Those complaining about the steering... get the Fox Steering Stabilizer

[Texops]

Light steering due to heavy load isn't fixed by tightening the steering stabilizer. Adjust your load.

Yeah you’re right i wasn’t thinking

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[Texops]

So mine never wondered at all i just like a firmer steering.

 

[wyldefreebyrd]

Did the same thing but went with the Falcon 2.1.

 

[Rav34653]

Anyone have any experience with the Rough Country N3 of Skyjacker M95 dual steering stabilizers. Will either do the Job satisfactory compared to the pricey Fox 2.0 dual stabilizer. Please post you reviews and opinions

 

[FREEZE451]

Just ordered the Fox Stabilizer - non adjustable - will report back, but seems a lot have had success with it.

 

[Heinoceros]

I'm confused by the folks complaining about "loose steering" etc.
I took one for a test drive. The dealer handed me the "keys" and my wife and I took off- he said it had plenty of gas, go where-ever.
So I drove it around West Des Moines, west of town on some hills and really curvy roads, then back and hit I 35 for a few minutes up to 65 (speed limits in that area).
It steered no differently than anything else I drive. If anything, it was more responsive than some of my vehicles. You move the wheel - it obeyed. Correcting? None. My hands hardly moved the wheel at all unless I was turning or in town. On the open road - she was stable, rock solid, at least as good as my 2011 Chevy and better than my 73 Javelin. My Eagle tends to wander more than that Gladiator did and my Eagle SX4 has all new suspension and steering, including power steering pump and sector and drag link and pitman arm and idler arm and tie rods and so on - oh, and it has a new Monroe steering stabilizer - yeah, Eagles had those.
So unless the one I have ordered is different than the one I drove - I'll be fine - unless it does differently on speeds ABOVE 65 mph?
So I have to ask - or wonder - what's up with the steering complaints? People trading in their Mercedes on these? It's a truck, it behaves like one only much better, IMO.

have you tried driving the jeep back to back against a relatively new F-150 or Tacoma? I love my jeep but there is a noticeable dead spot in the jeeps steering feedback around top dead center that takes a little getting used to. And i test drove half a dozen gladiators, they all drove identical to me. There is no getting around the fact that the design of the front axle and steering are relatively simple and not as responsive. Its no big deal, i got used to it in like 3 days. I now have the 35 inch tires, which made it a tiny bit worse, but i got used to that in another couple days.

I just put a 1.5 inch coil lift on the front end, and working on the jeeps front suspension is a dream. Simple is great. We did it in the driveway on jackstands and were done in an hour and a half (it took 10 minutes for me to figure out that the easy way to reattach the track bar is just put the tires back on, drop it to the ground, and turn the steering wheel to line up the bolt holes on the track bar), and the lift didnt even require a realignment because the stick axle handles small static vertical changes like that very well. (vertical changes while driving, thats another story, but JEEP!)

My last jeep was waay, waay worse than this, and i think that why so many people are saying that the steering is perfect on the gladiator. Compared to jeeps from a couple generations ago, the new ones are just fantastic, but also we must remember how terrible the earlier jeeps were in this regard. Its almost comical what the 80's and 90's jeep owners were willing to put up with.

 

[sass JT]

Anyone have any experience with the Rough Country N3 of Skyjacker M95 dual steering stabilizers. Will either do the Job satisfactory compared to the pricey Fox 2.0 dual stabilizer. Please post you reviews and opinions

IMO... don’t do it... it’s a horrible gimmick. I bought the RC dual for my 99 WJ. The steering wheel never centered after it and I had to fight the steering wheel all the time. I went back to a single stabilizer and it was smooth as butter again.

My .02 on the single pass through stabilizers... love them. I’ve had the fox ats and the falcon 2.2 on 2 different jeep JK’s. They were awesome but I never ever adjusted them after I got them set in the middle position on or off road.

I just got the fox TS stabilizer from amazon... once the snow clears out here in Colorado, I’ll be throwing it on.

Till then... carry on gents.

-sass

 

[B345T]

have you tried driving the jeep back to back against a relatively new F-150 or Tacoma? I love my jeep but there is a noticeable dead spot in the jeeps steering feedback around top dead center that takes a little getting used to. And i test drove half a dozen gladiators, they all drove identical to me. There is no getting around the fact that the design of the front axle and steering are relatively simple and not as responsive. Its no big deal, i got used to it in like 3 days. I now have the 35 inch tires, which made it a tiny bit worse, but i got used to that in another couple days..

I have owned many F-150's as new as 2016 and 2 Tacos newest 2014...

the F-150 is like a dream to drive, comfortable and large...not easy to store in a modern "garage"

the 2014 Taco steering was better feel than the Gladiator...

But the Taco is killed in ride quality and surprisingly ease of entry and exit from the vehicle...

I put on the non adjustable Fox stabilizer and noticed a bit more stability in the steering inputs...

 

[jrf]

I'm confused by the folks complaining about "loose steering" etc.

I don't believe at all this is a one size fits all. Seems some have it worse than others and others don't at all. The "dead spot" is one thing and not something most would notice. The 2-3" of steering wheel play coupled to the vehicle wandering back and forth going down the highway makes it literally IMPOSSIBLE to hold a line without constant correction. (think excessive toe-OUT) where the wheels just keep wanting to go from side to side. Unfortunately there really are no metrics for us to compare one to another. I for one just wish I would have gotten one of the better ones.

For those of you installing this stabilizer...looking to hear of any improvements or not?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I've driven so many cars and trucks over my life - can't even begin to count or list them all. I've owned many, but then as a mechanic I drove hundreds, I've driven my neighbor's vehicles, my wife's relatives' vehicles, and some I won't remember until later. My Silverado goes right down the road fine but there's no "road feel". There's no sense that it's an extension of me - no tactile feedback really. It turns with the exact same effort no matter what, no matter the speed, road, or how far you've turned. Not that it's a weak or sloppy feel, I just like the feel that it's an extension of me. The Gladiator I test drove reminded me a lot of my wife's Grand Cherokee - but more truck like and you could tell it was longer (and yet she had that thing going in really tight circles in an empty parking lot when I told her to see how tight or short it will turn. Impressive - more tight than my Silverado for sure.
My current vehicles include three classic cars I've totally rebuilt the steering and suspension on. They are old school, SLA suspension, spring on upper control arm, leaf spring rear and all with the same Saginaw power steering sector. I also have my 04 WJ and my Chevy truck and my wife's Grand - and honestly, of everything I've driven, I can't saw the Gladiator upset me in any way on steering. Maybe compared to a brand NEW F150 or a NEW Tacoma, maybe yeah, but look at what you are comparing to....... otherwise, unless the ONE that _I_ get feels different, likely won't be complaining.
My SX4 did have a wander spot at dead center on the sector - but it was worn. At the high point you could wiggle the wheel and the wheels didn't respond well. Partially turned it was tight enough but it was a pain to set toe and center the wheel........ I replaced the steering sector and life was good again - it handles like a new vehicle, like my Javelins do - ready for autocross.

 

[TRI-JAB]

The Ice Cream Man in the Brown Truck stopped in front of my house. Got a new flavor:

Can’t wait for my Destroyer!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Now that's funny. (had to post to compensate for my envy, I guess)

 

[GunnersJL]

Timely post. I’ve been giving serious thought to trading in my 2019 JLUR for a JTR, only because I’d like to use it to tow my camper (too heavy for the JL). I finally stopped at my dealer today and drove a new JTR. Immediately as I got up to 45 mph+ I noticed excessive wander. It tracked badly with the road. Pulled a little to the right, correct, it then pulled a little to the left. Back and forth multiple times. On the way out I ran the same route with my JLUR. Nothing. Perfect. Original stabilizer still (need to get the new one per the recall).

I’ll be following this thread. I drive a fair amount. Constant correction would not be pleasant. It’s nice to know there would be a fix, but disturbing to think the factory stabilizer is insufficient. Or maybe there are some loose bolts or bad bushings.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Timely post. I’ve been giving serious thought to trading in my 2019 JLUR for a JTR, only because I’d like to use it to tow my camper (too heavy for the JL). I finally stopped at my dealer today and drove a new JTR. Immediately as I got up to 45 mph+ I noticed excessive wander. It tracked badly with the road. Pulled a little to the right, correct, it then pulled a little to the left. Back and forth multiple times. On the way out I ran the same route with my JLUR. Nothing. Perfect. Original stabilizer still (need to get the new one per the recall).

I’ll be following this thread. I drive a fair amount. Constant correction would not be pleasant. It’s nice to know there would be a fix, but disturbing to think the factory stabilizer is insufficient. Or maybe there are some loose bolts or bad bushings.

A stabilizer doesn't compensate for pull - that's alignment. A stabilizer is a dampener.
Sounds to me more like a caster thing.
Has anyone who had their Jeep act like this had the alignment checked?
What are the specs?
Negative caster makes the steering wheel light while increasing the susceptibility of your vehicle to meander down its path without proper direction.
Wrangler should have what, about 5 degrees? That would seem plenty, but from this last description, I wonder.
Pulling is more alignment or lack of.
I'd love to have a new Gladiator that people describe as doing this pulling thing on an alignment rack.
Of course some of this could be the lack of leverage over the big wheels by short steering arms - I've not looked at the specific geometry on these.
Huge wheels act like a gyroscope and want to resist changes in direction, in that case, they need to either tweak the specs or, well, put on your stabilizers!

 

[GunnersJL]

A stabilizer doesn't compensate for pull - that's alignment. A stabilizer is a dampener.

What he said. Dampener. Curious how changing to the Fox stabilizer fixes the issue.

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