Steering stabilizer bar

[parb]

Third to agree. Massive difference. No longer fatiguing with the fox dampener. I'm a year in with mine and it's been great.

 

[Brock63]

I’m still on the fence with the steering stabilizer. The stiff steering with the lack of return to center doesn’t bother me much. It’s the constant micro corrections on the highway that bother me most. I certainly can manage, but for longer drives I find myself taking one of my other vehicles. Can someone tell me how much improvement there is to the highway drive post-stabilizer? Thanks!

Chadd,
It did not bother me much either as had driven old Land Cruisers, farm trucks, tractors with manual steering, etc....but on highway took continuous input...not hard but not relaxing and as passive as is nice on long trips. I put on the Agile Offroad OEM Fox shock stabilizer they sell. Direct fit, 10 min tops. It went from not returning to center more than 10% to now coming back almost 85% I would guess. All but the very last bit. Still requires a little contact on highway but made drive on interstate for 400 miles easier for sure. I drive out to my property every weekend about 50-60 miles each way through out year especially hunting season...and putting it on cruise control and having the new stabilizer makes it effortless. I also found no negative inputs offroad. If I stayed offroad 90% or doing a lot of aggressive rock and debris strewn trails...might leave it stock but felt was one of the best upgrades done besides rock sliders and the oversized cup holder. LOL

 

[Chadd7]

Ordered. Thanks everyone for your helpful input.

 

[Dokatd]

I am shocked by this last few posts. Nobody coming in to say steering is perfect in stock form. Or y'all just aren't used to real trucks or that's just how recirc ball feels etc etc. Where are all the aftermarket upgrade haters???

 

[DenisM]

I am shocked by this last few posts. Nobody coming in to say steering is perfect in stock form. Or y'all just aren't used to real trucks or that's just how recirc ball feels etc etc. Where are all the aftermarket upgrade haters???

It's not the characteristics of the recirc. ball as such, but a combination of factors including aggressive A/T tread of the BFG K02 tyre, minimal caster, recirc. ball and most significantly the non adjustable setting of the stock steering damper with its quirks.
For many, dare I say "most", owners drive predominantly on smooth pavement which exacerbates the feeling of a "loose/wandering" steering sensation.
The steering is excellent, stock, on dirt roads, for which it was designed.

 

[Tazzieman]

I think people have grown accustomed to overassisted steering that enables lazy one handed driving.
Hand at 6 o'clock , other hand clasping a large drink.
And driving one handed around roundabouts.
Grenadier is not for lazy feckers!

 

[CrazyOldMan]

I think people have grown accustomed to overassisted steering that enables lazy one handed driving.
Hand at 6 o'clock , other hand clasping a large drink.
And driving one handed around roundabouts.
Grenadier is not for lazy feckers!

Well I don’t think the autonomous driving works very well at all. Very disappointing.

 

[Dokatd]

I think people have grown accustomed to overassisted steering that enables lazy one handed driving.
Hand at 6 o'clock , other hand clasping a large drink.
And driving one handed around roundabouts.
Grenadier is not for lazy feckers!

Yeah, that doesn't fly with me. I have almost exclusively owned and operated solid axle off-road relics. In fact the Grenadier for me was supposed to be a step towards civilization while hanging onto some of the familiar feel from the past. In my adult life I have daily driven two modern vehicles and only for about 2 years. One was a Chevy 2500HD and the other was an Audi TT. Otherwise I have been in Real Defenders, Disco's, Range Rovers P38 and older, yotas FJ60 mostly, many different Unimogs as well as Gwagons. There have been some other oddities in there as well but never a daily driver. My wife drives a modern vehicle and certainly she has accepted the new ways.

All of those vehicles including my largest Unimog, my LMTV and even my Military M998 can all be comfortably driven with one hand at 11 o'clock down normal paved roads.

The Grenadier can now as well with a change of stabilizer. Steering still sucks, but it's better.

 

[Chadd7]

I don’t mind the stiff steering wheel in local driving and helping with the return to center. My main issue is the squirrel like steering on the highway. When I look down to adjust air and look back up, I notice I’m wandering out of my lane!

 

[Tazzieman]

All of those vehicles including my largest Unimog, my LMTV and even my Military M998 can all be comfortably driven with one hand at 11 o'clock down normal paved roads.

So can the Ineos
Though I prefer to keep both hands on the wheel

 

[LC0013]

I am shocked by this last few posts. Nobody coming in to say steering is perfect in stock form. Or y'all just aren't used to real trucks or that's just how recirc ball feels etc etc. Where are all the aftermarket upgrade haters???

I am happy with my stock steering setup. Not to say it couldn't be better but, I see no reason to change it. Very good to see feedback on the stabilizer in case mine needs to be changed out, due to wear or damage, then I might consider this alleged upgrade.

 

[Brock63]

I am shocked by this last few posts. Nobody coming in to say steering is perfect in stock form. Or y'all just aren't used to real trucks or that's just how recirc ball feels etc etc. Where are all the aftermarket upgrade haters???

I am used to this type of steering...but is not optimal for highway/interstate driving long distances. Upgrading to the Fox OEM stabilizer shock is just taking a little of the resistance off so that it moves a little easier on smooth surfaces and still allows protection from wheel being jerked away from you. As stated, if I was offroad majority of my driving on big ranch or estate....or only drove overlanding with rough terrain...never would have changed it. It is perfect for what it was intended...constant offroad handling and mitigation of input from hitting debris in trail.....but not perfect for high speed (50+mph) for long periods. LOL

 

[Dokatd]

So can the Ineos
Though I prefer to keep both hands on the wheel

Well yeah if your cruising down a 100ft wide airport runway

 

[Jeremy996]

My secondhand Grenadier came with the older Fox aftermarket damper; I don't like it, when it wears out/leaks, I will put the OE one back.

 

[Dokatd]

I am used to this type of steering...but is not optimal for highway/interstate driving long distances. Upgrading to the Fox OEM stabilizer shock is just taking a little of the resistance off so that it moves a little easier on smooth surfaces and still allows protection from wheel being jerked away from you. As stated, if I was offroad majority of my driving on big ranch or estate....or only drove overlanding with rough terrain...never would have changed it. It is perfect for what it was intended...constant offroad handling and mitigation of input from hitting debris in trail.....but not perfect for high speed (50+mph) for long periods. LOL

Funny thing is very few legitimate factory produced off road trucks come from the factory with a stabilizer. The ones that do are meant more for civilized use. This is generally due to high speeds on road and "Overlanders" traveling way too fast on off-road tracks. Not to say that a stabilizer does feel good to many at slow speeds off-road, but it's more a bonus than anything. Learn to keep your thumbs out of the steering wheel spokes and all is good.

 

[Logsplitter]

I have no problem with my steering and feel comfortable at 70mph on motorway. The only time I felt wandering was when I first got the vehicle and the tires were pumped up too hard.

 

[Dokatd]

I don’t mind the stiff steering wheel in local driving and helping with the return to center. My main issue is the squirrel like steering on the highway. When I look down to adjust air and look back up, I notice I’m wandering out of my lane!

The squirrel characteristics are 98% the issue. My G wagon has stiffer steering by far. I even have manual steering vehicles. It's all about the truck ability to track at higher speeds on road. The self centering is just a bonus win with a new stabilizer.

 

[Dokatd]

I have no problem with my steering and feel comfortable at 70mph on motorway. The only time I felt wandering was when I first got the vehicle and the tires were pumped up too hard.

Sadly that is not everyone's experience. Some are even finding the steering to be borderline dangerous at speed.

 

[Jeremy996]

Sadly that is not everyone's experience. Some are even finding the steering to be borderline dangerous at speed.

I find mine to track true and where it is pointed, (both my original and the secondhand replacement). If someone has something they feel is not honest, job one has to be get the geometry checked, (assuming, of course, that the tyres are not inflated to "rock-hard").

It does take a couple of '000s miles before the OE damper wears in, so the stiction before the wheel moves can be disconcerting. Overall, I prefer the stock damper, but after a LR110CSW, a LR D90 and long term ownership of a Morgan 4/4, with a Burman steering box more usually seen on a milk float, you could argue that I have no idea what 'good' steering is.

 

[Tazzieman]

Well yeah if your cruising down a 100ft wide airport runway

Or you are a Real Man brought up on Armstrong steering