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.

 

[RMAGNI]

I’ve just completed my first off-road trip. Bought the car with 7 miles 2 weeks ago and now have 1,800 miles on it, including a day of off-roading in Big Bend. The car wandered a lot on the 9 hour drive to west Texas. But after the day of off-roading, the steering felt way more stable. It still wanders, but nowhere near as much. I guess I broke-in some part of the suspension on the trails.

For all its quirks, I’m loving this car.

 

[ilshamali]

Just got my Grenadier Field Master five days ago after driving a Nissan Patrol, and I felt like a kid behind the wheel! The Ineos dealer in Kuwait offered to install a Bilstein damper (around USD 600), and it's been a total game changer!"

 

[Dokatd]

I’ve just completed my first off-road trip. Bought the car with 7 miles 2 weeks ago and now have 1,800 miles on it, including a day of off-roading in Big Bend. The car wandered a lot on the 9 hour drive to west Texas. But after the day of off-roading, the steering felt way more stable. It still wanders, but nowhere near as much. I guess I broke-in some part of the suspension on the trails.

For all its quirks, I’m loving this car.

You broke in the seals of the steering stabilizer. Once you get rid of the sticktion the steering mellows a bit. But the valving is still over powering. Changing the stabilizer to preferably an adjustable unit will totally transform your truck. Considering your driving through the vast openness of Texas you're gonna need it.

I think a lot of the GB crowd here and others that live in a bubble don't understand that Texas is a 10hr drive from east to west and it's all at 80mph. And that's just Texas!!!

 

[RMAGNI]

You broke in the seals of the steering stabilizer. Once you get rid of the sticktion the steering mellows a bit. But the valving is still over powering. Changing the stabilizer to preferably an adjustable unit will totally transform your truck. Considering your driving through the vast openness of Texas you're gonna need it.

I think a lot of the GB crowd here and others that live in a bubble don't understand that Texas is a 10hr drive from east to west and it's all at 80mph. And that's just Texas!!!

Ive already upgraded to the non-adjustable fox stabilizer before the trip. It helped return the wheel to center but was still wobbly at dead center on the highway. But the break in period seems to have solved the rest.

 

[ilshamali]

I'm in the UK. My vehicle is four months old. I was expecting to have to get used to the steering system from all the reviews. The stability at anything over 60mph feels unstable, but I thought it was just a characteristic and got used to driving slower, especially on motorways. I've got a loan car as mine is in for the software update and a few other things. The loaner stability is much better than mine, and it felt okay even at 80 miles per hour. My steering feels to have a bit more play when turning, and the loan car feels much more directional and safe. I'm waiting for the dealer to return, but I am worried that they will say nothing is wrong, and I have to live with it. Any thought on possible problems?

Faced the same issue initially.
Heres, my fix
1- go to a decent tyre shop and let them remove all the tyres and recheck them to add the necessary wieghts alignment- check the picture
2- install a steering damper from fox or owl or Bilstein it will cost around £500 - check mine attached

Best,
Wahab

 

[RYAustralia]

Recent big trip - was driving on and off road - generally 80-120kph off road and 130-166kph on road. Can’t say I had any issues with steering stability at any speed on any terrain. Cold pressures on tyres set at 28/32 (front/back) off-road and 32/36 on road. Once warm the pressures went up to 32/36 off road and 36/40 on road. Solid as a rock. That was a loaner. My own is exactly the same handling too. So 2 out of 2 vehicles both running great. Maybe being an ex Land Rover driver I’m already used to the steering feel?