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Steering Stabilizer Clamps

Paulski

Member
I'm giving a Socal Hot Rods steering stabilizer a shot and the clamps are little small for my radius rods so I want to find bigger ones. Anyone know what these types of clamps are called and who sells them? I tired mcmaster carr and google searching (tubing clamps, pipe clamps, conduit clamps) but can't find them, but I think thats because I don't know there technical name.

Heres a pic of the clamps on the stabilizer:
http://www.socalsac.com/sites/default/files/Stabilizer.jpg
 
See if you can find an auto parts store that has catalogs and look for front end parts. They are tie rod clamps and the catalogs should have some dimensional information.
 
Stabilizer.jpg
here is your picture
 
How much too small are the clamps that come with it? If it is just a little bit you can spread it open a tad and maybe even grind a little of the inside of the clamp away with a dremel. But if it is more than that you should be able to find one from a car or truck tie rod that will work.

BTW, you will LOVE what these stabilizers do for your car. All 3 of our cars have them, my current rpu project will have one, and I will never build another car without one. It makes a totally different handling car when you put one on.


Don
 
Don, Good to hear someone say the stabilizer helps! Is it important to have the stabilizer clamped center on the steering tie rod? If I center the travel of the stabilizer, it will clamp about 1" off center with my steering link. Its possible I can clamp it to the center and I still have enough travel in the steering without bottoming out the stabilizer, thats something I will have to measure.
 
No, all they tell you in the instructions is to center your wheels, then pull out the hydraulic ram 1/2 of it's travel and put a mark on it. Then clamp it to the tie rod, no matter where it falls. Mine is offset from the center and as long as the ram has enough travel so it doesn't bottom out when the wheels are turned either way, you are ok. It does not have to be in the center of the tie rod for any reason.

Like I mentioned, you will love the way it helps. I raced my 27 at Lakeland Motorsports Park last October, and it is not exactly the smoothest 1/8 mile track in existance. In fact, the shut down area is short and bumpy. I was going through the lights at 92 mph and didn't worry one minute about any tire shake or problems getting on the binders hard. Before I added the stabilizer I would have not been so confident. RR tracks are another place you will find it makes a big difference.

Don
 
Don, Good to hear someone say the stabilizer helps! Is it important to have the stabilizer clamped center on the steering tie rod? If I center the travel of the stabilizer, it will clamp about 1" off center with my steering link. Its possible I can clamp it to the center and I still have enough travel in the steering without bottoming out the stabilizer, thats something I will have to measure.

I have to agree the stabilizer is a needed part as far as I am concerned. mine is 1/3 off center and there has been no problems for 2 years
 
I put mine on the drag link. With a 1:1 ratio steering arm I'm guessing it is be the same.
 
I don't want to start anything but I believe that if you have a properly working front suspension there is absolutely NO need for a steering stabilizer. It only masks a problem in your front suspension. IMHO. I've have had my car over 100 MPH numerous times and on some very bumpy roads with absolutely no shimmy or bump steer and I do not have a stabilizer. This is just my opinion and I do not fault those that feel the need for a stabilizer.

Jim
 
No, you are wrong. I had the same opinion as you for years and my 27 never had any handling issues before adding the stabilizer. I drove it almost daily for 20 years and had lots of high speed interstate miles on it. However, it tightens up the front end and even the best designed straight axle front ends are still 100 year old technology. ANYTHING you can add to them is an improvement. To tell you how good they are, no car has left SoCal Speed Shop in over 30 years without one and if anyone can set up a front end that would not need a "bandaid" it would be them.

Like I said, I felt the same way as you Ex Junk, then I tried one and now all of our cars have them. When I build my little altered drag car I may put two on it, one on each side, just to make the front end as stiff as possible.


Don
 
I'm on ex's side w/ this ,33K -speeds in excess of 100 , no problem, since I won't buy one just to try it I'll never know if it "makes a difference"

dave
 
Well I got it on and drove it around a bit. I have to agree with Don, it really makes a differnece. I drove over some really bad roads and RR crossings and it felt like the car wanted to keep tracking straight instead of wanting to follow the big cracks
 
It's simply a shock absorber. It just tries to keep the car doing what it is currently doing.
 
Okay, I'm getting interested in this stabilizer. I know it mounts to the tie rod on one end, but where does it mount on the other end? Will it work with the tie rod out front? Pictures of installation would be a great help, too.
Thanks, guys
 
I installed one yesterday, even though I have a very good-running front suspension already. It did not seem to make a big difference in handling cracks and railroad tracks, but it did help tame the torque steer. My radius rods and drag link are very short and as the frame winds up when you gas it, a good bit of correction (left) is necessary, then right as you ease off. The stabilizer helps a lot. I don't like the angled end of the pushrod as it dictates where the other end will fall. Mine ended up quite a way down the radius rod when I would have preferred to mount it parallel. All in all, having a 5th shock absorber does seem to settle things down a bit.
 
Okay, I'm getting interested in this stabilizer. I know it mounts to the tie rod on one end, but where does it mount on the other end? Will it work with the tie rod out front? Pictures of installation would be a great help, too.
Thanks, guys


The one end, the skinny one, goes to the tie rod, and the other end goes to the round tube of the hairpin on the passenger side. If you don't have a round tube hairpin you will need to fab something up, like welding a tab on the wishbone to mount that end.

I'm glad some of you are open minded enough to try one. I have not seen ANY car that can't be improved by adding one, it makes even good handling cars handle better.

Don
 
I installed one on my dirt t . The steering was very quick . The dampener made the steering less sensitive. without it you could over steer if you were not careful. I will install one on my C cab.
 

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