- First Name
- johnd
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- Jun 20, 2019
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- Gaylord, mi
- Vehicle(s)
- 2021 JLUR Rubicon 392 XR
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- Inventor
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- #1
Just a little history and update on my observations of the factory steering assembly and the Exact Center. As you may have read in my earlier posts, I have a 2020 JT. I was thoroughly disgusted with the way the Jeep handled stock, let alone the Death Wobble that started once I put a 2-1/2" leveling kit on it (@8,000mi). Bear in mind that I've driven Jeeps as a daily for 10+ years (TJ & modified JK). So I bit the bullet and started doing some research. First step was to get the TSB done for the steering gear, with no real improvement except for peace of mind. Thinking, so I've already sunk $40+k into this thing, what's $1.5k more.....Purchased the Synergy Tie rod and Drag Link kit, longer shocks for the Leveling and some odds and ends to move the stabilizer along with an Exact Center set at 87# (Thanks John).
I put all of this on last weekend, including the 2-1/4" (shaved from 2-1/2") leveling kit spacers I had previously removed, and took it up to my son's shop for an alignment yesterday.
The settings:
Set Total Toe to 0.3 degrees (Factory is 0.2 +/-0.2)
Caster is at 5 degrees (Factory 2" lift LCA's put it there)
Didn't bother to measure camber, can't do anything anyway.
After a little driving around to set the Exact Center and steering wheel to where they need to be, I proceeded to go out on a 120 mile journey around the greater Phoenix freeway system at 70-80mph looking for every bump and crappy section of road I could find, and we have alot right now with all of the freeway construction going on.
Observations:
I couldn't get the steering to even shimmey......at all. (FYI, Before I did this and had just the leveling kit on, I had DW 3 times over the same roads in one drive)
The steering feel was centered and very responsive, one finger driving.
Preliminary conclusions:
Jeep really screwed up with the design of the steering gear components. Too lightweight and relying on crimp joints between dissimilar metals is the perfect recipe to create harmonic vibration, AKA Death Wobble.
Why hasn't anyone approached Jeep with the idea of the Exact Center Stabilizer? It provides responsive steering with a return-to-center feel that an IFS system has. I had a similar Synergy setup on my old JK that I wheeled here alot. Never had an issue even while slapping it hard on rocks, but it never had the stable, return-to-center feel that this JT now has.
John, I'm going to run the 87# setup for at least a month, just to get fully used to it and see if I can find a situation where more would # be better. After all, I'm still on stock tires.
BTY, anyone out there want a stock tie rod, drag link, front shocks and stabilizer? Free.......Time to get them out of my garage.
Edit: Forgot to add the factory Track bar in there too............Free.
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