Exact Center is a steering stabilizer new for Jeeps

[Exact Center]

DAMMIT! shakes tiny fist at goddamned auto correct.

I am just looking forward to real work reviews to be honest.

from Alrui
"The problem is keeping the steering centered "automatically" - this has to come with some drive-ability issues or it would have already been adopted. Just my take",
To now there was no way to do this without a motor
This Centering is overpowered with a one-finger turn of the steering wheel. See the videos. It is invisible

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[Jeep&dogs]

from Alrui
"The problem is keeping the steering centered "automatically" - this has to come with some drive-ability issues or it would have already been adopted. Just my take",
To now there was no way to do this without a motor
This Centering is overpowered with a one-finger turn of the steering wheel. See the videos. It is invisible

I tell you what, I have a 2020 JLUR that I have been chasing a mild shimmy after hitting a bump for over a year and have pretty much replaced everything twice. Ball joints,knuckles,tie rods, stabalizers,hub bearings, tires, wheels, track bars, control arms, gear boxes, steering intermediate shaft, I’m sure I am missing a few things but you get the point. If you are looking for a vehicle to test this on to see if it really will cure anything I got your vehicle. I’m a certified FCA collision tech and I do chassis and fabrication work on the side. If it eliminates it on my rig it will eliminate it on any of them.

 

[Jeep Dude]

I tell you what, I have a 2020 JLUR that I have been chasing a mild shimmy after hitting a bump for over a year and have pretty much replaced everything twice. Ball joints,knuckles,tie rods, stabalizers,hub bearings, tires, wheels, track bars, control arms, gear boxes, steering intermediate shaft, I’m sure I am missing a few things but you get the point. If you are looking for a vehicle to test this on to see if it really will cure anything I got your vehicle. I’m a certified FCA collision tech and I do chassis and fabrication work on the side. If it eliminates it on my rig it will eliminate it on any of them.

I hope they choose you as a test mule .

I'm a firm believer in a good riding JL without a steering stabilizer as a bench mark, before adding one on. I consider them as band-aid solutions.

Sadly, sometimes though, the band-aid, in this case the stabilizer, becomes the only solution to mild shimmy, and that is fine.

I'd love to see your alignment specs, but I'm also going to mention something that might sound extremely obvious, that you might have over looked, and it concerns wheel balancing. Where are the weights located inside of your mags? In the middle of the mag, or on the edge, facing out towards you? If they are located in the middle, this will not control hop and shimmy, as well as if they were located on the edge.

 

[Jeep&dogs]

I hope they choose you as a test mule .

I'm a firm believer in a good riding JL without a steering stabilizer as a bench mark, before adding one on. I consider them as band-aid solutions.

Sadly, sometimes though, the band-aid, in this case the stabilizer, becomes the only solution to mild shimmy, and that is fine.

I'd love to see your alignment specs, but I'm also going to mention something that might sound extremely obvious, that you might have over looked, and it concerns wheel balancing. Where are the weights located inside of your mags? In the middle of the mag, or on the edge, facing out towards you? If they are located in the middle, this will not control hop and shimmy, as well as if they were located on the edge.

The tires have been dynamic balanced on a hunter road force machine. And weights are on the outside and inside of the rims. Two different sets of tires, BFG KO2’s on Pinter wheels, then Toyo AT3 on Bora wheels. I have access to an alignment machine any time I want it for as long as I need it. Caster has been set everywhere from 3.0 to 8.0 in .2 increments. Toe has been everywhere from 1/4 in to 1/4 out. Currently it’s at 6.8 castor and 1/32 toe OUT. This has eliminated 99% of the shimmy, I get 4-5 quick oscillations of the wheel when I hit a bump or transition strip. It’s livable but if this system will get rid of it 100% I would buy 10 of them.

 

[californiajeeping]

I do not work for Roadmaster I am the inventor I hold all the patents for gas spring assisted centering worldwide. There is no other person in the world that has even a single gas spring-centering product design. This has had FIA design verification. 23 years ago I designed the Blue Ox Trucenter and patented it 22 years ago I have been working on this design for 5 years all the US and foreign patents have been issued and a new patent for a trimming lock gave notice of issue today. If you do not want to hear my comments I can cease if you are offended. This is a proven device, not by the public yet, but by years of tests and many applications. I can't say I know what you are calling a dead spot, however, our 2015 JKU and our 2018 JL both had a center that had no feeling, if you turned the steering wheel the wheels turned. They were both fixed and made excellent drivers with this device. All the good ideas in the world are not known many are yet to be discovered we should all keep an open mind. Have a good day.

Please continue to post to this forum, it is rare to hear directly from designers, developers, inventors, etc. of products. This exchange of information gives us direct insights, education, background, thought process of the idea or product and more. I am a big believer of seeing is believing. I don’t expect the Exact Center to fix severe steering issues, but I am hoping it helps with the normal steering quirkiness of when it is a typical/actual “it’s a Jeep thing” and perhaps mild Jeep steering issues. If a Fox steering stabilizer can help change the steering feel and in some cases “steering issues” then in theory, the Exact Center stabilizer could potentially fix the same and more since it is a completely different design. Please note that I don’t mean “fix” literally. Fox sells a lot of steering stabilizers for a reason. Even a 1/8” adjustment to the toe setting or lowering tire PSI can correct steering “issues”. I pre-ordered an Exact Center so I can judge for myself. Again, thank you for posts.

 

[californiajeeping]

The tires have been dynamic balanced on a hunter road force machine. And weights are on the outside and inside of the rims. Two different sets of tires, BFG KO2’s on Pinter wheels, then Toyo AT3 on Bora wheels. I have access to an alignment machine any time I want it for as long as I need it. Caster has been set everywhere from 3.0 to 8.0 in .2 increments. Toe has been everywhere from 1/4 in to 1/4 out. Currently it’s at 6.8 castor and 1/32 toe OUT. This has eliminated 99% of the shimmy, I get 4-5 quick oscillations of the wheel when I hit a bump or transition strip. It’s livable but if this system will get rid of it 100% I would buy 10 of them.

Was your original steering box aluminum or cast iron? I think the early 2020 production cycle was aluminum but I’m not sure. Does it have a lift kit? Did they replace the one-time use bolt used to attach the steering column to the steering box or did they reuse the old bolt? Reusing the old bolt can cause slop in steering which could cause the shimmy. Have you tested it with a -4 PSI difference in either the driver’s side or passenger’s side tires? Example 37 PSI on both driver’s side tires and 33 PSI on both driver’s side tires? This PSI test isn’t a fix but provides a diagnostic clue.

 

[Jeep&dogs]

Was your original steering box aluminum or cast iron? Does it have a lift kit? Did they replace the one-time use bolt used to attach the steering column to the steering box or did they reuse the old bolt? Reusing the old bolt can cause slop in steering which could cause the shimmy. Have you tested it with a -4 PSI difference in either the driver’s side or passenger’s side tires? Example 37 PSI on both driver’s side tires and 33 PSI on both driver’s side tires? This PSI test isn’t a fix but provides a diagnostic clue.

Yes to all.

 

[californiajeeping]

Yes to all.

What was the result of the PSI test? Did they update the software that increases the voltage to the steering pump? If they did successfully, you should now hear a slight whining noise from the steering pump when you turn the steering wheel. Do you hear it?

 

[Jeep&dogs]

What was the result of the PSI test? Did they update the software that increases the voltage to the steering pump? If they did successfully, you should now hear a slight whining noise from the steering pump when you turn the steering wheel. Do you hear it?

The PS software has nothing to do with this. Go back and read my posts on the subject over the last year. This has all been discussed in depth as well as the pull you experienced with your Jeep.

 

[KJKWillys]

Watching.

 

[LuckyShooter]

What was the result of the PSI test? Did they update the software that increases the voltage to the steering pump? If they did successfully, you should now hear a slight whining noise from the steering pump when you turn the steering wheel. Do you hear it?

Not sure a slight whine means what you think it does, I've had the same noise on my 19 since I factory ordered it.

 

[JeepinJason33]

Alrui
I agree you would think someone would of tried this, but it is a tech hole that no one but me has gone into. 7.5 billion people and just me saw this. In 1998 I invented the first two-way gas spring application with Blue Ox Tru-Center a single gas spring that by a Rubicks series of 4 tubes that single spring is compressed in right or left turns. In 1998 there was no pull/traction spring. When I saw my first traction spring I was the most surprised person, and when I bought a traction spring and a push spring to make the first device and when that device along with the next two designs single body two springs inside, single shaft with two springs all received US and Foreign Utility patents I was amazed. Even better the patents cover all uses of the design, not just steering. It turns out I was all the prior Art (if there is similar prior Art the patent window narrows, but here it is all me) so the patent we received is the broadest I have ever seen and I have 22 plus patents in the last 42 years. I say to myself how could there be only one? I have spent maybe $500000.00 on a idea the biggest gas spring company (even with a prototype in their hand) in the world offered to let their chief engineer explain why it would not work. It has been a very long trip for me and my family. I do not blaine any one for thinking if it is good why wouldn't someone else have done it. Well it is more work than you can believe and the other guys don't see it working. We will soon see if it worth all the time, money, and effort and is it really new.

John,

In most of your pictures, I am seeing the stabilizer is almost always horizontal and nearly flat. Will it still work at an angle? Most of us are running aftermarket steering stabilizers. I am running the MetalCloak and I believe the mounts are strong enough to add your stabilizer to it. However, it would place the stabilizer at an angle. You can see from the picture below that the mount can be moved outward to allow for the extra length of your stabilizer.

For reference, I will be towing this rig behind my Super C with a Roadmaster All Terrain setup.

 

[Roadmaster]

John,

In most of your pictures, I am seeing the stabilizer is almost always horizontal and nearly flat. Will it still work at an angle? Most of us are running aftermarket steering stabilizers. I am running the MetalCloak and I believe the mounts are strong enough to add your stabilizer to it. However, it would place the stabilizer at an angle. You can see from the picture below that the mount can be moved outward to allow for the extra length of your stabilizer.

For reference, I will be towing this rig behind my Super C with a Roadmaster All Terrain setup.

Hey Jason,

Great question! At this time we haven't seen any change in performance of the spring whether it be mounted horizontally or diagonally. The only issue we've run into with Exact Center is the length, as it may contact that front pumpkin when wheels are turned left or right. We are actively working towards utilizing the aforementioned relocation brackets produced by Clayton, Metal Cloak, and Synergy to move the stabilizer out of harms way.

 

[JeepinJason33]

Hey Jason,

Great question! At this time we haven't seen any change in performance of the spring whether it be mounted horizontally or diagonally. The only issue we've run into with Exact Center is the length, as it may contact that front pumpkin when wheels are turned left or right. We are actively working towards utilizing the aforementioned relocation brackets produced by Clayton, Metal Cloak, and Synergy to move the stabilizer out of harms way.

Ok, let me know if you need any test dummies. As mentioned, I will be flat towing this vehicle very regularly behind a Super C with Road Master towing set up including the All terrain and tow defender.

 

[Exact Center]

Ok, let me know if you need any test dummies. As mentioned, I will be flat towing this vehicle very regularly behind a Super C with Road Master towing set up including the All-terrain and tow defender.

With double seals, the position is not an issue. Long ago and with basic gas springs you did need rod down to keep oil on the seals. Back in 1998 when I invented the first gas spring steering stabilizer we addressed that issue with some of the first double seals, today it is probably the industry standard to have double seals on gas springs that have mounting positions other than rod down. Any position is safe.
I have a 2021 Dynamax Super C and I pull four down, previously I had a Renegade Super C and before that a Seneca Super C, all pulling Roadmaster 4 down. The Dynamax is pulling a 2021 Bronco (testing) the other two pulled a 2018 JL and before a Grand Cherokee and a 2008 Wrangler. And before the Super C's there were many Class A DP's pulling Jeeps, Grand Cherokees, and Wranglers going back to 1998 all 4 down. There are interesting stories about steering column locks that seem to have a mind of their own.

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