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06-03-2019, 12:06 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Sterling, AK
Posts: 129
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Front End Success ... sorta, need stabilizer advice
Looking for steering stabilizer recommendations and have been reading threads here and other sites.
I have a Ford EB250 with a Salem Kroger front end. They are notorious for a rough ride with horrible bump steer. Couple that with a bunch of miles and you can beat yourself up driving down the road.
Had a high knuckle conversion and associated components rebuilt along with replacement of shocks with Fox 2.0s. Made all the difference in the world! It's actually nice to drive ... EXCEPT ... the Fox steering stabilizer is too stiff for the front end. It was literally fighting against F.E. on highway turns. Turn the wheel>little change> then darting into the turn (best I think I can describe it).
I thought it was the leaf springs being too loose ...
It took a bit to figure this out, but the problem was nearly cured by putting the old, worn OEM Ford stabilizer back on.
OTHER SUGGESTIONS welcomed, and appreciated. Could there be something else we are missing?
Soooo, not sure what to do? The stabilizer sent by Agile is the correct one for my van, but it just IS too stiff.
I'm looking for recommendations on another stabilizer to correct the little bit of looseness up front with the old OEM up front. A new OEM stabilizer may be what I need. Or anyone recommend an aftermarket stabilizer that might be cheaper and may work as well as OEM?
Additionally, I did have the alignment checked and camber is off a bit, and caster is out quite a bit more. Mechanic did set toe almost perfectly, the old fashioned way. I may keep going on this by having camber adjusters added and caster shims placed as well.
My new money pit ... sucks me in more than my house!
Thanks in advance!
WanderingBob
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06-03-2019, 12:21 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Santa Maria, CA
Posts: 586
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Have you talked to Agile about revalving the Fox stabilizer to be a bit lighter? For that matter, try running lower pressure in it first.
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06-03-2019, 07:16 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: So Cal
Posts: 4,046
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Is your Fox stabilizer the thru-sharft model?
__________________
2008 E350 RB passenger 4WD SMB penthouse
2013 KTM 350 EXC
2008 KTM 250 XCF-W
2003 Honda Element
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06-03-2019, 10:46 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Sterling, AK
Posts: 129
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boywonder
Is your Fox stabilizer the thru-sharft model?
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Not sure what through shaft is? Agile called it loop to loop.
There is a shaft right down the center with holes to bolt through at either end. So, I guess, yes.
Looks like OEM Ford stabilizer
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06-03-2019, 11:47 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,234
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Yup, send it back to John and have him loosen up the damping. Getting the alignment correct will help a bunch too.
__________________
Arctic Traveller
KC6TNI
2001 GTRV
Advanced 4wd
Agile Ride improvement package
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06-03-2019, 11:50 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Sterling, AK
Posts: 129
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheLetterJ
Have you talked to Agile about revalving the Fox stabilizer to be a bit lighter? For that matter, try running lower pressure in it first.
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I do not see my response to this.
Long story, shocks were sent in January, high knuckle ordered, then returned after wrong, part received ... took a month. Second arrived too late to get done before mechanic had surgery, so it took 5 months to get the shocks on.
Still waiting for a response from Agile ...
Thanks,
Bob
__________________
Wandering Bob
Currently, living in Alaska til I finish The Rebuild, then full-timing it...
2002 Ford EB 250 SportsMobile
Salem Kroger 4x4 Grrr (edit), fixed and drives like a dream!
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06-04-2019, 12:23 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Sacramento Delta, CA
Posts: 1,024
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Dual opposing gas SHOCKS cancel each other and therefore put no stress on the steering box. Also look for Turbostew's thread here:
http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...le-3996-3.html
"Bump Steer" is merely "baby death wobble" i.e., a death wobble that does not propagate.
So you already dealt with what carringb describes in post # 8 here?
http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...le-3996-3.html
My version of Turbostew's design:
__________________
2002 E350 ext.; 160K; 7.3L; 4R100 (w/4x4 deep pan & filter); 4x4 conv. w/2007 F250/F350 coil frnt axle (oppos. dual Bilstein press. shocks cured DW) diff chg from 3.55 to 3.73 (bad!); BW1356 t.c. (bad!); LT265/70R17/E Michelin LTX M/S2; Engel MT60 Combi Fridge-Freezer; 4 BP 380J pv panels; Auragen 5kw AC gen. in top alt. position; Webasto Dual-Top; Voyager top. 1995 5.8L EB Bronco, bone stock.
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06-04-2019, 10:05 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: So Cal
Posts: 4,046
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Wanderingbob: Here is a pic of the through-shaft fox damper....it doesn't have any gas charge, and therefore doesn't bias the steering to one side.
Not sure that has anything to do with your issue, but I wanted to ask so others here have more info.
The one you have is essentially a shock, and if you compress the shaft it will extend back on it's own due to nitrogen pressure in the shock body. The through shaft design elminates the need for a gas charged body....and the shaft stays wherever you put it; it's not biased to full extended position.
E350's post above accomplishes the same thing but you need two dampers to cancel out the gas pressure bias of each unit...they work against each other.
__________________
2008 E350 RB passenger 4WD SMB penthouse
2013 KTM 350 EXC
2008 KTM 250 XCF-W
2003 Honda Element
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06-04-2019, 10:59 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Brentwood, CA
Posts: 1,051
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Hard to diagnose over the internet or driving it, but from your description, it sounds like the mounted steering stabilizer is in a bind.
I think you describe turning the steering wheel, something in the steering system is holding back, then after the power assist overcomes the resistance, it 'lets loose' and moves the front wheels too much, giving you that darting feeling. It goes away when you swap back to the old damper.
If tightening the damper mounting bolts puts it into 'bending' or 'a bind' you could get that symptom.
I'd loosen the Fox damper mounting bolts, and give it a try. If the issue gets better, I'd take a close look at the mounting scheme, check for anything contacting the Fox damper body.
This sort of thing is common in street cars converted to race cars, the new high-dollar, double adjustable shocks have larger bodies, one or more now hits a suspension member, and the car handles like crap. But it's an easy fix usually involving stacking washers and using longer bolts.
__________________
1995 E350 7.3 Diesel, 4x4 high roof camper, UJOR 4" lift
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06-05-2019, 04:01 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Sterling, AK
Posts: 129
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TomsBeast
Hard to diagnose over the internet or driving it, but from your description, it sounds like the mounted steering stabilizer is in a bind.
I think you describe turning the steering wheel, something in the steering system is holding back, then after the power assist overcomes the resistance, it 'lets loose' and moves the front wheels too much, giving you that darting feeling. It goes away when you swap back to the old damper.
If tightening the damper mounting bolts puts it into 'bending' or 'a bind' you could get that symptom.
I'd loosen the Fox damper mounting bolts, and give it a try. If the issue gets better, I'd take a close look at the mounting scheme, check for anything contacting the Fox damper body.
This sort of thing is common in street cars converted to race cars, the new high-dollar, double adjustable shocks have larger bodies, one or more now hits a suspension member, and the car handles like crap. But it's an easy fix usually involving stacking washers and using longer bolts.
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Interesting, and thanks.
I don't think there was a bind. I honestly feel the shock is way too tight, I can barely move it by leaning down on it. And, as others have mentioned, it is a gas shock which kinda doesn't make sense to me or the mechanic.
The van is truly a dream to drive compared to before the mods, it does lean a bit on turns and will ask more questions about that, down the road.
Maybe through shaft or valving will correct the problem. I honestly think, not that the high knuckle was added to change the geometry, now the weakest link is the springs. They may be next.
__________________
Wandering Bob
Currently, living in Alaska til I finish The Rebuild, then full-timing it...
2002 Ford EB 250 SportsMobile
Salem Kroger 4x4 Grrr (edit), fixed and drives like a dream!
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