Forum Discussion

jmccen58's avatar
jmccen58
Explorer
May 22, 2014

Which stabilizer?

So it sounds like one would help. The question now is which one. Which would get your recommendations? The Roadmaster RSSC Reflex Stabilizer Unit or the Safe-T-Plus unit?....

7 Replies

  • j-d's avatar
    j-d
    Explorer II
    I mentioned Steer Safe, from a company by that name in Deming NM. Here's a photo:

    Not exactly a "clean look" like Ron's Safe-T-Plus, but it has a lot of fans. As I wrote above, it mounts in addition to any existing hydraulic damper and the springs provide the centering effort. I can see this advantage: It works on the Wheels themselves (well, the steering knuckles) and not through the steering linkage. Stabilizers like Safe-T-Plus and Reflex lose effectiveness as the tie rod ends wear.
  • j-d's avatar
    j-d
    Explorer II
    There's the OEM steering "Damper" which is simply a horizontal-acting shock absorber. That can be added or replaced with a Monroe part. There's a Bilstein upgrade. They do NOT "Center" the steering so I call them Dampers.
    Then there's the SteerSafe Centering device. It bolts on out at the wheels (steering knuckles and axle ends) and it Centers using Springs but does not Dampen. Added to a Damper you'd have Damping and Centering.
    Higher in the Pecking Order is Safe-T-PLUS (edit correction) and the Roadmaster Reflex. They incorporate both Springs and Damper, and they replace OEM Damper. Of the two, the Safe-T-Plus seems to be the Pick of the Litter. It seems to have two opposing springs, shielded in a housing, plus the Damper. The Reflex is a Damper with what appears to be a single spring that centers by being either stretched away or compressed away from Center. The Spring is visible, and the Reflex seems to be a little less expensive than Safe-T-Plus.
    Still higher in the pecking order are Active Stabilizer/Dampers that can be adjusted, from the cockpit, to keep the steering on center in crosswinds or on steeply crowned roads. I'm not up on those and only mention them here.
    Henderson's LineUp installs lots of Roadmaster products but in the case of these stabilizers, seems to prefer Safe-T-Plus. They say adding as S-T-P has similar effect to setting Caster high, and also said that a S-T-P along with a Track Bar solves most Class C "wandering" issues. Henderson is parent company of SuperSteer, and most of the rear track bars they install are SuperSteer.
  • New tie rod ends, drag link, caster/camber sleeves for +5 caster, tires adjusted for weight (Helped a lot), and a Safe-T-Plus stabilizer. The stabilizer helped with the last inch of left to right play in the steering wheel. The steering use to feel like the front tires were not on the ground. Now it all feels normal like a large SUV or Van. I think the caster at +5 also made a big difference. This is on a 1998 Ford E-350 23' chassis.
  • I installed the Roadmaster and can't tell any difference. I would expect the other steering stabilizers to be the same, at least on my rig. I got noticeable tracking improvement by correcting front wheel alignment and adding a rear track bar.