I added a Fox steering stabilizer so you didn't have to

[kmas0n]

SO today I added a new fox steering stabilizer to Gru. The high-pressure one with the IFP.
I wanted to clear a few things up.

I've read about these steering damper on various forums, the typical response looks like a bunch of monkeys trying to f*** a football to be the FIRST to tell the thread starter that:

1. YOU DON'T EVEN NEED A STEERING STABILIZER! YOU ARE JUST MASKING OTHER PROBLEMS!

This is just silly. My jeep drives fantastic. has no shakes, wobbles, flutters or vibrations at any speed on any terrain. It doesn't have any problems to mask. It's solid in the corners and steers as good as anything else I've ever driven with a live front axle. And you absolutely need a steering damper.

2. JUST BUY THE CHEAPEST PARTS STORE CRAP YOU CAN FIND! LOOK FOR THE BARGAIN CHINA BIN. THEY ARE ALL THE SAME!

Again, silly. I've been replacing them on a rate of about one a year, the last one leaked out of the box. Pretty tired of that shit. Hopefully, the Fox will hold up.

3. IT'S STUPID TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON THIS, I WOULDN'T SPEND MY MONEY ON THIS!

Thanks, it's my money and I'll spend it however I like AND I couldn't care less about how you spend yours.

4. A HIGH-PRESSURE STEERING DAMPNER WILL CAUSE YOUR JEEP TO STEER TO THE LEFT ALL THE TIME, YOU WILL HAVE TO HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT!

This one I was actually curious about, does it have enough push to cause unintentional steering? It does not. not even close. I can take my hands off the wheel and it tends to follow the crown of the road just like before. There is no push steer in parking lots, or the interstate.

On my last trip out, as soon as I hit the pavement I could tell the damper had blown its seal, the steering was soft and weak, too easy to turn the wheel. Kinda like a limp handshake. Yuk. When I got home it left a nice little puddle of oil in the driveway. So I ordered a fox replacement from amazon. Fit and finish are as to be expected: Fox does not disappoint there. I could feel the difference before I was out of the driveway. The steering wheel has a nice firm feel to it, like an expensive car. Feedback is muted but still present. I don't like a very light touch steering wheel, it feels cheap to me. Like one of those video game wheels in the arcades from our childhoods. Just not my thing.

So, that's my opinion, its free and you got exactly what you paid for.

 

[mrblaine]

SO today I added a new fox steering stabilizer to Gru. The high-pressure one with the IFP.
I wanted to clear a few things up.

I've read about these steering damper on various forums, the typical response looks like a bunch of monkeys trying to f*** a football to be the FIRST to tell the thread starter that:

1. YOU DON'T EVEN NEED A STEERING STABILIZER! YOU ARE JUST MASKING OTHER PROBLEMS!

This is just silly. My jeep drives fantastic. has no shakes, wobbles, flutters or vibrations at any speed on any terrain. It doesn't have any problems to mask. It's solid in the corners and steers as good as anything else I've ever driven with a live front axle. And you absolutely need a steering damper.

2. JUST BUY THE CHEAPEST PARTS STORE CRAP YOU CAN FIND! LOOK FOR THE BARGAIN CHINA BIN. THEY ARE ALL THE SAME!

Again, silly. I've been replacing them on a rate of about one a year, the last one leaked out of the box. Pretty tired of that shit. Hopefully, the Fox will hold up.

3. IT'S STUPID TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON THIS, I WOULDN'T SPEND MY MONEY ON THIS!

Thanks, it's my money and I'll spend it however I like AND I couldn't care less about how you spend yours.

4. A HIGH-PRESSURE STEERING DAMPNER WILL CAUSE YOUR JEEP TO STEER TO THE LEFT ALL THE TIME, YOU WILL HAVE TO HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT!

This one I was actually curious about, does it have enough push to cause unintentional steering? It does not. not even close. I can take my hands off the wheel and it tends to follow the crown of the road just like before. There is no push steer in parking lots, or the interstate.

On my last trip out, as soon as I hit the pavement I could tell the damper had blown its seal, the steering was soft and weak, too easy to turn the wheel. Kinda like a limp handshake. Yuk. When I got home it left a nice little puddle of oil in the driveway. So I ordered a fox replacement from amazon. Fit and finish are as to be expected: Fox does not disappoint there. I could feel the difference before I was out of the driveway. The steering wheel has a nice firm feel to it, like an expensive car. Feedback is muted but still present. I don't like a very light touch steering wheel, it feels cheap to me. Like one of those video game wheels in the arcades from our childhoods. Just not my thing.

So, that's my opinion, its free and you got exactly what you paid for.

View attachment 111676

I'm happy you are having better luck with those than we do. We remove them for issues all the time including push steering.

 

[kmas0n]

Thanks! I'll update this thread if ever I change my mind. But as of right now, mine doesn't push and has a very nice feel.

 

[CodaMan]

Great post for a newer member and the new resident steering damper expert. Condescension takes away all your credibility and will get you no where.

That's my opinion, its free and you got exactly what you paid for.

 

[jjvw]

What purpose does the gas charge serve in this context? Is this a feature that is reflected in the price tag?

 

[AndyG]

What purpose does the gas charge serve in this context? Is this a feature that is reflected in the price tag?

The first thing to do is bleed the gas and you've got a pretty good stabilizer.

They do matter or they wouldn't be on the vehicle.

Gas has no benefit but to keep the oil from foaming, and that's great for a motocross bike rear shock but it has no benefit on something that moves as little and as slow as a stabilizer.

I had a little bit better steering feel with the gas but mine did push to the left.... I would definitely say there are enough cases of that that that's probably more typical than not.

I'm glad yours is working well with no push steer. That's actually a little bit of an anomaly.

 

[reddvltj]

We remove them for issues all the time including push steering.

Forgive my ignorance here, (never had any experience with gas charged stabilizers). Are there 2 separate gas chambers that are supposed to equalize the left to right pressure? And if that's the case is it a leaky gas chamber or just improper pressurization that causes this?

 

[jjvw]

The first thing to do is bleed the gas and you've got a pretty good stabilizer.

They do matter or they wouldn't be on the vehicle.

Who put the gas charged damper on the vehicle?

Gas has no benefit but to keep the oil from foaming, and that's great for a motocross bike rear shock but it has no benefit on something that moves as little and as slow as a stabilizer.

...

I am trying to imagine a scenario where I would become concerned about cavitation of the steering damper oil.

 

[AndyG]

Who put the gas charged damper on the vehicle?



I am trying to imagine a scenario where I would become concerned about cavitation of the steering damper oil.

What I was trying to say was that steering dampers certainly matter.

I put one a gas charged fox there having no concept... And quickly found out that it made it pull enough to the left to annoy me all the time.

So I bled the gas... It's not like letting the air out of a tire... You hear a hiss and it's over.

 

[TJ Starting]

I also loved mine from the time I put it on till.....

 

[rasband]

I need to update mine, I can definitely tell it's dead (given the dents and such) - but can't imagine spending more than $50 on the part.

 

[mrblaine]

Forgive my ignorance here, (never had any experience with gas charged stabilizers). Are there 2 separate gas chambers that are supposed to equalize the left to right pressure? And if that's the case is it a leaky gas chamber or just improper pressurization that causes this?

No idea but discussing this further, a few folks who have made recent purchase report that the force on the shaft is fairly equal both directions now. If so, that is a big change from the way they used to be.

 

[AndyG]

No idea but discussing this further, a few folks who have made recent purchase report that the force on the shaft is fairly equal both directions now. If so, that is a big change from the way they used to be.

I'm going to call them and ask if I can send mine back . Seriously.

The gas-charged felt good ,but the pull to the left didn't.

 

[Lou]

I think they used to be charged to 200 psi like their shocks. I installed one a few years ago that was super hard to install due to the pressure. It pushed itself out at a fast rate. I am running one that is less than a year old, and it is only charged with 50 psi. It hardly extends on its own...

 

[primetime4]

No idea but discussing this further, a few folks who have made recent purchase report that the force on the shaft is fairly equal both directions now. If so, that is a big change from the way they used to be.

I had one installed last year and can confirm that there is no push or pull to one side. It literally feels no different from stock. Definitely no improvement to be gained but it matches my shocks so why not. I was worried about the gas charge but Fox must have changed it as you said.

 

[reddvltj]

It hardly extends on its own...

To me that screams something is wrong with it. A steering stabilizer shouldn't push in either direction. gas charged or not!!! the whole idea behind a "Steering Damper" is to dampen not assist!!!

 

[mrblaine]

To me that screams something is wrong with it. A steering stabilizer shouldn't push in either direction. gas charged or not!!! the whole idea behind a "Steering Damper" is to dampen not assist!!!

Precisely why we could never figure out why anyone would build something that would push you into oncoming traffic under the right conditions.

 

[reddvltj]

Precisely why we could never figure out why anyone would build something that would push you into oncoming traffic under the right conditions.

Personally if I was interested in lessening the effort required to steer I would be looking at a Rock Ram steering assist set up. They serve kind of a dual purpose (less effort and dampening. The Wagoneer that I use on my mail route in the winter has AGR system on it to compensate for the added weight of a snow plow. Works awesome almost too easy to steer without the plow on it.

 

[AndyG]

Precisely why we could never figure out why anyone would build something that would push you into oncoming traffic under the right conditions.

Pushing into oncoming traffic , not very Stabilizing .

I remember twin I-beam Fords... Steering stabilizers were a great addition.

They are fine on the TJ but in my opinion I don't see anything they can correct that you can correct better addressing the real issue.

I do see them as working passively, to prevent harsh feedback effectively.

 

[reddvltj]

I do see them as working passively, to prevent harsh feedback effectively.

That's precisely what they are supposed to do.... Absorb the shock input from bumps on the road that would otherwise translate into sharp/abrupt jolting of the steering wheel!!!