Steering Solutions?

[LWA55DAL]

It's all "Return to Center". Because the truck doesn't return to center well it makes the truck dodgy. Normally in a gentle highway turn you ad pressure to make the turn and then you release the pressure and the truck comes back to center. My truck and many others apparently do not behave this way. This combined with a relatively large amount of dead band in the steering wheel makes the truck dodgy. It wants to dart around which ever way it was last pointed either by the steering wheel or a defect in the road. It's very much how old school full hydro steering feels.

I will agree with the characteristics you described when 1st took delivery but at 5k+ it started to break-in (the steering stabilizer) and once I did the alignment and asked the dealer to go a little heavy on the caster - it handles great. The Return to Center is not perfect and it jumps, but that is the steering stabilizer. It’s VERY still and oversized for the application compared to similar vehicles.

It’s a bit of a joke, but try turning on the lockers. The IG handles amazing with the front lockers and doesn’t kill you with steering feedback. This is the compromise that INEOS made in the design. Try a triple locked 80series Land Cruiser and it’s miserable. Steering jumps all over the place and very hard to try and even turn the wheel. The IG on the other hand - was designed to be driven locked and it works great. The recirculating ball also causes a bit of steering play, but this was another compromise to make the steering robust and the only way to really do it in a solid front axle application.

I know the “road manors” were compromised, but at the same time - there are big advantages that all other auto manufactures have compromised on that make the IG a true off road vehicle.

 

[Dokatd]

There are other types of steering gears for this type of application. Worm and sector is a very reliable setup. It's what Rovers used. It's much easier to adjust the free play as you just push the sector shaft into the worm. This would have given the same reliability, less complexity, more serviceability and better feel. I have to assume there is some reason Ineos chose the recirc design, but I couldn't guess why. Maybe they are easier with loss of power?

Try rebuilding a recirc box, I have and they are a bitch. Sector and worm is brutally easy.

 

[mcdoogs]

By the time I hit 250-300 miles I stopped even noticing the steering. Everyone learns at different speeds ofc

I have a rule for myself that I don't modify my new cars' important shit (drivetrain, suspension, steering, etc) until I at least hit the recommended engine break in mileage (500 for the Grenadier). By that time I'd forgotten what I disliked about the steering initally coming from a new Defender. My guess is most people would have the same experience. After all what are you going to do, fight the steering or learn and adapt?

 

[Tom109]

It wants to dart around which ever way it was last pointed either by the steering wheel or a defect in the road. It's very much how old school full hydro steering feels.

I don’t get this at all. One year ago I drove off the dealer lot and never looked back. This week I dropped it off for service and left in a loaner with 2400 miles. It felt exactly like mine and I drove off with one hand.

I did make a mental note of your descriptions and will make a conscious effort to evaluate them against this loaner and my own Gren on pick-up.

 

[Zimm]

. The most similar steering feel to the Grenadier that I have experience driving would be a newer 1 ton+ truck (Ford F350/F450/F550).

Unfortunately, No.

I own them. I write the check, so I'm always the first guy to drive the new truck. Dana super 60's return to center in Fords.

Once again, YES, people will get used to it in short order, so if that's the only issue stopping you, don't let it, but the reason everyone that drives one notices the steering, is because it literally, and I do mean literally, drives like a model "T", which was designed before caster angle was incorporated into cars for return to center. No one alive today has driven a new passenger car that didn't have this feature, hence its just assumed. People think it's natural. There's a reason the experienced salesmen mention it to walk in buyers before the first drive. It's the only truck I have that can aggravate the slap tear in my left shoulder.

 

[Dokatd]

By the time I hit 250-300 miles I stopped even noticing the steering. Everyone learns at different speeds ofc

I have a rule for myself that I don't modify my new cars' important shit (drivetrain, suspension, steering, etc) until I at least hit the recommended engine break in mileage (500 for the Grenadier). By that time I'd forgotten what I disliked about the steering initally coming from a new Defender. My guess is most people would have the same experience. After all what are you going to do, fight the steering or learn and adapt?

I gave it a couple thousand miles. Never got better, certainly not anything of note anyways. And "what are you going to do", you left off modify the thing so it drives right. I no longer fight the steering, my steering issues are effectively 100% solved by making some very minor changes to the truck.

I have switched back and forth from stock stabilizer, no stabilizer and the Fox ATS adjustable stabilizer. Hands down the best solution is the Fox, though I did enjoy my truck with no stabilizer at all minus the threat of death wobble. You need just enough dampening in the steering to prevent an oscillation in the steering.

I don’t get this at all. One year ago I drove off the dealer lot and never looked back. This week I dropped it off for service and left in a loaner with 2400 miles. It felt exactly like mine and I drove off with one hand.

I did make a mental note of your descriptions and will make a conscious effort to evaluate them against this loaner and my own Gren on pick-up.

Luckily I'm not the only person complaining about this. And quite honestly maybe this is a defect in some trucks and not others. Maybe the front axle has a geometry defect that's exacerbated by the overly stiff stabilizer. Or maybe I'm just picky.