Are steering stabilizers worth the money???

[legoms013]

I live on a super bumpy, pot hole ridden dirt road and was wondering about installing a steering stabalizer.

But i have never really heard anything good about using one. What is your guyses opinion on them? Do they help with steering wheel jerking (i have power steering) and do they help with always having to correct the steering wheel when driving straight?

 

[mjonesjr]

You have bump steer.

Is your truck lifted? If it is, then how? If you have a suspension lift, I recommend getting the Superlift Superunner steering setup. Yes they are pricey, but they are worth it. For example, on my '97 Ranger I ran a steering stabilizer with the stock steering linkage; when I switched to the Superunner I didn't. The steering was MUCH better with the Superunner.

If your truck isn't lifted, then you more than likely need new tie rod ends and a new passanger tie rod.


Steering stabilizers are ONLY bandaid fixes.

 

[mhughes165]

they are not ONLY bandaid fixes.....ive had a perfect steering setup on most of my trucks, however when u go with larger tires bump steer is just gonna happen no matter how perfect your steering geometry is, in that case itll smooth out alot of the bump steer and make the truck easier to control.....

when u start runnin tires like i do( usually always 35+ plus and 14.5+ wide) u need steering stabilizers to help ur truck remain streetable

 

[mjonesjr]

Actually if you have the proper steering setup, then a stabilizer is only a band aid fix; nice try being a jack ass, jack ass.

I am sure that others who have ran LARGER tires than you with NO stabilizer and the Superunner steering can also say that the stabilizer is a band aid fix; only to mask a real problem.

 

[mhughes165]

Actually if you have the proper steering setup, then a stabilizer is only a band aid fix; nice try being a jack ass, jack ass.

I am sure that others who have ran LARGER tires than you with NO stabilizer and the Superunner steering can also say that the stabilizer is a band aid fix; only to mask a real problem.

what is the largest size tire u have ever run on the street???

what, a 35x12.5 prolly??

u hve no clue then, even with a 100% proper steering setup running tires larger and wider will always cause bump steer, especially if u have bias ply tires

 

[gotmudd]

Actually if you have the proper steering setup, then a stabilizer is only a band aid fix; nice try being a jack ass, jack ass.

I am sure that others who have ran LARGER tires than you with NO stabilizer and the Superunner steering can also say that the stabilizer is a band aid fix; only to mask a real problem.

i must be a bigger jackass then because my fullsize F250 came factory with a steering stabilizer, and yes for those of us who think that bigger is better yes they are worth it. i had a full size chevy that had perfect geometry in the steering with all new components and i thought i could get away from the stabilizer and boy was i wrong. the truck manufacturers put them there for a purpose on full size trucks with big tires, the reason being so that you don,t get the bump steer

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

what is the largest size tire u have ever run on the street???

what, a 35x12.5 prolly??

u hve no clue then, even with a 100% proper steering setup running tires larger and wider will always cause bump steer, especially if u have bias ply tires

That doesn't matter, the op doesn't say what HE has for tires and that is what would matter. If they are stock or remotly close to it then a stabilizer would be nothing more than a bandaid fix at best. If his street is always rough then I would say his steering components could use checked out anyway.

My brother's '68 VW came with one from the factory (actually looks more like a window shock), it all depends on how the steering is set up from the factory. I have slightly oversize tires on both my trucks with 0 bumpsteer.

 

[mjonesjr]

what is the largest size tire u have ever run on the street???

what, a 35x12.5 prolly??

No, a 38x15.50x15 is the largest tire I have ever run on the street. It was on a '79 F-150. They were RADIAL tires. I took the steering stabilizer off it and it never had bump steer. There is nothing that will mask or fix a radial tires vibrations; even the proper steering wont. Running radial tires on the street is crazy.

Yes full size trucks come with them, but when you are talking about a Ranger, why compare it to a full size? That is like comparing an apple to a bananna; there is no comparason. There are a lot of SAS'd Rangers that do NOT have steering stabilizers because they setup their steering properly with cross over steering and top mount knuckles. If you cheap your way out of ANYTHING, you will have reprocutions.

If you don't believe me, ask some of the other people on THIS and OTHER forums. On a Ranger (4x4Junkie, ect.).

u hve no clue then, even with a 100% proper steering setup running tires larger and wider will always cause bump steer, especially if u have bias ply tires

I have no clue? I have drove a Ranger AND a Bronco II with larger tires than normal that had the Superunner setup on them both. NEITHER one of them had bump steer. I would say it is a safe bet to say that a Superunner steering setup is as close to perfect as you can get on a TTB truck.

Nice try, get lost.


Have either of you drove a Ranger/F-150 TTB truck with the Superunner setup on it? I would highly doubt it.

 

[mhughes165]

No, a 38x15.50x15 is the largest tire I have ever run on the street. It was on a '79 F-150. They were RADIAL tires. I took the steering stabilizer off it and it never had bump steer. There is nothing that will mask or fix a radial tires vibrations; even the proper steering wont. Running radial tires on the street is crazy.

Yes full size trucks come with them, but when you are talking about a Ranger, why compare it to a full size? That is like comparing an apple to a bananna; there is no comparason. There are a lot of SAS'd Rangers that do NOT have steering stabilizers because they setup their steering properly with cross over steering and top mount knuckles. If you cheap your way out of ANYTHING, you will have reprocutions.

If you don't believe me, ask some of the other people on THIS and OTHER forums. On a Ranger (4x4Junkie, ect.).


I have no clue? I have drove a Ranger AND a Bronco II with larger tires than normal that had the Superunner setup on them both. NEITHER one of them had bump steer. I would say it is a safe bet to say that a Superunner steering setup is as close to perfect as you can get on a TTB truck.

Nice try, get lost.


Have either of you drove a Ranger/F-150 TTB truck with the Superunner setup on it? I would highly doubt it.

i was not comparing a fullsize to a RBV, did u mean to say that runnign a biasply tire on the road is stupid?? u should check ur sources on that before u open ur mouth.


u ahve a bII on 31's....and u had a extanded cab ranger with a 4.0 on 35's.......those setups hardly ever have bump steer when setup preoperly, so it doesnt suprise me that u dont know what bump steer is like on large setup truck.

also, most people on here with a SAS'ed ranger do not drive on the road, if i wasnt gonna be doin alot of road drivin then i wouldnt need them either.

and no shit ur 79 f-150 didnt have bump steer....u do realize there is a MASSIVE weight difference between the trucks. and u were running RADIAL tires, i menationed the fact that ll bias ply tires experience bump steer.

to the OP, if ur truck is stock and u want to eliminate some of the bumage issues, check all ur steering components, if it is lifted check all ur steering components and take a picture of ur steerign geometry for us, if u still want to eliminate some bump steer after all of those check out then a steering stabilizer would be ideal.

it is the simple blanket statement that u made when u are incorrect that will cause arguments like this.

 

[mjonesjr]

Again, I will tell you that if your truck is lifted, then all a steering stabilizer will do is MASK the problem, it will NOT fix it. The ONLY way to fix the problem with a lifted truck is to use the Superunner steering.

How about you do your own research mhughes; or better yet, how about you try to drive a truck with the Superunner on it, then tell me what you think of it. Screw off.

 

[gotmudd]

Again, I will tell you that if your truck is lifted, then all a steering stabilizer will do is MASK the problem, it will NOT fix it. The ONLY way to fix the problem with a lifted truck is to use the Superunner steering.

How about you do your own research mhughes; or better yet, how about you try to drive a truck with the Superunner on it, then tell me what you think of it. Screw off.

i've been driving "fullsize" trucks for the last 20 yrs all of them 4wheel drive and all of them with factory steering stabilizersand i do believe that on every solid axle the knuckle is top mounted. and since all you do is mild off road YOU NEED TO EASE UP AND DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH.they have used stabilizers for the last 30 years on fullsize solid axles right out of the factory BECAUSE fullsize trucks CAN run bigger tires and no matter how tight your tierod ends are and all the other components in between YOU STILL NEED SOMETHING TO COMPENSATE. oh, and by the way i have drove your "famous" superrunner , and it ain't that special.so before you tell someone with a higher rep than yourself to screw off, watch your mouth and check your facts, and besides i was driving when you were still a thought in your daddys eye

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Guys, all this bickering is completly worthless until we find out what the guy even has for a truck.

 

[mjonesjr]

so before you tell someone with a higher rep than yourself to screw off, watch your mouth and check your facts, and besides i was driving when you were still a thought in your daddys eye

Rep power means crap, 95% of the people on this site have no clue how to use that feature. Who are you anyways?

 

[mhughes165]

Again, I will tell you that if your truck is lifted, then all a steering stabilizer will do is MASK the problem, it will NOT fix it. The ONLY way to fix the problem with a lifted truck is to use the Superunner steering.

How about you do your own research mhughes; or better yet, how about you try to drive a truck with the Superunner on it, then tell me what you think of it. Screw off.

i have driven a truck with the super runner kit on it, was my old 86 BII on exploder axles with the 8" superlift kit, had a modified super runner steering on it, i was runnin 38" ground hawgs on that thing, and even with VERY close to being perfect steering due to the width of the tires, the weight of the truck, and tires being bias ply, they still wandered and had massive amounts of bump steer, i installed a dual steering stabilizer on the truck and the bump steer was greatly reduced.

i have built more trucks then u could ever begin to imagine, this is my NINTH RBV, and yes im only 21, i eat sleep and breathe trucks, and while ur busy doing ur mechaincal masturbation style mods, im busy buildin trucks with a purpose, i dont have todo research, im speaking from REAL WORLD experience
75% of my vehciles ive ever driven (which is like 30 vehicles) have been on 38's or bigger, when u have had as many trucks as i have, and built as many trucks as i have, then u can come talk to me, i may not always be right on with specifics of some shit, and i know that, but u put me up against most on this site and ill work circles around them AND do a better quality job at the same time.

now that being said, im gonna wait for the original poster to reply and go from there becuase trying to tell u anything is like tryin to keep cake from rosie.....

so...in ur words, SCREW OFF, i got a truck togo and finish putting in the axle

 

[BlackBII]

i have driven a truck with the super runner kit on it, was my old 86 BII on exploder axles with the 8" superlift kit, had a modified super runner steering on it, i was runnin 38" ground hawgs on that thing, and even with VERY close to being perfect steering due to the width of the tires, the weight of the truck, and tires being bias ply, they still wandered and had massive amounts of bump steer, i installed a dual steering stabilizer on the truck and the bump steer was greatly reduced.

i have built more trucks then u could ever begin to imagine, this is my NINTH RBV, and yes im only 21, i eat sleep and breathe trucks, and while ur busy doing ur mechaincal masturbation style mods, im busy buildin trucks with a purpose, i dont have todo research, im speaking from REAL WORLD experience
75% of my vehciles ive ever driven (which is like 30 vehicles) have been on 38's or bigger, when u have had as many trucks as i have, and built as many trucks as i have, then u can come talk to me, i may not always be right on with specifics of some shit, and i know that, but u put me up against most on this site and ill work circles around them AND do a better quality job at the same time.

now that being said, im gonna wait for the original poster to reply and go from there becuase trying to tell u anything is like tryin to keep cake from rosie.....

so...in ur words, SCREW OFF, i got a truck togo and finish putting in the axle

Lol, no doubt he is 21 lol


OP
A steering stabilizer may be just a 'bandaid', but it will help with the bumpsteer, and being that you can get one for like 40 bones, most likely worth it for you