I'm not sure if this is supposed to be some sort of steering stabilizer or what. I remember my dad telling me on the phone 'bout a year or so, he had developed a bad wobble at certain speeds. Come to find out, he had a bent rim, and bought a set of used rims that where not bent. I'm not sure if he was told that this would help before he found that he had a bent front rim. It looks fairly new, and was on the truck when I got it. Any1 have any idea's? It does pull to the right a lil bit, but not enuff to make the front tires to wear uneven.......yet. I remember on my old '84 Toyota 4x4, that we never had to run a front stabilizer in all the years he, then I owned it. Any help is appreciated.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm110/drkgypsysfv/Mobile%20Uploads/CAM001761.jpg[/IMG]

 

It definitely looks like a steering stabilizer. If you've ever driven down a rough road and you're steering wheel is shaking like it's turning from left to right really fast. These are to help limit that vibration. At that angle it doesn't really look like it would do a whole lot of good though

 

Thanks Dan, that's what I was thinking too. Like I said, my old '84 Toyota never had a reason to run 1. But then again, I was 16 when I got that truck from my dad, and we all know just how much we all KNOW at that age, esp getting into the off-road sport....lol.

 

That's an odd setup with what appears cobbled bracketry at the frame. Usually there is a bracket clamped around the axle housing at that end of the stabilizer shock.

 

Looks like some sort of hokey universal generic steering stabilizer set up. At that angle the effectiveness is compromised.

 

It almost looks like somebody tried to use a regular shock as a steering stabilizer, looks pretty shaky to me...Mark

 

Forget about the angle -- every time the front suspension compresses, that stabilizer is trying to push the wheels to the left, and when the suspension droops, it's pulling them to the right. I would pull that thing off.

If it feels as though it needs a stabilizer, it pretty much means that something else is worn out. The pre-load spring in the upper king-pin is supposed to act as a steering dampener, so with those stock tires, you shouldn't need anything additional.

 

thanks for the feedback Mark, Alec. See, I wasn't around when my dad had developed a wobble, (I was/am living in NC, and he was living in Wa) I suggested the usual suspects.....wheel weights, bent rim, ect. He lived in a vry small town, who had 1 of those "I know everything bout everything", and I think he talked my dad into this "fix", then my dad realized the front rim was bent after. He never told me 'bout the stabilizer "fix" before he died. On the drive from Wa to Nc, I didn't have any problems, except for the slight pulling to the pass side. When it stops raining here, I'll be taking it off. Thanks guys