Welcome to my blog! If you’ve already been following this blog, you’d know how many clients I come across in my auto repair shop who want to install a lift kit in their vehicles.
But why?
This is because lifting your vehicle gives you so many benefits, like enhanced ground clearance, better visibility, bigger tires, smoother rides on tough off-road terrains, and more.
However, it also shifts the geometry of your vehicle by changing the center of your vehicle’s gravity, causing issues like making your vehicle harder to handle.
So do you need a steering stabilizer with a lift kit?
Yes, actually! You can use a steering stabilizer after installing a lift kit to improve the stability and control of your vehicle while driving. And you will be able to avoid experiencing death wobble if you use a steering stabilizer.
Do You REALLY Need Steering Stabilizers On A Lifted Tuck?
Why You Need a Steering Stabilizer with a Lift Kit
If you want to drive safely and be able to handle your vehicle better after installing a lift kit, you should consider investing in a steering stabilizer.
There are more reasons!
By installing a steering stabilizer, you can protect your suspension components better, reduce tire wear, get an improved driving performance, avoid death wobble, and decrease the steering vibration you might be experiencing.
I’ll explain all of these reasons better in a moment!
Better Steering Control
Installing a lift kit of any height means you are adding height to the existing factory height your vehicle comes with.
It does add a lot of additional ground clearance that makes it easier for you to ride through tough terrains.
But the existing height without a lift has a low center of gravity that allows you to handle your vehicle much easier by improving your vehicle’s stability.
What happens with a lift?
Well, when you lift your vehicle, this center of gravity shifts to become higher than usual. And this can start to cause problems.
Because of a lift, the angle of your vehicle’s tie rod at which it should be operating changes. These tie rods need to be parallel to your vehicle’s traction bar and the axle.
But it might not be the case after a lift. And this can increase the drag on your suspension system.
Reducing steering control!
And because of this, you will not be able to handle your vehicle as easily as you are used to with the factory settings.
Let’s say you are making a sudden swerve or have to brake suddenly in a panic. Your vehicle is more likely to end up on the side because of the steering control issue.
No emergency stops?
Yes, this is what might happen after you install a lift kit on your vehicle, making it easier to cause accidents.
You might end up experiencing bump steer, slow reaction, and even wandering after installing a lift kit.
What’s bump steer?
When the wheels of your vehicle start to steer on their own without you doing anything at all, it’s called bump steer.
This happens when the wheels start to move through your vehicle’s suspension stroke after installing a lift kit.
How to solve this?
I am obviously going to talk about using a steering stabilizer now! But yes, a steering stabilizer will solve this problem for you.
A steering stabilizer will help decrease the drag you will be suffering from through the increase of your system’s hydraulic pressure.
This kind of aftermarket component will also increase your vehicle’s dampening power, making it easier to make emergency stops.
Smoother turns!
After installing a steering stabilizer with a lift, you will be able to make sharp turns easily without any accidents while raging through tough off-road terrains to seek adventures.
Decreasing Steering Vibration
After you install a lift kit on your vehicle, you might face another kind of issue, which is the vibration of your steering wheels.
This can happen because of the skin friction aerodynamic drag created by the lifting of your vehicle.
What does it feel like?
Your vehicle is supposed to drive smoothly! But if you install a lift kit, it is possible that you might experience some vibration while making brakes, accelerating, or turning.
This is what steering vibration is, and it can be caused by the aerodynamic drag associated with your lift kit.
What does this drag do?
Because of this kind of aerodynamic drag, not only does your vehicle’s fuel economy decrease, which is another problem of its own but your tires and wheels also start to shake.
The tires and wheels of your vehicle start becoming unbalanced because of this drag, making your steering shaky.
Other causes of vibration?
Because of installing a lift kit, your brakes will be impacted negatively. And because of this, your steering wheels exhibit vibration issues.
Another problem could be the alignment of your vehicle. If you do not check the alignment after the lift kit installation, you could be facing steering vibration.
What to do?
Well, of course, you can always install a steering stabilizer with the lift to solve this issue of steering vibration.
Your newly-installed steering stabilizer will reduce the aerodynamic drag, causing the steering vibration caused by road conditions to stop.
So you can enjoy improved stability while driving your vehicle!
Protecting Suspension Components
If you already don’t know, then I will tell you how installing a lift kit on your vehicle can wear out your suspension components.
The measurements of your vehicle’s camber and caster are off, causing the center of your vehicle’s gravity shifts.
Because of this shifted angle, the angles of your upper control arms and CV axles also change for the worse.
What happens, then?
When this happens, the altered angles of your vehicle’s upper control arms start to put more pressure on your vehicle’s upper ball joints.
These upper ball joints are seated in your control arms, and they are very important in holding the steering knuckles of your suspension to your ball joint.
What does that do?
Because of this, the wheels of your vehicle stay put and don’t fly off when you are driving on the road or off-road.
These ball joints help your steering knuckles in turning and flexing when your vehicle is on the road as your suspension system normally does over bumps.
The altered angle and increased pressure on the ball joints after a lift kit installation makes them wear out quicker than usual.
What’s worse!
Sometimes, if this continues, your ball joints could even start failing and snapping your wheels sideways.
This can cause a huge problem!
What can you do?
You should already know by now that a steering stabilizer with your already-installed lift kit is the solution to your problem.
It will decrease the strain your ball joints suffer from and help your vehicle’s suspension components to steer clear of wearing out prematurely.
Tire Wear
After installing a lift kit on your vehicle, the tires and wheels of your vehicle might suffer as the added height can create more distance between the ground and your tires.
Because of this, your wheels and tires will experience more pressure and strain and start to wear out prematurely.
However,
If you install a steering stabilizer with your lift, this strain on the tires will decrease by reducing the amount of movement your suspension system goes through.
And because of a new steering stabilizer, your tires will not wear out sooner than they should because of the additional bouncing or flexing.
Improved Driving Performance
If you can improve the driving performance of your vehicle, I’m telling you, your life will change for the better.
Not only will you be able to drive better on the road, but you will also be able to drive on tough off-road terrains.
With a lift kit installed?
Well, not entirely! You can’t always expect the best performance while driving your vehicle after you install a lift kit.
This is because of the stability issue and the shaking issues that can create some problems, keeping you from getting the best performance out of your vehicle.
Best solution?
A steering stabilizer, of course! It can keep your driving safe and give you more comfort while driving.
Steering stabilizers can also help you have better control while making sharp turns and driving through tricky surfaces.
So it can ultimately make your driving performance improved!
Preventing Accidents from Death Wobble
Death wobble is the extreme vibration you suddenly suffer from coming out of your vehicle’s front suspension system.
When a death wobble occurs, you will experience sudden bursts of shaking that will occur throughout the whole sheeting wheel portion and your entire vehicle.
And what’s worse?
If you drive while you are experiencing a death wobble, you could hit bumps on the road, and you might not be able to control your vehicle, causing accidents.
This is because your suspension system might get thrown into resonant frequencies of the movement of its springs, making your steering parts move rapidly.
How to avoid it?
If you install a steering stabilizer on your lifted vehicle, you can easily avoid death wobbles as it will help balance your vehicle while driving.
Final Words
Do you need a steering stabilizer with a lift kit? Yes, you should definitely use a steering stabilizer after you install a lift kit on your vehicle.
A steering stabilizer will keep you safer, make your steering more stable and comfortable, and avoid death wobble.
