What does a Jeep Steering Stabilizer Do?

What is a steering stabilizer? It's not a dumb question, especially if you remember not everybody who purchases a new or used 4x4 has an intricate understanding of 4WD systems and how tall and or wide tires impact steering feedback. In a nutshell, a steering stabilizer is a small shock absorber that mounts (usually horizontally or very close to it) on the steering linkage and helps stabilize the unwanted side-to-side motion of the front tires up through the steering system. But that's the very easy description. To get a better handle on what a steering stabilizer is, you first need to understand the components in a vehicle's steering system.

What a given steering system includes may differ here and there, but for the most part you've got your tires and wheels that bolt to hubs mounted on steering knuckles that pivot side to side. These knuckles may be independent of each other or mounted on a beam-type solid axle, like they are on most popular Jeeps. The knuckles are tied together by a tie rod. From there a drag link connects the knuckle(s) or tie rod (depending on the suspension design) to your steering box. There may be one or more idler or other junctions in between the drag link and steering box connection, but for the most part it's a solid connection that allows input from the steering wheel to guide the tires left or right as the driver indicates by turning the wheel. The steering box is connected to the steering wheel by a steering shaft that may or may not have one or more jointed connections or pillow blocks to stabilize it. The end result is that you turn the steering wheel, and the tires follow in suit. But just as you can impart directional forces to the tires, so too can the tires impart forces up through the steering system.

To help mitigate these forces and to better contain the side-to-side forces imparted on a steering system, it's common to mount a short shock absorber to the steering linkage. This is known as a steering stabilizer. The most common place to attach a steering stabilizer on a Jeep is directly to the tie rod with the other end secured to the axle. As the tires impact on- or off-road bumps and irregularities, the steering stabilizer damps the forces and helps keep them in check. Here are some common questions and answers related to steering stabilizers, what they do, and best practices for using them.

Q- Does every Jeep need a steering stabilizer?

A - In a perfectly set up chassis with tires that were very well balanced, a steering stabilizer technically isn't necessary. If you run your Jeep without a steering stabilizer and find you don't suffer from any unwanted vibration, wobble, or shaking, then there's no need to add one if you don't want to. Really, a steering stabilizer is often a mask that minimizes other problems. If you don't have those problems to begin with, there's no need to mask them.

Q- Will a high-pressure gas-charged steering stabilizer make my Jeep pull to one side?

A-We get this one a lot, and we can understand why some people might be afraid to run a gas-charged steering stabilizer over a standard hydraulic stabilizer. Just like shock absorbers for your suspension, steering stabilizers do come in different types, both normal and gas charged. While the gas charge that is trying to force the shaft of the stabilizer to extend does technically impart some force on your steering linkage, in our experience it's often not enough to overcome the force of an electric or hydraulic steering box. Only in very rare instances have we heard about a pressurized steering stabilizer causing a vehicle to drift on the road. Normally, inconsistencies in tire tread or the crown of the road surface have as much or more impact on which way your vehicle may pull on the road.

Q- Will a steering stabilizer cure death wobble?

A-Sometime a steering stabilizer will cure death wobble in some cases, but more often than not death wobble is the result of something more significantly wrong elsewhere, such as in the tire balance, tire wear pattern, ball joints, camber, or suspension pivot points. Sometimes the addition of a steering stabilizer will prevent small steering system vibrations before they can build and compound into a full-blown wobble, but even in these instances when a steering stabilizer actually cures death wobble, it's only temporary until the components that were the original cause of it wear further to a point where a steering stabilizer is no longer effective in eliminating the condition.

Q- How do I tell if my steering stabilizer is good or bad?

A-If you have a vehicle that drives fine with a steering stabilizer then suddenly begins having steering vibration issues and you suspect it's the steering stabilizer's fault, the first thing to do is inspect the shaft seal to see if there's any oil weeping out. Just like a suspension shock absorber, steering stabilizers can leak out their fluid and become ineffective. If the shaft seal is dry and looks good but you still suspect the stabilizer is bad, you can unbolt one side of it from its mount and see how much force is required to move the shaft in and out. You should feel constant and even resistance as you draw the shaft in and out. If the resistance is low or there are dead spots in the shaft travel that offer little to no resistance, then it's time to change out your steering stabilizer.

Q- My Jeep didn't come with a factory steering stabilizer. Can I still add one?

A-There are many aftermarket steering stabilizers available. A quick internet search can usually find you one that's in your budget and that has either a universal mount or, in many cases, has a direct-fit bracket mounting system that will allow you to put a steering stabilizer on your vehicle.

Q- When do I need a heavy-duty or gas-charged steering stabilizer?

A-There's no hard and fast rule on how gnarly a steering stabilizer you should be running, but in general if your wheels are on the heavy side like a big, wide steel off-road wheel, or if your tires are large 35-, 37-, or 40-inch-diameter with a big, wide footprint that will really grab on and get pulled around by road irregularities, then you'd most likely benefit from a heavy-duty or gas-charged steering stabilizer that can better withstand and control the forces that will be imparted on the steering system.