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Steer smarts sector shaft brace gone bad

bleda2002

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TLDR bearing went bad in only 7 months and was binding my steering making it click like ball joints.

So I installed the steer smarts sector shaft brace back in May since it had the sealed bearing. Over the last month I've noticed my steering returning to center less quickly and increased steering effort. This morning I got the three clicks when turning right slowly and assumed my ball joints were under torqued. Then this evening, I had the wife turn the wheel with me down there and noticed that it was actually the sector shaft brace clicking because the bearing had seized. Overall I can't recommend this brace as it's not easily serviceable, and even if it was, it only lasted 7 months.
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Blade1668

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Thanks for the update on it. Any word from mfg on it?
 

Rockabillyroy

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could be bad design, could be bad manufacturing or bad luck. Either way, my past experience with them is that they are responsive and provided excellent customer support.
Good luck with getting it fixed. And thanks for the heads up.
 

Dlish

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have on sitting in the box from black friday sale. Looks like its possible to press a new bearing in. Please let us know what Steer Smarts say about it.
 
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bleda2002

bleda2002

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have on sitting in the box from black friday sale. Looks like its possible to press a new bearing in. Please let us know what Steer Smarts say about it.
It does look like you can press one in, i'm going to be reaching out to them to see about it. I cant find the bearing available online for sale though so even If i change it this one time, i dont want to be SOL 6 months later when it potentially goes again.

I honestly didnt find much of an improvement on the steel box to warrant going through the effort to press one out and then back in (i dont have a press myself), so reaching out to them unless they can just replace the whole bearing carrier i'm probably done with it.
 

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Dlish

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It does look like you can press one in, i'm going to be reaching out to them to see about it. I cant find the bearing available online for sale though so even If i change it this one time, i dont want to be SOL 6 months later when it potentially goes again.

I honestly didnt find much of an improvement on the steel box to warrant going through the effort to press one out and then back in (i dont have a press myself), so reaching out to them unless they can just replace the whole bearing carrier i'm probably done with it.
Just take the bearing piece off, and the rest is still a good upgrade to have the additional track bar bracing.
 
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bleda2002

bleda2002

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Just take the bearing piece off, and the rest is still a good upgrade to have the additional track bar bracing.
That's actually what I did, just the 2 bolts on the side and loosened the trackbar and it came off with a good tug.
 

Dlish

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@bleda2002 any response from steer smarts on this? They send a new part?
 
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bleda2002

bleda2002

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@bleda2002 any response from steer smarts on this? They send a new part?
Honestly I never followed up with them, had a really busy december between the holidays, covid, and work that I kind of forgot about it. I'll shoot them an email here tonight and let you know.
 

PJM86

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Not to bring up an old thread, but this just happened to me. Bearing seized up and I thought it was the ball joints. If you look at photo, the bearing is crooked now after removing the sector shaft brace part. It’s been a year, so not sure about warranty. I live in Maryland where we get salt, wonder if it had something to do with the bearing seizing up.

D5D3331E-051E-4B55-A68F-96CDE2005762.jpeg
 

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Rockabillyroy

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They replaced my xd attenuator a few years after i bought it. Sent me the replacement so I could swap it out and send them the bad unit.
 

PJM86

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They replaced my xd attenuator a few years after i bought it. Sent me the replacement so I could swap it out and send them the bad unit.
I will contact them this week. I’m just curious what will prevent it from happening again.
 

OHJeeper

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Not to bring up an old thread, but this just happened to me. Bearing seized up and I thought it was the ball joints. If you look at photo, the bearing is crooked now after removing the sector shaft brace part. It’s been a year, so not sure about warranty. I live in Maryland where we get salt, wonder if it had something to do with the bearing seizing up.

Jeep Gladiator Steer smarts sector shaft brace gone bad D5D3331E-051E-4B55-A68F-96CDE2005762
If you read the instructions, the bearing is pressed in that way on purpose. They specifically say not to try and correct the angle.

Sorry, just installed one tonight and trolling the old threads

@Rusty PW: how do you like yours after almost a year?
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