Exact Center is a steering stabilizer new for Jeeps

[Jeep&dogs]

Man, I have been tied up with work and haven’t been on here for some time. Spent well over an hour catching up! So quick update with my rig, when I put the EC on I actually sent the ATS into Fox to get rebuilt, two months later I just go it back. Honestly I had zero interest in putting it back on but the curiosity got the best of me. Threw it back on Friday night, took it for a ride, shimmy was back and so was the lack of wheel return…….Saturday put the Exact Center back on and I have a happy Jeep again!. I’M still running one of the old versions and looking forward to getting the 110.

 

[Headbarcode]

So, you guys are all having problems with the steering naturally returning to center after turns and curves?

It's been my understanding that nitrogen charged shocks need to be replenished on a year or so basis, depending on use. After over 2 years of use, I just recently purchased a nitrogen charge system for my 6-packs which had dropped from 150 to 60psi. I'm just having a hard time seeing the benefit of steering that springs back to center, which it should be doing on its one, outweighs having 2 nitrogen points that can't be serviced.

Worth mentioning, the only factory parts on my Jeep south of the frame are the axle housings and carrier assemblies. It's actually lifted 4" over stock and on 40x13.5's and, courtesy of a lot of supportive parts, is far more resistant to a higher degree of crosswind speed and only sees minimal bumpsteer over the harsher hits compared to when it was bone stock.

I'm not arguing the possible merits, which would be foolish without actual hands on experience. I just always question the point of diminishing returns, along with trying to keep mindful of possible downsides that may offset the upsides over the long haul.

I spent months of on and off research on the Antirocks, and how they fared over time on others JL's that were also daily drivers, before I finally pulled the trigger for mine. I plan on doing the same on this charged stabilizer. I'm specifically interested in its longer term ability to maintain pressure, and that pressures affect on both the piston and gland nut packings after some mileage gets racked up by the early adopters.

Again, not questioning its merits, just what only time and use on our JL's will answer. What I'm most curious at this time is if some of your Jeeps are not naturally returning to center when coming out of turns and curves with forward movement?

 

[GO_RV]

Can you install this an still tow the Jeep behind a RV on a Tow Bar.
Will it affect the 4 down towing?

 

[Red Willy]

Can you install this an still tow the Jeep behind a RV on a Tow Bar.
Will it affect the 4 down towing?

I've towed my jeep behind the rv a couple times since install. I was actually able to back up with the Jeep hooked up for about 15 ft which is what I was looking for to begin with. In stock condition, there's no way you could back up without the jeep going to full lock one way or the other.

 

[Jeep&dogs]

So, you guys are all having problems with the steering naturally returning to center after turns and curves?

It's been my understanding that nitrogen charged shocks need to be replenished on a year or so basis, depending on use. After over 2 years of use, I just recently purchased a nitrogen charge system for my 6-packs which had dropped from 150 to 60psi. I'm just having a hard time seeing the benefit of steering that springs back to center, which it should be doing on its one, outweighs having 2 nitrogen points that can't be serviced.

Worth mentioning, the only factory parts on my Jeep south of the frame are the axle housings and carrier assemblies. It's actually lifted 4" over stock and on 40x13.5's and, courtesy of a lot of supportive parts, is far more resistant to a higher degree of crosswind speed and only sees minimal bumpsteer over the harsher hits compared to when it was bone stock.

I'm not arguing the possible merits, which would be foolish without actual hands on experience. I just always question the point of diminishing returns, along with trying to keep mindful of possible downsides that may offset the upsides over the long haul.

I spent months of on and off research on the Antirocks, and how they fared over time on others JL's that were also daily drivers, before I finally pulled the trigger for mine. I plan on doing the same on this charged stabilizer. I'm specifically interested in its longer term ability to maintain pressure, and that pressures affect on both the piston and gland nut packings after some mileage gets racked up by the early adopters.

Again, not questioning its merits, just what only time and use on our JL's will answer. What I'm most curious at this time is if some of your Jeeps are not naturally returning to center when coming out of turns and curves with forward movement?

Well I can say that I have probably the exact same mods you do and without a stabilizer my Jeep will return to center with little effort. WITH a the Fox ATS on it set to the firmness I LIKE air will not return to center fully. It will get 95% to center but the last 2-3* I need to steer it back to center because the ATS will hold the steering pretty much wherever you leave it.

I have no clue how it will hold up over time, but I can say that after chasing the shimmy I had for well over a year and replacing EVERY factory steering and suspension component at least once and in some cases 2-3 times, ball joints being one of the parts that were replaced several times this has by far made the most improvement in drivability,the Rusty’s steering is a very close second. I have close to 3k on it so far and that has been over the winter months which I normally don’t even drive the thing but I did because I actually enjoyed driving it again. Wednesday I leave for a 4 day trip to the Smokey’s that I would normally just take the wife’s Grand Cherokee because the JL wasn’t really enjoyable to drive on long trips but we are leaving her Jeep home this time and taking the JL.

 

[Red Willy]

Well, as far as I know, Roadmaster has a lifetime guarantee on these. I (like many others here) am waiting for the heavier replacement unit, but even the original 75? lb unit makes a difference. I am currently running it along with the stock stabilizer. Yeah, I know, it's too clean.

 

[TX_Ovrlnd]

Well, as far as I know, Roadmaster has a lifetime guarantee on these. I (like many others here) am waiting for the heavier replacement unit, but even the original 75? lb unit makes a difference. I am currently running it along with the stock stabilizer. Yeah, I know, it's too clean.

(Insert mall crawler comment here) How does that feel, the stabilizer and exact center combo?

 

[Red Willy]

(Insert mall crawler comment here) How does that feel, the stabilizer and exact center combo?

True about the mall crawler. This was my wife's Jeep before she got the idea she wanted an SUV, so here we are. I was waiting for the 110 unit and figured I'd try adding the stocker to see how it would feel. It added a little firmer, (better feel IMO) to the steering.

 

[Headbarcode]

Well I can say that I have probably the exact same mods you do and without a stabilizer my Jeep will return to center with little effort. WITH a the Fox ATS on it set to the firmness I LIKE air will not return to center fully. It will get 95% to center but the last 2-3* I need to steer it back to center because the ATS will hold the steering pretty much wherever you leave it.

I have no clue how it will hold up over time, but I can say that after chasing the shimmy I had for well over a year and replacing EVERY factory steering and suspension component at least once and in some cases 2-3 times, ball joints being one of the parts that were replaced several times this has by far made the most improvement in drivability,the Rusty’s steering is a very close second. I have close to 3k on it so far and that has been over the winter months which I normally don’t even drive the thing but I did because I actually enjoyed driving it again. Wednesday I leave for a 4 day trip to the Smokey’s that I would normally just take the wife’s Grand Cherokee because the JL wasn’t really enjoyable to drive on long trips but we are leaving her Jeep home this time and taking the JL.

I went bat shit crazy chasing a shimmy a while back, and after quadruple checking everything, it ended getting completely fixed with a toe adjustment. I reduced total toe-in from a hair over 1/8" to 1/16" and was pleasantly surprised at the incredible improvement that such a small tweak made. Not saying your shimmy is toe related, also not saying it couldn't be, but the point is that something other than the stabilizer is causing it.

 

[Jeep&dogs]

I went bat shit crazy chasing a shimmy a while back, and after quadruple checking everything, it ended getting completely fixed with a toe adjustment. I reduced total toe-in from a hair over 1/8" to 1/16" and was pleasantly surprised at the incredible improvement that such a small tweak made. Not saying your shimmy is toe related, also not saying it couldn't be, but the point is that something other than the stabilizer is causing it.

Well I have literally made 100’s of adjustments on the alignment, caster has been 4-8* in .5* increments, toe has been 1/4 in to 1/4 out and everywhere in between. This really isn’t my first rodeo with this, I do this for a living,I do training on collision for a group of 800+ shops in the US and close to half are FCA approved repair shops so I have access to most if not all the engineers at FCA. I spent days making adjustments and driving it, making another adjustment and driving it. I have access to just about any piece of equipment I want for as long as I want. The Jeep has been measured on a Car-O-Liner digital frame rack by me personally to make sure the axles are 100% centered and squared, it has been on the alignment rack 100’s of times. I would tell you the same thing I have told a few others that felt it’s an easy fix, come on out and fix it, I will pay you.

I have had several hour long conversations with Rusty, “Dr. Death wobble”, the guy that owns Steer Samrts ( can’t remember his name for the life of me) not to mention at least 3-4 FCA steering and suspension engineers. I have gone through 3-4 of the gear boxes bench testing them and measuring the over center adjustments ( The FCA engineers I know sent me several to test) There is a harmonic issue with some of these JL’s and it’s not always something loose or worn
that causes it.

 

[Jeep&dogs]

Hell I went as far as pulling an entire front end of a friends Jl with a Metalcloke set up and we put it on my JL. Still had a shimmy……. Only thing left on my Jeep was the box and the frame……..

 

[Red Willy]

Not to mislead anyone, but my Jeep drove pretty good in stock condition. No DW, no shimmy, just a small amount of wander. My initial interest in this unit was the ability to back up while towing 4 down with our RV, which it has made possible. The fact it drives better is a plus.

 

[Headbarcode]

Hell I went as far as pulling an entire front end of a friends Jl with a Metalcloke set up and we put it on my JL. Still had a shimmy……. Only thing left on my Jeep was the box and the frame……..

Now I'm remembering your past postings about chasing the shimmy. And I never said anything about an easy fix, just that there's still something lurking on your Jeep. Still, I'm glad to hear that your back to enjoying being behind the wheel of it!

 

[dpike]

I installed mine this weekend. I'm on the fence about it..
I like the return to center feel, but with the little bit of lash in my steering box there's still that play. Maybe I expected it to correct that where it doesn't. I'll ride it for a bit more, get use to the way it feels then throw my old stabilizer back on and make my call then.

 

[Exact Center]

All Exact Center user will get new product email [email protected] 1-989-448-2501
Roadmaster will have info for their sales and ExactCenterTony will have info for his. New orders and replacements will begin tomorrow.

Today was a good day for Roadmaster and Exact Center. Tony has waited a long time for RM to come back online with the Filling Machine. Today it happened. Also today Tony and his dad finished there own low tech filling machine that does not have a computer and only does what Tony makes it do. There has been an issue with the filling machine where it said and gave test results that were what were needed and expected, but on one leg of the Exact Center the computer did not do a full fill. It showed the results needed on the screen, but some units did not get a full Traction fill.
Roadmaster does not know which units got just a little less fill on traction or which units got a lot less fill on traction. because the result is less than perfect Roadmaster is going to replace all units with new product. This can be something a user may not notice. On my JLUR 392 XR that has a 130 lb unit I did not feel anything that made me suspect there could be a issue. Today with the Push and Traction with the correct pressure I still cannot feel any change.
We became suspicious when a 110 user developed DW and later when a user put his 140 EC up on a rack and he did not get the visual return to center. Today after my upgrade we did lift my Jeep to verify the Return to Center was working. Video of our Return to Center taken today after upgrade.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/WVK4Mj1bC8MB9bbz5
I am John D Shepherd the inventor of Exact Center.
We are sorry that this slipped by, but you have the first two-way centering gas spring in the world so the tech to test or fill needed help, but it is now fixed and Tony has a low tech version that uses scales to measure pressure without any computers to screw things up.
Everyone should get this free up grade, there is no danger if you don't, but Roadmaster does not want a product that is less than perfect out there. This will be a no cost exchange. This is or could be a good time to change the pressure you have if you are doing more mods.
Tony thinks the change while not being one you can feel in the steering it will give you added control in some limited situations. Users above 110 may never have issues, but do upgrade.
Roadmaster will be posting info on how to get a upgrade through them, Tony has ordered 100 EC's that he will use for his customers.
email [email protected] 1-989-448-2501