mgroeger
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Mike
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2018
- Threads
- 151
- Messages
- 5,486
- Reaction score
- 7,889
- Location
- Hurricane, UT
- Vehicle(s)
- 2021 JLUR 2.0T, 1991 YJ rock crawler
- Occupation
- I make microchips for a living.
- Vehicle Showcase
- 1
Yeah it is very safe to say that Jeeps sitting on the lot are not up to the caliber of not needing a steering stabilizer.Well, in respect to the TSB/recall regarding OE steering stabilizers and steering gear boxes not functioning properly, its safe to say that some JL's are not in good working order, even sitting on the dealer lot.
I, for one, can attest to the effect a poorly functioning stabilizer has on the steering as I had a total of 3 (three) OE stabilizers replaced within 3 months. Wandering, steering kick back and "death wobble" were all major symptoms my truck had of a poorly functioning stabilizer. To suggest anyone could remove a component of their steering system and somehow maintain all normal driving characteristics in all driving conditions is quite frankly, irresponsible.
My wife's Jeep had to go in for something and they gave me a Sport JL loaner. My wife's Jeep has 3.5" lift, 37s, Yeti tierod and draglink, Falcon stabilizer and Teraflex trackbar. All said and done around $1500 in steering upgrades and the front end is very tight and responsive.
I get behind the wheel of the stock Sport with around 100 miles on it and start driving home and couldn't believe how much looser it felt than her Jeep. I hit a bump on the highway and could feel the front end dance around. That same bump goes unnoticed on my wife's Jeep. That told me right there that the factory components aren't the best. When I put all that stuff on my wife's Jeep and removed the old trackbar I was shocked at how loose the trackbar bushings were at 40k miles.
Call us irresponsible shade tree mechanics all day long... sticks and stones... lol. No one is claiming they are useless. It's a well known fact in the off roading community that when you are chasing down a front end problem you remove the stabilizer to help you figure out which component is really the problem.
Components will wear out over time and the stabilizer is there to help stabilize the system... not to keep death wobble or other issues from happening.
Here is a quick read to help educate you...
https://www.extremeterrain.com/wrangler-jeep-death-wobble.html
"One thing many people do is install a new steering stabilizer, but this is not a permanent fix. Jeep steering stabilizers can temporarily get rid of death wobble, therefore masking a more serious problem. During your diagnosis, it sometimes helps to disconnect the stabilizer to properly pinpoint the problem."
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