Steering Stabilizer (crossarm link shockabsorber) '16 & up HD's

Kerry Pulaski · December 1, 2023

GM removed the frame cross-member welded mount for the steering stabilizer on the HD's in '16. Going up my long stone driveway in my new '16 2500 HD, the steering wheel was jerking back and forth badly. Looked under my friends 3500 HD, and saw the mount and a shock absorber to the cross link arm. I made a paper template off of his, and had my customer transfer that to a CAD drawing to cut one for me with his laser (for bolt hole accuracy), Mig welded it on. Added the shock, Worked great, shimmy and some road wander was gone.

In hopes my '24 2500 HD steering geometry was improved.........Nope. Going up the long crush stone driveway, wheel shakes like heck.

Found several mfg'g offer bolt on kits. Beware !! I deal with metal fab for 43 years. Zoomed in on these brackets on line, some look very good. But the bolt through mounting on some to the cross-member, was very questionable. With those, I saw that there was no provision (thru tube in the cross-member) to add for that bolt) to stop pulling in the cross-member, when torquing it down.

At the lower control arm rear bolt where the other end of the bracket attaches to, only one mfg. had a key'd washer, to spread the load, when re-torquing that bolt back down.

I called that mfg. to also ask why he does not offer a gas filled shocks like others do. He explained, these gas shocks exert substantial pressure in one direction to the right, on the cross arm.

Makes highway driving a PITA. I asked if ANY gas shock mfg. offers a special "neutral bias gas" version IF that is design possible ?

Said no, it's a std off the shelf gas shock, just the proper length to fit this application.

Found several posts on other sites, with GM owners complaining of this right side terrible pull.

This mfg. explained, he Does offer Gas shocks , like for Dodge, Ford and others, where Dual gas shocks can be mounted in opposing force directions, to keep the steering Neutral. Said in GM truck applications, the conventional high quality shock works just fine.

I should explain what drew be to this mfg. to answer some questions. Reasons: 4.

1) Some vendors sell his bracket, but offer it with a gas shock or conventional. His site, only offers a conventional non-gas shock.

2) This product bracket includes a "Key'd" washer, to mount the bracket on the lower control arm bolt. This properly spreads the force on the cross-member 100%.

Other suppliers that copied his basic design do not. Added cost ? Yes. Maybe a buck or two. To spread that load 100% around that bracket & bolt, is just a good

engineering and safety practice, in a high load / stress area. Kudos.

3) To include a Through Cross-member Sleeve, to also spread the load evenly to both sides of the cross-member, when other suppliers do not.

4) With all the well thought out mounting features of this product, again, why he is so against a gas filled shock in this application, when so many of us love gas shocks, in

conventional use applications. A more expensive shock in this application, goes the wrong way !

This topic may seen trivial, but needed to be addressed in depth, once I got into it, finding out the little details.

I attached the PDF install manual FYI.

Happy Holidays to All !

SUSPENSION MAXX_SMX-SSB2520_GM 2500 KIT.pdf

asilverblazer · December 1, 2023

Suspension Maxx, there I said it...

I was looking in to this too recently and came to the same conclusion as you did.

I hadn't decided on the shock to use for the stabilizer because I want it to match my other shocks... Bilstein.

gemarsh · December 1, 2023

Suspension Maxx. Nuff said.

Kerry Pulaski · December 16, 2023

Owner of Suspension Maxx, advised against ANY gas filled shock, in a GM single steer application, due to Bias Pressure in one direction. In this case, will always force the steering track to the right, constantly.

Ram & Ford that have dual steering shocks, using opposing pressure gas shocks is OK, to balance the force.

Installed mine, and found it not only stops steering wheel shimmy on my gravel driveway, on bridge expansion joints, manhole covers etc., no wheel jerk.

Also adds a nice stiffness to the road feel, in the steering wheel.

OmahaBen · January 24

I just did the Suspension Maxx steering stabilizer with a Rancho Shock and it is great. This should be factory for sure.

davidm767 · January 24

I had a gift card this Christmas for Rough Country and I did their Steering Stabilizer (V2). Like the Suspension Maxx design RC has the conventional shock, cross member sleeve and keyed washer on the control arm. With that said, I'll still give a nod to the Maxx as the better overall design imho...again I had 'free' money to burn. I did the stabilizer primarily for my wheel/tire upgrade I plan on doing at some point this year. I can say it's definitely a better ride than before, with the steering wheel holding more firmly to the road vs. feeling every pothole/uneven pavement section. It's an easy upgrade no matter what brand you do end up going with.

Kjduvall · January 24

ill be doing this mod in the spring, i already have the cognito pisk kit so i need the bracket to clear that.

Epsilon Plus · January 24

Anyone running something other than a Rancho with it? I ditched my stock Ranchos in the trash and a single one in the front for steering would bother my OCD.

gemarsh · January 25

4 hours ago, Epsilon Plus said:

Anyone running something other than a Rancho with it? I ditched my stock Ranchos in the trash and a single one in the front for steering would bother my OCD.

Nice thing about it is you can't see it, 'cept for when a person drops the skid plate to grease.

You could rattle can it black. My ocd it's that bad yet and all my switch and receptacle plate screws are all vertical in the house and shop!

Kerry Pulaski · February 6

On 1/24/2024 at 6:44 PM, Epsilon Plus said:

Anyone running something other than a Rancho with it? I ditched my stock Ranchos in the trash and a single one in the front for steering would bother my OCD.

Just find an equivalent non-gas shock...In a few Off-Road specialty sites. Someone posted a brand I can't recall. Even contact Suspension Maxx, ask for a suggested non-gas, non-Rancho, that will work with the kit they have.

My '24 HD Denali came with Rancho's, soon to be Bilstein's. I ran those on my '16 HD and loved them.

Epsilon Plus · April 17

Tried a GM damper from a 2010 model a year before they discontinued it's use. Too short. Minimum collapsed length needed 14.25" & minimum extended length needed is 22" from my measurements.

Edited May 21 by Epsilon Plus