Steering and Poor Stability

[TCMColorado]

Something else to keep in mind regarding the steering when new. The kingpin pivots can be "stiff" from the factory. As you get a few thousand miles on the vehicle they will loosen up and the steering will feel much more precise. They same thing often happens with Jeeps when the ball joints are replaced. The new joints are stiff to start and the Jeep will feel like it is wandering all over. After the joints settle in that sensation goes away. I know this from experience when replacing the ball joints on my Jeep. I suspect the kingpin pivots on the Grenadier are similarly tight to start and it is why some owners report much better steering after a few thousand miles have accrued. Think of it like a new bearing that has really robust seals. These seals often cause drag in the bearing to start but as the bearing runs in the seal drag is greatly reduced and the bearing then spins freely. It is this initial drag that contributes to the wandering sensation in the steering. This is not the entire reason for the imprecise feeling, but almost certainly a contributing factor.

 

[C-Mack]

If anyone has driven an old Land Rover with swivel pin housings containing bushings/bearings the steering can feel a bit tight right after a fresh rebuild but quickly settles in. This is the same sensation I felt in the Grenadier when I first drove it. Even though I was anticipating the non-return to center feel on my initial test drive it still took me by surprise but quickly got used to it.

I will say, that first drive home from the dealer it was like having two small monkeys at each front wheel pulling in different directions as you tried to drive straight down the road. In less than a thousand miles though, I’ve noticed the steering has improved considerably but will continue to monitor. I don’t see the need to throw a different steering dampener at it right now as the overall feel seems appropriate to what the vehicle is and other front solid axle vehicles I’ve owned. Maybe a tad less precise initially but I want to put more miles on it before changing anything.

I can sympathize with folks whose experiences with the steering have been different. It’s certainly worth while to allow some break-in to occur, then have your alignment re-checked to make sure it is indeed within specifications. Judging by the number of folks complaining about steering wheels not being centered it’s possible wheel alignment out of the factory was not ideal and may still be a hit or miss thing per vehicle.

Even though I have not experienced any crazy steering irregularities I will still request an alignment check at my first service just to make sure. My guess is not a lot of Ineos dealers will have alignment equipment in-house unless they are a larger operation so most likely they will farm the work out to a local shop who might not even have the specifications loaded into their software. Be sure to ask for the before and after printout and compare it to the factory alignment specifications which can be found on this forum in places.