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where I put steering stabilizer OK?

1K views 15 replies 4 participants last post by  87zuke 
#1 ·
Howdy,

I got a used steering stabilizer on Ebay, advertised as having mounts for a Samurai. When I went out this evening to put it on, I noticed the mounts had nothing to do with the mounts for the OEM one, and that the stabilizer (A Procomp, supposedly) was considerably larger.

I scraped the prodigious amounts of crud off the old one enough to unbolt it and noticed once I had it off that it had about as much resistance and a slide whistle and wasn't doing much to dampen anything. CLANG!!! Dumpster bait.

The new one has a really big U-bolt at one end and two smaller U-bolts at the other end. I put the big one around the axle housing just inside the spring pad on the driver's side. I guessed at how much was half-extended and bolted the two smaller U-bolts to the tie rod, clearing the differential by a small margin.

Is this an OK place for a steering stabilizer? The tie rod doesn't move up and down in relation to the axle tube, right? I tried not to let it hang down any farther than anything else under there and tightened it up really good. The truck is trapped in my front yard at the moment so I havent been able to test it out since I bolted it on. The steering wheel seems to do what it is supposed to and allows the full range of turning of the front wheels.

ever ignorant,

~daxe
 
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#6 ·
>>i'd sure like to see how big a trap is needed to trap a sami

My front yard is completely surrounded by chain link fence in order to contain the dogs. Actually, the fence goes around the whole house. The dogs come and go as they please through dog doors.

The gates to enter the fence dump out into the driveway, pretty much into the side of my wife's minivan. In order to get out of the front yard fenced area I have to:

1) collect all the dogs and put them in the house and close all the doors.

2) find my wife's keys with the remote starter for her minivan and fire it up

3) run out to the driveway and put the keys in the minivan so I can move it out of the way of the gates

4) open up the dual gates to the yard

5) drive the zuk out into the driveway, avoiding the other vehicles

6) close the gates, move the wife's minivan back in place and bring the wife's keys back in the house and let the dogs out.

When its dark and late and I am tired and dirty, sometimes all this rigmarole doesn't seem to be worth it. Plus, I needed gas an the nearest gas station open at that hour is 20 minutes away.

Ayways, I tried it out tonight. Made a run into town for gas and to hit the lick her store for the wife, brought the wife and the two kids along for the ride. When we got back, I aired down and did my personal minitrail in the receding daylight with everyone still onboard. Both kids fell asleep on the trail.

I havent been for a few weeks and the quads that usually run it, plus the driving rains, have made it much more rocky than it was earlier this year. The new stabilizer made the steering a bit stiffer than before, but about 1000% nicer since it involved a whole lot less jarring and twisting of my wrists.

On the road the change is amazing. I also put on a properly sized grant GT wheel when I put on the stabilizer and the rig is much nicer to drive. Once I get those YJs on there it should be downright pleasant! I had also just done a quickie tuneup while it was in the yard (plugs, wires, cap and rotor) and it was running much stronger as well.

~daxe
 
G
#7 ·
hey daxe looks good. had my first one in the same locacion. I crushed it on a rock. The second one I just turned the brackets up so the stabilizer is above and behind the tie rod so it doesnt hang down in front.Try it you will like it and it will save your stabilizer.
 
G
#9 ·
I use the same setup but I also use a RANCHO 5000 in place of the factory stabilizer. I actually was told by my suzuki dealer about this. It bolts right in. Just make sure it's the same length as the original stabilizer so you don't limit your turning radius. Works great & beats the hell out of the price tag of a new factory stabilizer.

 

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#13 ·
Using a shock works well. Steering doesn't move fast enough to cause probs with a shock on its side. 2 cautions. Don't use a pressureized shock (pretty obvious you dont want the shock pushing you to full lock!), and make sure the shock ratio is 50/50, not the more usual 70/30.

Most shocks are ratioed to 70% for compression and 30% for extension since in compression the weight of the vehicle is behind it, but in extension only the rebound of the spring and the weight of the axle/hub assy is pulling it.

Most race shocks are ratioed at 50/50 so they are readily available.
 
G
#14 ·
OOPS! Thought you were looking for the OEM. Well the RANCHO 5000 that I use has this on it. It says RANCHO, then under that it has 5006, under that says "made in USA", under that it has C2901. Not sure which of the 2 numbers is the one but there they are. I have to add that my Rancho was one I already had so when I was informed about using it I didn't need to buy one. Mine allows for complete turning radius right & left but I bet the correct one might be 1/2" - 1" shorter.
Maybe I have the correct one. Works fine. From what I understood from the tech at my Suzuki dealer was that there isn't a particular part # or a specificly manufactured one for this application. You find a 50/50 shock (like my Rancho) that is the correct length for full turning with the round ends and put it on. It works excellent for me.
 
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