Steering stabilizer bar

[CrazyOldMan]

Has anyone seen the YouTube video from Agile Off-road on their custom Fox steering stabilizer bar for the Grenadier? Have you tried it out? If so, what do you think? Also related - if you had it installed, do you know if it voids the warranty?

 

[Commodore]

I have seen it but continue to wonder just how much the steering stabilizer affects things. In the old days it was cool to add a steering stabilizer to your Jeep/Bronco/Blazer and I did that for years on many cars but frankly I never noticed a difference.

In the video he mentions that the factory stabilizer is extremely stiff and the fox one is softer. That would mean the fox one would have less affect on the cars natural caster induced desire to return to center. Has anyone taken this one step further and simply removed the stabilizer?

 

[anand]

Has anyone seen the YouTube video from Agile Off-road on their custom Fox steering stabilizer bar for the Grenadier? Have you tried it out? If so, what do you think? Also related - if you had it installed, do you know if it voids the warranty?

Anything aftermarket will effectively negate the warranty on the part you replace (obviously, since it isn't factory any longer) and can effect warranty coverage for any failures related to that piece. If you want to read the legal jargon, here it is.

@Commodore to reply to your question, Red Noland broke their factory stabilizer off of a demo vehicle the first week or so they had it and posted saying it drove "better" without it on there, but, regardless, ended up replacing it with another factory stabilizer.

Having no damper would make off road steering hits and sudden terrain steer substantially more harsh (and have a notably greater immediate effect on steering position). The theory is that by going to a "softer" damper you'll feel more of the jostling off road in the steering, but it will make the steering easier to turn on the road, and may, slightly improve the self-return to center aspect. Bottom line, it depends on what you want from the vehicle

 

[grnamin]

Pre-ordered on April 17. Shipped today. Arriving Tuesday next week. Hopefully will report on first-hand experience by Wednesday.

 

[Tazzieman]

Perhaps the stiff damper should be std on the TM and optional on the other variants?

 

[Clark Kent]

Having no damper would make off road steering hits and sudden terrain steer substantially more harsh (and have a notably greater immediate effect on steering position). The theory is that by going to a "softer" damper you'll feel more of the jostling off road in the steering, but it will make the steering easier to turn on the road, and may, slightly improve the self-return to center aspect. Bottom line, it depends on what you want from the vehicle

I think it's fair to say that anything that has a fixed setting is a compromise.
Imagine a steering damper that was user-adjustable, like compression and rebound adjustments on high end shocks. Except it would only need a single knob since we're dealing with more or less symmetrical damping forces in a horizontal plane minus the influence of gravity.

On-road is minimum damping. Click.
Heavy off-road and corrugations are maximum damping. Click click click.
Dirt and gravel tracks are somewhere in between...

Does this already exist? Is there a market for it?

 

[Clark Kent]

Perhaps the stiff damper should be std on the TM and optional on the other variants?

Would that be like Ad Blue for us diesel owners?

 

[grenadierguy]

Does this already exist? Is there a market for it?

Yes, fox makes one. It's part of their race series. 24 clicks of adjustment. But these need rebuilt after roughly 10k miles.

Fox Race Series 2.0 ATS Grenadier Steering Stabilizer

Fix your steering with one of the best upgrades you can have on your Ineos Grenadier! Many have complained that the Grenadier's steering is too stiff and does not return to the center. This upgrade is a game-changer for the Grenadier. It not only improves the feel but also returns the steering...

owloutdoor.com

 

[rovie]

Would that be like Ad Blue for us diesel owners?

View attachment 7854661

Yes, of course. These are the tablets that I throw into my tank every 500 km.

 

[Tazzieman]

Would that be like Ad Blue for us diesel owners?

View attachment 7854661

You want it to be adjustable not stiff all the time.
But not disconnected.

 

[CrazyOldMan]

Pre-ordered on April 17. Shipped today. Arriving Tuesday next week. Hopefully will report on first-hand experience by Wednesday

We’ll all be interested to hear what you think, both on road and off. Are you just going to swap it yourself or are you having it done?

 

[CrazyOldMan]

Yes, fox makes one. It's part of their race series. 24 clicks of adjustment. But these need rebuilt after roughly 10k miles.

Fox Race Series 2.0 ATS Grenadier Steering Stabilizer

Fix your steering with one of the best upgrades you can have on your Ineos Grenadier! Many have complained that the Grenadier's steering is too stiff and does not return to the center. This upgrade is a game-changer for the Grenadier. It not only improves the feel but also returns the steering...

owloutdoor.com

Huh - interesting. This one is almost double the price of the one Agile Off-road is selling, which is also from Fox??? I guess one is adjustable and one isn’t? But a rebuild / replace every 10k miles? Sounds like a pain in the keister.

 

[Zimm]

I'd stay stock if you're concerned about breaking something that if worth what you paid wouldn't break, or take it off and let it sit next to the garage to get a weathered look and put it back on for service while under warranty. It's a high ratio recirculating ball steering with all new tight rod ends and bushings. People are acting like you're gonna fly off into the weeds from death wobble at 45mph or have kickback so bad you'll break a thumb bumping into a curb. They were clearly mis-spec'd, but they purchased 200,000 units and put them in a warehouse, and they are gonna burn thru them before considering wasting 15 million bucks and changing the spec, if even then.

Before people get into a tizzy, live axle trucks 40 years ago didn't even come with them. People put them on when adding 10" arched lift springs with 40's to dampen the stock wonky custom curved linkage that spronged and resonated like a banjo spring.

 

[CrazyOldMan]

Not so concerned about death wobble - the only question is whether swapping out would give us better on-road performance and not compromise the already great off-road performance. I’m in Wisconsin - in our garages, nothing gets weathered because they are heated man-caves. Guys have to go somewhere when it’s 40 below zero.

 

[RobP]

I talked to the guys at Agile a few weeks about their stabilizer. They said it was softer than the stock one and lightens up the steering a bit and returns to center better than the stock, but not completely.
Looking forward to impressions.

 

[grnamin]

We’ll all be interested to hear what you think, both on road and off. Are you just going to swap it yourself or are you having it done?

I'll try to DIY first.

 

[crashnburn]

Having a ‘91 D90, the Grenadier handles way better. I’ve even upgraded the D90 steering components - Bilstein, Gywnn Lewis, etc.
I still love driving my 05 LR3 due to air suspensions which has spoiled me with its smooth ride.

But now, as I drive the IG more often, it just becomes a natural instinct to steer as required.
Reminds me of the FJ40s way back then.
Also, while warming up the IG, I just set the ADAS, AC (if/when it behaves), stop/start, etc.
I'm also not bothered with the steering even up to 85mph so far.

Get out and enjoy the drive!

 

[CrazyOldMan]

Having a ‘91 D90, the Grenadier handles way better. I’ve even upgraded the D90 steering components - Bilstein, Gywnn Lewis, etc.
I still love driving my 05 LR3 due to air suspensions which has spoiled me with its smooth ride.

But now, as I drive the IG more often, it just becomes a natural instinct to steer as required.
Reminds me of the FJ40s way back then.
Also, while warming up the IG, I just set the ADAS, AC (if/when it behaves), stop/start, etc.
I'm also not bothered with the steering even up to 85mph so far.

Get out and enjoy the drive!

I don’t think it’s bad, and off-road it makes everything so easy it’s actually kind of scary (since I have the judgement of a 6 year old), but longer haul on road I just notice a little more road fatigue - I think it’s just the cumulative result of a lot of micro-corrections on steering. Nothing that really bothers me that much, but if there was a solution that wouldn’t void warranty or compromise the bomber off-road performance, I would consider it.

 

[CrazyOldMan]

I'll try to DIY first.

The rest of us will virtually stand around drinking beer and offering advice - one guy working, 10,000 commenting. Man law.

 

[crashnburn]

Noticed you are in WI.
I was up at Williams Bay last weekend. Whereabouts are you?
Drove from IL NW suburbs and steering wasn't bad, or maybe I was just taking my time cruising...