ANSWERS: 1
  • Steering stabilizers come stock on a number of off-road vehicles, mountain bikes, dirt bikes and sport bikes. These devices are essentially shock absorbers for steering systems and can yield some surprising results in drivability and safety.

    History

    Steering stabilizers were first used on industrial machinery and started to become common on off-road trucks in the early '80s.

    Function

    Stabilizers work in just the same way as wheel shock absorbers and look very similar. Their purpose is to increase the amount of time it takes to turn the steering wheel, which reduces wheel shimmy and torque steer.

    Construction and Mounting

    Most stabilizers are filled with nitrogen gas and mount to the steering link and chassis in trucks. On bike applications, they often fit on the steering post and connect to the handlebars and top tube of the frame.

    Off-Road Advantages

    Off-roaders, mountain bikers and rock crawlers in particular have found that steering stabilizers can give the driver extra time to correct unintentional steering movement caused by obstacle impact.

    Bike Advantages

    Because of their short wheelbases and low turning effort, sport bikes use steering dampers to help prevent dangerous wheel shimmy at high speed.

    Source:

    Stu's Jeep eZine

    Rocky Mountain Suspension

    ATV Rider Magazine

    Resource:

    Bike Stabilizer Install (Video)

Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC

Answerbag | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy