Thrilled to follow up! So after 2 weeks instead of saying “fuck it” & living with it I called Jeep Wave. My guy Benjamin calls the dealer, gets me a next day appointment, & a loaner. Here’s what happened next:
1) mechanic introduced himself to me & I took him on a drive. Showed him the dead spot & the drift. I brought for Bo’berry Biscuits for everyone. If you know, then you already know I won. Cost $6.
2) he puts it back on the rack & tells me to give him a chance.
3) 2nd alignment is actually worse. Test drive with him again and the pull is worse on the same stretch of highway. I remain calm, crack jokes, and don’t turn into a whiny bitch.
4) they pull a 2019 out & put a plate on it. We drive that. No drift no dead spot.
5) my dude goes, yup. You’re right it’s dead on new versus yours.
6) immediately order new steering gear box. 4th revision (I have a 01/18 build, I'm sure it’s rev 1 that I have) part number 68250506AD
7) I thank everyone profusely & head home for the night.
8) not even 24 hours later I get the call it’s ready. I jump in & damn if it’s not as tight and straight as the day I bought it!
I couldn’t be happier! If you have a similar issue I highly recommend you steer the process in this direction. Try to follow these steps & definitely leave any anger and “I paid $50,000 for this thing” entitlement at home. I credit a huge part of my success here to staying calm & relatable where many people don’t.