Should I get a steering stabilizer?

[Roky]

Interesting info. I don’t think there is a Jeep product out there , after market or not, that one guy loves while another guy dislikes! It was a Dodge Jeep dealership that installed the lift As it was a unit ordered for stock. Easy to tell as the unit was sold 3 months after it landed at the dealer. These guys have 3 or 4 new Rams and Wranglers all lifted and whacked out on their lots at all times. I am sure they know what they’re doing as at the end of the day, it drives nice on decent not rutted roads. Maybe I have too much money?!

So anyway, you are claiming castor should be around 6 degrees for a lifted unit and the stock setting is not enough Which I will assume is less than 6 degrees
Can you elaborate as to why lifted castor has to be more than stock? Once again, it drives quite nice as is. I am always up for learning.

Sure …… when you lift a vehicle and don’t lower the frame side control arms or extend them using adjustable arms, the axle gets pulled back decreasing caster. This causes the Jeep to be a little more twitchy and wanders a bit at speed….So the higher the lift the more you need to increase your caster……Since the JL has the FAD the front pinion angle can be increased and not cause any vibrations, (actually that’s the best thing about the FAD IMO)…..The cam washers that come with that particular kit requires the opening up of the frame side bracket to make room for the washer to fit. If you ever want to use adjustable control arms or drop brackets you’ll have to fix the bracket so the bolt will be tight in the bracket, (usually involves welding a plate on both sides of the bracket with a new hole).

I’m not sure they used the cam washers or if they used drop brackets or adjustable lcas on your rig….. I’m just saying that’s what comes with the kit and if they did use them just keep an eye on them, they have a tendency to loosen up and /or shift over time……And I’m not knocking your shop, I’ve just seen this movie to many times……?

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[Willys_Wonka]

Keep the stock stabilizer, it works fine.
My JLUR on 37s drives 100x better than my TJ on 35s.

I only upgraded to the Teraflex pass through style stabilizer because my stock one got bashed into a rock. I barely even notice a difference compared to the stock stabilizer if im being honest.

What steering issues are you trying to fix?

I think the OEM stabilizer was recently updated. I hear it’s decent especially if your not wheeling hard if at all.

 

[Albertaktm]

I think the OEM stabilizer was recently updated. I hear it’s decent especially if your not wheeling hard if at all.

Mine is a 2020 I just purchased. Just the construction of the Mopar vs Fox is night and day. Mainly the fact the Fox I ordered is adjustable

 

[Albertaktm]

Sure …… when you lift a vehicle and don’t lower the frame side control arms or extend them using adjustable arms, the axle gets pulled back decreasing caster. This causes the Jeep to be a little more twitchy and wanders a bit at speed….So the higher the lift the more you need to increase your caster……Since the JL has the FAD the front pinion angle can be increased and not cause any vibrations, (actually that’s the best thing about the FAD IMO)…..The cam washers that come with that particular kit requires the opening up of the frame side bracket to make room for the washer to fit. If you ever want to use adjustable control arms or drop brackets you’ll have to fix the bracket so the bolt will be tight in the bracket, (usually involves welding a plate on both sides of the bracket with a new hole).

I’m not sure they used the cam washers or if they used drop brackets or adjustable lcas on your rig….. I’m just saying that’s what comes with the kit and if they did use them just keep an eye on them, they have a tendency to loosen up and /or shift over time……And I’m not knocking your shop, I’ve just seen this movie to many times……?

It’s in getting 4.88’s installed but I will have a look when I get back tomorrow. As I mentioned on my previous post, Everything out there people love and people hate. I did some research in the lifted castor angle of 6 vs stock of 4-4.5. Once again half the opinions support each Value! I think the argument for keeping it at 4 was drive train wobble or I’m thinks harmonic imbalance. I will look when I get mine back to see if they used the cam washers or not. All in all it drives pretty good at all speeds so I’ll just leave it for now.
Thanks for the input.

 

[Flip]

I don't know a whole lot about the castor setting, only from what I've read on this forum. There were some people that said their stock jeep steering felt a little floaty. After they adjusted their castor (LCA) closer to or at 6 degrees it felt better. Some people said they felt the factory setting should have been closer to or at 6 degrees from the factory.

I have a brand new 2023 sport. I only have 998 miles on it. No suspension mods but I do have 33" tires on it. Just the other day, driving at or around 20 mph I noticed the steering all of the sudden for no apparent reason felt floaty. I looked down at the wheel and paused for a minute, like what the heck is going on here. I assume this is the stock castor setting, floaty feeling I read about? With that said once I install a very minimal 1" - 1.5" lift, I fully intend on setting the castor close to or at the 6-degree mark, that seems to be the consensus/sweet spot.

 

[Roky]

It’s in getting 4.88’s installed but I will have a look when I get back tomorrow. As I mentioned on my previous post, Everything out there people love and people hate. I did some research in the lifted castor angle of 6 vs stock of 4-4.5. Once again half the opinions support each Value! I think the argument for keeping it at 4 was drive train wobble or I’m thinks harmonic imbalance. I will look when I get mine back to see if they used the cam washers or not. All in all it drives pretty good at all speeds so I’ll just leave it for now.
Thanks for the input.

You’re welcome….. as I mentioned in my last post, there isn’t any vibration, the front driveshaft doesn’t spin in 2wd because of the FAD (front axle disconnect) . So there isn’t any vibration from running higher caster…..Half the people saying there is some vibration are thinking JK as its front driveshaft spins all the time……As far as I know, only the 392 doesn’t have the FAD….Anyway, you’re gonna love the 4.88s, one of my favorite things I’ve done to mine……..best of luck to you with your build….

 

[Porkie]

Mine is a 2020 I just purchased. Just the construction of the Mopar vs Fox is night and day. Mainly the fact the Fox I ordered is adjustable

Have you installed the Fox stabilizer? If so did it help out? I just picked up my first Jeep (I'm a truck guy, so I'm ok with the solid axle driving feeling) and I noticed the wandering. I didn't know if its just a jeep thing because of the nature of the geometry or if there was a way to improve it. thanks

 

[Fuel Fire Desire]

I replaced my factory stabilizer with a Fox 2.0 after it started leaking. I had no issues with wobble before or after. I did really like the increased weight in the steering, as my JL was very light and darty when new (turned out to be a castor issue I fixed with LCAs after the lift). While it increased steering input weight, I did notice that it wanted to pull right after installing. The single shaft 2.0 puts out quite a bit of force as it naturally wants to expand like a shock. I initially fixed that with a bit of drag link adjustment. But if I were to do it again I’d probably get a through shaft. I love the feel of the 2.0, but am not a fan of it always applying a good amount of force to the right. I’m also not a fan of it hanging so low….but that’s a relocation issue that will be solved when I get into the steering.

I’ve had it on for about three years and 25,000 miles. No issues, leaks, or damage to the tube/ shaft yet.

 

[AnnDee4444]

Just being able to tighten it up a bit.

Have you adjusted your steering box?

 

[Albertaktm]

Have you adjusted your steering box?

After looking right before my trip down to Moab mid May, it appears that the original owner took off the stock stabilizer and both bracket. He had the dual steering stabilzer installed as it was part of the kit. Original owner defaulted on his loan and the Jeep went into storage. When I bought it 3 months ago from the second owner, he gave me the loose dual steering stabilizer saying that’s the way he got it. I drove it home the 2.5 hrs thinking it steers pretty nice. Don’t need it. Sold it. Upgraded from stock 33 to 35. Thought. Maybe I should upgrade the stock stabilizer. Well news flash!! No stock stabilizer. No steering mount or axle bracket either! Sweet F@@@ all! I was leaving Edmonton the next day when I realized this. So I picked Idaho Falls and ordered the Fox Adjustable stabilizer or dampener. It came with the axle bracket. The Mopar bracket was 360 bucks!,
So got the parts in Idaho Falls, assembled it in the motel. Installed in the parking lot. Very very nice. After $1,000 bucks!

 

[Fuel Fire Desire]

Have you adjusted your steering box?

If you over adjust it, you can damage it from excessive wear. If it’s under adjusted, there will be lots of vagueness on center. From the day mine left the lot there was about 1-1.5” of play either side of center. I finally decided to try to adjust the box when it was around 3-4 years old, just as things began to get a little rusty.

Looking at the steering box from the top down, there’s a small screw with a hex key, and a lock nut around it with a paint marker stripe up its side (green) to show if it’s been played with or not. Loosen the lock nut, and turn the hex key in or out to adjust box lash. Small changes will give big results. That said, my lock nut was frozen to the small hex key shaft. I tried heat, soaking it in PB blaster……..but in the end I wound up snapping my Allen wrench off in the head. So…..mine will never be adjusted I guess.

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