Steering Upgrades
The stock steering on the JL 392 XR still feels very good considering it's a solid axle offroader. Compared to other morden cars/SUVs it defnitely takes some used to due to the play in the steering wheel, the wander on highway, and slight pulls. For the sake of steering improvements, recently I installed the Steer Smarts track bar reinforcement bracket and the Fox ATS 2.0 steering stabilizer. And I think they are good first step upgrades before I eventually replace the tie rod and drag link combo to run 37" tires.
Son, you've got a good engine, but your hands aren't on the steering wheel.
Steer Smarts Track Bar Reinforcement Bracket
This frame side track bar reinforcement bracket was engineered to bolt on to the stock track bar mount on the frame. Its purpose is to reinforce this mounting location to keep the welded mount from breaking off or deflecting under stress. I don't really have this concern from daily driving, but nice to have a piece of mind from using the 1/4" wall steel bracket with heavy duty bolts.
Due to that extra backing plate near the shock tower perge, I had to trim it flush to fit the bracket. Some folks suggested to use a rachet strap to pull the coil spring back to have enough room, I was able to jack up the frame to extend the spring to tighten the two bolts behind the spring.
Fox ATS 2.0 Steering Stabilizer
The Fox Performance Series Adjustable Through Shaft (ATS) steering stabilizer offers abundant steering control, and tames unwanted steering forces in both directions. This unit replaces the conventional stabilizer, and it will also respond to the driver's input with 24 clicks of external adjustment to fine tune the feel. The integrated reservoir allows for additional fluid capacity, and improves cooling under extreme conditions.
The stock steering stabilizer location is rather low, can be damaged easily during offroading. So after extensive research I bought the one for JK instead of JL, which comes with the axle track bar bolt and 1-5/8" tie rod clamp so I can relocate it to a higher position.
Before the install, I rotated the tie rod clamp to conquer my OCD, otherwise the Fox logo will be upside down facing out.
The biggest issue is the relocation bolt is very long and the 22mm deep socket I have cound not fit well. I eneded up uising an adjustable wrench and tighted it to the best I could, but it's no near the required 110 lb-ft torque. Will monitor the marks.
After the install, I centered the steering wheel position and test drove at 18 clicks and the steering feels tigher and more stable. I also tried with 12 clicks, which is the mid-point, but it was loose to my liking. Now I'm settled on 16 clicks.
