wrangler in highway snow just because it doesn't follow the ruts as much. The Wrangler's boxy wheelbase and wider tires make it harder to control at highway speeds (reasonable speeds of course, not speed limit in snow). The Patriot has a longer wheelbase and narrower tires and cuts through the slush rather than responding to it. I also think I have better tires General Altimax Artics vs. Goodyear Wrangler STs. IMHO ST must stand for "Street Tire."

 

[Tyler-98-W68]

I think the ruts he was referring to are the gentle ruts in the pavement caused by heavy trucks over the years. Us Canadians still can't figure out how to build proper roads.

 

[bcom]

Yes i meant the ruts in the roads too. It always feels like im driving on the berm of the road.

 

[sask_riot]

ya Tyler is right the ruts in the pavement caused by heavy trucks. Snow ruts mean nothing to my riot, deep ruts in dirt I can climb out of pretty easily if need be, but ice ruts throw my riot anywhere they want to

 

[Jeeperitis]

Stable as a train on rails!!

I had my 2014 Patriot North 4x4 in quite a snow storm coming home from work, 30 kms. one way on secondary highway's snow belt region,(I just got in in fact...I almost want to go back out and drive around it was that fun!!!!)the roads were horrendous,although you would never know it by the Patriot,handled like it was on a rail!!

I purchased the riot in Feb. last year,and we had plenty of lousy icy snowy road conditions,and I was so impressed with the little riots handling of these conditions...then the weather let up and spring came 'round,and then summer and I'd forgotten how well the patriot handles snow packed icy roads...well tonight's little ride was the big reminder,my riot is awesome in these conditions SRA's and all...no complaints here!!!!!

Cheers.
Bill.

 

[romesds157]

alright , let me first start out by saying a couple things. the swaying in the REAR end comes out of no where , it is nothing that i have ever experienced and i come from front wheel drive/rear wheel/awd and other 4x4 designs. THIS IS A PATRIOT ISSUE. NOT A EFFING TIRE/ICE ISSUE. their is a problem with the design. My wife's 2007 limited 4x4 patriot DID NOT do this last winter. No lights come on what so ever. now since we got all of the variables of ice/tires/esp/tc blah blah blah out of the damn way. lets get to it , first we thought it was tires , changed them. Didn't do a darn thing. Next , my friend and i put in new toe links. Went and got a 4 wheel alignment yesterday (2/19/2015)done at the local jeep dealership because the camber was extremely bad to the point that we went through a rear set of tires in less than 6 months. Excessive ,excessive wear on the inside of the tires.They also said that the upper trail links are bad , and the struts. okay fine , she has 109 thousand. normal wear and tear. took her on some back roads , and threw her around pretty heavily. She did not react and do the "floating" or "wobble" or however you want to say it. New toe links , and alignment seemed have to solved the problem. BUT if you have done your research they know make adjustable alignment upper control arms or trail links as the jeep dealership calls them. Yes the adjustable arms are pretty pricey but i want my wife to be back in her jeep , so i can have my car back. I hate automatics. we are buying these and new struts , then getting another wheel alignment done. I will let everyone know how this turns out.

 

[rcguymike]

Sorry we're just making sure all the bases are covered. No accidents or large unexpected ruts? That could damage ball joints or cause a tweaked the subframe. That would throw your alignment off which sounds like what it was narrowed down too. Hope you get it fixed.

 

[Ignatz]

Well, I've felt many a vehicle (including my Patriot) get unstable on ice, but it was because it was on ice, not because anything was wrong with the vehicle. If you're on ice, the whole vehicle is floating, not just the rear end. That said, you sound like an experienced driver.

I'm told that in older Jeeps (as in CJs) the 4wd ratios weren't always perfectly synchronized, meaning the front & rear axles could be turning at slightly different speeds = instability. The front being heavier than the rear, its the rear where you're going to feel it. Today we want our vehicles to perform like a highway vehicle regardless of what surface we're on. They've come pretty close, but ice is still ice, and front ends are still heavier than rear ends unless you're carrying a load. I forget if it was this thread or another where I suggested getting some weight in back, sorry if I'm repeating myself, but it might be a logical step.

God forbid things get worse; then you know you've got a problem. It seems you've already replaced a lot of parts -- what's left to replace? Adding weight in the back of a RWD vehicle makes a world of difference. Might help with AWD or 4wd, too. Just a thought.

 

[snowaquall]

Well, sounds like it is time to go looking for a new vehicle. If you've done 90% of your suspension, I don't see what the sense of dumping more money into this thing is going to get me. And I wanted to hang onto it for a long time since I've got the lifetime warranty.

Lately, I've noticed that when not driving on snow/ice covered roads it will wander from side to side anymore. I know my new tires will follow the grooves on the highways and that will end with time, but it feels like I'm fighting 50 mph winds from each side. My speeds on snow/ice covered roads is minimal due to the vehicle swaying from side to side. I notice it from 20 mph to 45 mph but don't drive this vehicle any faster when anything warrants slippery roads.

I've tried the 4X4 lock, ESP off and the function when you hold the ESP down for 5 seconds that disengages the entire system. I don't ever feel TC engaging and never get the readout on the dash that says I have slipping or sliding tires. I wrote Jeep and asked them. I provided the threads on this topic and told them they need to figure things out since no other mechanic is able to.

If someone out there with tie rod knowledge thinks a lose, but not very lose tie rod would cause my Jeep to do this, let me know and I'll gladly look into fixing it, but if not.... time to move on. I loved this Jeep up until this point in its life.

I had exactly the same problem with my jeep. I took it to a local garage, not the dealer. The bushings in the rear tow arm/links were gone and alignment was out by a mile.
The jeep was aligned and the tow arms replaced.
Total cost was $360 for parts, labour and alignment. The jeep now feels very stable in all road conditions.

 

[jeepgirlafirst]

I went to the dealer, complained about the problem and they said they would have to rebuild the complete rear end suspension to correct the camber problem which "might" correct the problem. I showed them the adjustable camber arms available on the market and they claimed they have not ever heard of it. I went to my trustworthy tire store and they installed the arms along with new quality winter tires, a four wheel alignment to correct the camber problem. and we were on our way. New fall, winter, same problem!!!!! The camber on the rear wheels looks way over specs visually. I will check the torque on the arms myself and adjust them by eye, or by using the level for degrees with my cell phone. Other wise it's time to dump it and buy a foreign vehicle.

 

[rcguymike]

I went to the dealer, complained about the problem and they said they would have to rebuild the complete rear end suspension to correct the camber problem which "might" correct the problem. I showed them the adjustable camber arms available on the market and they claimed they have not ever heard of it. I went to my trustworthy tire store and they installed the arms along with new quality winter tires, a four wheel alignment to correct the camber problem. and we were on our way. New fall, winter, same problem!!!!! The camber on the rear wheels looks way over specs visually. I will check the torque on the arms myself and adjust them by eye, or by using the level for degrees with my cell phone. Other wise it's time to dump it and buy a foreign vehicle.

What do you have for tires?

 

[Ignatz]

What do you have for tires?

OP has already vented about it not being a tire issue, but I'm with you. We had a couple lousy sets of tires on our Wrangler and it was unstable in rain and outrageous in snow. If the snow wasn't deep I would have preferred my Grand Prix that I had at the time. With the Goodyear RTSs (definitely not a snow tire) it couldn't even resist the crown of the road! Not a good situation on winding hilly rural roads in a snowstorm.

Also, on the aforementioned Grand Prix I noticed it was unstable in rain and I put new tires on the REAR (not the front as one might usually do) and it corrected the problem.

Still, OP insists its not the tires, but myself, I'd get a new set of tires before I'd start rebuilding the suspension.