Steering Stabilizer (How to)

[JoulesWinfield]

Just installed my steering stabilizer last night. I thought it would make a good how to guide.

I purchased the stabilizer from www.Rockymountainsusp.com.
It is a Rough Country brand. Same brand as my 2" lift.

Heres what came in the box.



Here's the tools that I used. The air ratchet is just cause Im too lazy to take off the splash shield bolts by hand every time.


First step - Install the shock boot. (Ordered seperately.)


Step two - Install the stud to the rod end of the stabilizer.


Step three - Extend the stabilizer to 3.5 inches from fully in.


Step four - Mount body end to existing frame mount.



I put the nylock nut on the top to keep it away from road debris. Plus the leaks from the engine compartment will keep it from rusting.


Step five - Mount the bracket to the rod end. I waited to do this until I had the stabilizer in place to make sure every thing lined up properly.


Step six - Push the u-bolts over the steering centerlink. I put these as close to the idler arm mount as possible. Right up to where the flare starts. Its much easier to go from the front of the vehicle. (Check out the old coolant leak, nice.)


Step seven - Mount the u-bolts to the mounting bracket using the provided nuts.


Step eight - Check operation and clearance. (I know, the background is really dark. Im an engineer not a photographer.)
Extended
Retracted

Step nine - Do not skip this step.
PUT LOCKTITE ON THE U-BOLTS!!!!!!
Take the nuts off one at a time and lock tite them. Trust me, it only took a little wrenching with the ratchet till I could spinn them off with my fingers. At least put some blue locktite on them.


It took me 1.5 hours including set up and clean up afterwards. And I have never even taken a close look at a steering stabilizer.

So far I have only driven about 13 miles but it seems to really smooth out the steering. Its not perfect (I do have 150k+). But well worth $60.00

[billibong]

Very nice write up. It looks like it might be worth the $60 to help stabilize the steering. Our trucks just seem to drive like sloppy tanks sometimes.

[BlazerBoyLT98]

Could you possibly take a shot from a little further back? Thanks. Great install by the way

[JoulesWinfield]

Yea, see the floor is in the way. I thought of that but I dont have a lift or a wide angle lense for the digital camera.

I can only suggest that you search around the internet if you want a full picture of the stabalizer. Sorry.

Thanks for the comments.

[BlazerBoyLT98]

Originally Posted by JoulesWinfield

Yea, see the floor is in the way. I thought of that but I dont have a lift or a wide angle lense for the digital camera.

I can only suggest that you search around the internet if you want a full picture of the stabalizer. Sorry.

Thanks for the comments.

Hammer down the road with it yet?

[JoulesWinfield]

Only drove it to work and to lunch so far.
The roads I drive are secondary roads that have lots of leaning and ruts from the big trucks.
The wandering is much better. I dont seem to be correcting as frequently as I normally would. It seemed before I would always be thinking "do I have a ball joint going already?". Wich sucked because like many others I have replaced everything from left to right.

[Marcinko]

I wish I could tell where exactly this installs. I always wanted to install one on my 96' S-10 Blazer, but have never figured out where the two ends would connect. Great tutorial though.

[Marcinko]

I suppose I should be more specific, I see the existing bracket in the picture, do all S-10s have this bracket? I know what your saying "go look you big dummy!!" I would, however my truck is currently having the engine replaced and I won't have access to it for a few days.

I recognize where the other end connects>

Any advice would be helpful

[JoulesWinfield]

I guess I left this part out. My vehicle is a 1995 4 door 4wd.

As far as the bracket goes I would assume that all 4x4 models would get it. Rockymountain suspension does sell other models for trucks that dont have a factory mounted bracket. So the only advice I can give is wait until you have your truck back then take a look.

I will see if I can get an overall picture this weekend if Im in town. If anyone else has a pic of one please feel free to post it.

[Teal95Jimmy]

Take a look under your truck before you order it, my 95 2 door jimmy had it from the factory. Is that part of the off road package?

[JoulesWinfield]

Originally Posted by Teal95Jimmy

Take a look under your truck before you order it, my 95 2 door jimmy had it from the factory. Is that part of the off road package?

Im not sure. Mine never had a stabilizer mounted, just the bracket on the cross member. I read some where that there were up to 4 suspensions on these so I dont know what would constitute having the bracket.

I just kinda thought all 4x4 models would have the bracket because I think the cross member is different from the 2wd models.

[rental blazer]

Originally Posted by JoulesWinfield

Im not sure. Mine never had a stabilizer mounted, just the bracket on the cross member. I read some where that there were up to 4 suspensions on these so I dont know what would constitute having the bracket.

I just kinda thought all 4x4 models would have the bracket because I think the cross member is different from the 2wd models.

according to my option codes my 95 blazer 2 door4x4 was selected with the "firm ride package" but not the off road package does anyone have any imput on wheather mine would have it.. and does this stop the "loose" feel in the steering only when going srigth like a 1/4 inch play..?

[JoulesWinfield]

Marcinko- "I wish I could tell where exactly this installs. I always wanted to install one on my 96' S-10 Blazer, but have never figured out where the two ends would connect. Great tutorial though."
If you slide head first straight under the front of the truck, just as you go under the crossmember, on your left on the back side of the crossmember there is the little bracket you see in the seventh picture. The one where you see the inside of the left tire. That is where the body end of the stabilizer connects. The rod end comes with the bracket you see in the tenth picture. As I stated in the tutorial you will place that as close to the Idler arm mounting flange as you can. The kit I bought did come with some pretty weak directions, and like I said, before this install I never even took a close look at another stabalizer. It really is not difficult at all.


@ rental blazer - The way the stabalizer works is not removing play in the steering components but stabalizing the reacation to the road. Along with the problem of just plain sloppy steering our trucks also have a habit of grabbing and following every nook and cranny in the road. What the stabalizer will do is slow or eliminate that reaction. If you still have slop in your ball joints, tie rods etc, you will still have sloppy feel to your steering. Once you get all that nonsense taken care of, like so many here painstakingly have, adding a stabilizer will truly firm up the feel of the steering.

I wouldnt say not to do this if you have slop elsewhere. The addition of the stabilizer will help to eliminate some of the question of what is causing the sloppy feeling.

Like I said before, I used to drive around wondering "Is this just my cheap tires reacting to Michigan roads, or is there something else that is worn out or out of adjustment". Now I know that I do have something worn out. But the improvement was well worth $60 and an hour and a half of my time. I think the truck now handles at a level that most people would say is satisfactory.

[JoulesWinfield]

Here is an overall picture.
You can see the left end goes to the crossmember and the right end goes to the relay rod.

[Barnes888]

wow, they wanted 120 bucks to ship the kit to me in canada...