Steering Stabilizer for Deuce with XL Michelins.

[Buster70]

I added this to help with bump steering. I made the brackets out of 2.5'' angle iron, and a stabilizer with an 8'' total movement. It came off of my old CJ7. I found I need 4'' each way on my tie rod. It works great! At 55-60 mph on the roads of Louisiana ( Holy), the ride is greatly improved! Stops the side to side wandering! If anyone needs I'll make templates and try post them if I can!

 

[welldigger]

I have been thinking of something just like this. Does it seem to help with returning to center? The roads aren't any better here in north LA.

 

[197thhhc]

Templates would be great

 

[Buster70]

I had another stabilizer with a set-able return spring, but figured it is already hard enough to turn side to side and didn't want to fight it! I have power steering, Dual Piston Armstrong !O! I'll try to draw up template and post soon! It really does make a difference! I think it would really improve a truck with 9x20s more than mine.

 

[welldigger]

Well the 9.00-20s are being replaced with 395s asap on my truck. I was just wondering if this is a possible solution to the problem of wandering and return to center adding the big radials can cause. Guess I can go by a junk yard and grab some things and find out.

 

[Buster70]

The wandering is settled some but a pot hole can still make it jump! With wheels this big and no power assist, there's no way to stop it completely. The return to center hasn't been a problem for me, it takes a bit of road for it to do it on it's own, but is more manageable. The faster you go on big wheels the more it correct itself because of inertia and gyro-motion! But, much harder to stop! Make sure you check your brakes good every time you roll out!

 

[Buster70]

I thought of doing a dual stabilizer set up if this doesn't clean up all the bad road habits in South La!

 

[welldigger]

Well I'm not expecting it to be a miracle cure. Especially with manual steering and these awesome Louisiana roads haha. Just wanting to find something to make it more manageable. Though power steering is on the list. I'm really torn between the waterloo specialties hydro kit or something like what eastern surplus and c&c offer. Their system uses a hydraulic torque generator inline with the original steering box.

 

[Buster70]

For some material and a $60 stabilizer, maybe $80 total, this is worth it!

 

[welldigger]

Hey I'm willing to give it a try. At the very least maybe some of the twitchiness can be taken out of the steering. Might have to pay some of my rock crawler buddies a visit.

 

[jesusgatos]

Is that bracket only bolted to the axle with that one u-bolt nut?

 

[Buster70]

No, it is under both nuts of the same bolt! It has a cutaway for the shock mount to pass, and it is angled up pass the bolt plate about 22.5 degrees to keep the strut as parallel to the tie rod as possible. The tie rod end is off set to give the chunk clearance when turning and keep the strut parallel as possible. I'll take some more pics and post them with the templates.

 

[welldigger]

That would be awesome if you could post detailed pics at the least. You have me very interested in this.

 

[Buster70]

If the rain ever stops, I'll take it off and make templates and pics!

 

[Old Duece]

I woud love to try this on my truck with power steering and it loves to bump steer with the 395s I would like to try this out also

 

[Buster70]

It finally stopped raining, but I found a pool of fuel under the deuce in the morning after a trip to Juan Prado's to recover a M105. Pulled the tank to find 4 rotted spots where the tank sits on hangers! Ground away all the rust, "Major Holes" was hiding there. Pulled out the mig-welder and cut patches to cover the entire hanger spots! Filled with some fuel and rolled around. I'm gonna check it for any leaks today. I'll try to get the templates made and posted tomorrow. I love finding lettering under the layers of paint! I lo

 

[Adrian A]

I am interested in this too. I may have broke my thumb climbing an embankment when the front wheels hit the berm the steering wheel spun like a wheel of death. I didn't like that much.

 

[rho]

i'm going to have to try this on mine. what year cj7 did you get the stabilizer from?

 

[Ford Mechanic]

I have been thinking of something just like this. Does it seem to help with returning to center? The roads aren't any better here in north LA.

Return to center is caused by caster angle, i.e. leaning the knukle rearward

The twichyness and wander that your describing is directly caused by caster angle and easily fixed. There are 2 methods to fix it
1 Just flip the spring pearches(where the spring attaches to the axle) 180*
Or
2 Probably the best way and more time consuming, Remove the pearches and grind off a certin amount to set your caster angle correctly

I flipped mine and noticed a big improvement in wander, none at all now, and the return to center is immeadiate! The problem that some see with just flipping the perches is it give a little too much caster angle to the rear to the point the front driveshaft angles are wrong at the u-joint

Here's a link to a good thread!
Post #110
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?70541-MRAP-wheels-and-tires-on-a-deuce/page6

or this one!
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?97810-Deuce-Still-wandering-across-the-lane

 

[welldigger]

Return to center is caused by caster angle, i.e. leaning the knukle rearward

The twichyness and wander that your describing is directly caused by caster angle and easily fixed. There are 2 methods to fix it
1 Just flip the spring pearches(where the spring attaches to the axle) 180*
Or
2 Probably the best way and more time consuming, Remove the pearches and grind off a certin amount to set your caster angle correctly

I flipped mine and noticed a big improvement in wander, none at all now, and the return to center is immeadiate! The problem that some see with just flipping the perches is it give a little too much caster angle to the rear to the point the front driveshaft angles are wrong at the u-joint

Here's a link to a good thread!
Post #110
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?70541-MRAP-wheels-and-tires-on-a-deuce/page6

or this one!
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?97810-Deuce-Still-wandering-across-the-lane

Actually after doing my 395 conversion I have had almost none of the problems many people complain of. Return to center is normal and after playing with tire pressures it drives as good if not better than it used to.

I blame most of the wandering on the gaping pot holes that litter Louisiana roads. When I get on main highwsys and interstates, which are actually decent roads, it drives fantastic. I couldn't be happier. Money well spent.

I guess I was lucky.