Hi Gents

How can I tell if my steering stabilizer is going bad ??I have a 2002 F-250 40,000 mi.Thanks for any help
Brian

 

My first guess would be the rod being wet around the seal from the barrel, otherwise I guess bad bumpsteer would be a symptom.

 

OK I have seen alot of people referring to "Bumpsteer" in here as to the way the truck responds to bumps and what not when parts are going bad. I have always known Bump Steer to be when you are in 4 wheel drive, on dry pavement and trying to make a tight turn...the binding that the front end does. Two meaning?

 

Generally, you feel it when you hit bumps like a railroad track for instance, or a concrete joint on a highway/interstate.

They aren't that expensive, so you might want to upgrade it any way if you are using the OEM version only.

 

No that isn't bump steer, and the best stabilizer will not fix it. Bumpsteer is when a you hit A bump and as the wheel go's up though it's travel the steering linkage gets shorter or longer causing the wheels turn turn in or out. In A perfect world your front wheels would all the way up and down and the steering wouldn't change at all.

 

Well with enough alcohol....it is always a perfect world! hehe

 

Pull the shock off and see how it feels.


I bought a new stabilizer shock for my dads 03' (Hit something and bent it) and I had to get it from a Ford dealer. Both Autozone and Napa steering stabilizers listed as a replacement do not fit. (Too big in dia and length) Went to ford dealer $53.00 for a tiny shock.

 

I would dispute your first statement.

While the steering linkage can cause some of the bump-steer, there's more to it than that.

Bump-steer, put plainly, is when you hit a bump, and the ROAD wheels (not the steering wheel) deflect to the side. A steering stabilizer WILL CURE this particular problem, if it's stiff enough for the weight of the wheels. That's the key - the weight of the wheels/tires will directly influence the size of the steering stabilizer. So, I run 265/75r16's, I only need a single Rancho stabilizer. If you were running 37x14's, you'd need a bigger one or a double setup.

My 2001 had the stock steering stabilizer on it. It was pretty weak and leaked it's guts out within 6 months. I put on Rancho 9000x's all around, and the bump-steer got a little better, but the steering stabilizer CURED it for me. It was so bad, brand-new, that I could wind up in the next lane if I ran over very rough road at highway speeds.

It hasn't come back over the past 5 years.

Anyway, some people view steering stabilizers as a band-aid. They are, when you have a lift, and your pitman arm and drag-link are stock and your bump-steer is horrible because the steering linkage geometry is off.

However, other people have bump-steer, and it's the wheels themselves deflecting to the side and has nothing to do with the steering linkage.

One thing, it certainly can't hurt

 

I beleave you miss read my post I never said anything about steering wheel, I think we agee that it's the wheels that move. A steering stabilizer will not fix bumpsteer.
bumpsteer has everything to do with the geometry of steering linkage.

 

Explain that to my truck

 

DEAR TRUCK,
Bump steersteer is in the geomtry of the truck. Just because you hit A bump and wonder this is not allways bumpsteer

 

I just bought a skyjacker 7099 dual shock steering damper that is supposed to replace the OEM on my 2003 F250 SD FX4. Can't really tell from the pictures, but it looks like a twin shock set-up, a U- clamp, and assorted bolts. Won't know for sure until I try to bolt it up. I have a new set of Bilsteins on the way to get rid of the fake Rancho FoMoCo junk, and wanted to upgrade all the shocks, but Bilstein didn't have the damper for this truck. I also tried local auto parts stores, but didn't want to replace that dinky damper with another dinky damper with fresh paint. I'm only running 33's(285/16's), but I figure the extra damping capacity won't hurt one bit. Maybe someone else out there has the skyjacker damper on their truck, and will give their two cents on how it performs.

 

guydiver12, definitely report back your impressions on each of those mods... I'd love to hear what they do for you.

 

I am also interested. Mine is probably shot, just need to get around to replacing it.

 

Unless there's obvious signs of leakage or damage to the rod or tube, there's no clear way to tell by looking at the shock that it's bad. You could unbolt the rod end of the shock and push on it to check for Resistance. But the stock stabilizer is weak and undersized to begin with, so it would probably be worth the $35-$45 to replace the stock one with a Rancho or other aftermarket shock, if you even suspect it.

Bumpsteer is that nasty jerk of the steering wheel that damn near rips the wheel from your hands when you hit a bump. It's the reason that most off-roader's know better than to hook their thumbs around the inside of the steering wheel. It's caused by to much angle between the drag link and tie-rod. The greater the angle, the worse the bumpsteer. Steering stabilizer's are a great answer (because they're the cheapest answer, not the best one) for bumpsteer. They absorb the initial shock that would otherwise travel up the steering linkage and be absorbed through your hands, wrists, and arms.