Steer Safe Review 2022: Is It Worth The Price?

Do you know why you need a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to operate a large and heavy vehicle, particularly trucks or buses with a gross combined weight rating of over 26,000 lbs?

There are several reasons, but the most obvious one is that it takes skill and experience to handle these vehicles’ steering wheels. They are the big boys of the highway, after all.

Thanks to hydraulic power steering technology, you can control the wheels through a slight turn of the steering wheel. Pressurized fluid multiplies the force exerted on the gears via the steering wheel, allowing the wheels to swivel smoothly to the left or right, even with load above them.

Still, it’s different when an immense weight is involved. The weight of a truck can easily overwhelm the capacity of the steering wheel. As a result, either there’s a slight delay in the truck’s response, or you will lose control altogether, which is dangerous.

As the weight of a heavy vehicle drags the steering system, the components of the steering wheel start loosening up. So the next time you feel your truck losing stability, it’s also harder to handle the wheels.

Losing at least 20 percent of your vehicle’s stability is a perfect recipe for disaster. Especially when another large vehicle drives past you, the steering wheel doesn’t have enough handle to resist the sucking motion that can cause your vehicle to drift toward the other lane.

Steering Stabilizers

With so many road traffic collisions linked to unstable steering, it became clear that something must be done to maintain steering stability, or more accidents will happen. That’s how steering stabilizers came to be.

These are devices that serve as shocks for your steering wheel. Just as your suspension system needs shocks to absorb some of the vibrations from the road, the steering stabilizer absorbs the vibration that makes you lose a grip on your steering wheel.

In this article, we will focus on a particular brand of steering stabilizer—Steer Safe. They’ve been making road driving, especially in large vehicles like trucks and motorhomes, so much safer.

This brand patented the use of an oscillatable fulcrum bar for steering stabilization. Their product is installed on the front steering arms—not welded but clamped with bolts onto the front axle.

Steer Safe Review

What does the kit include?

You can purchase Steer Safe stabilizers on Amazon or any specialized automotive shop. As explained, this product is not complicated or delicate that it requires unique production and distribution.

You can get your item quickly, like any other online product. When you order the product, you’ll receive a box with a few things inside, including:

• Two sets of custom panels (one for each side of the drivetrain)
• U-bolts and washers
• Detailed instructions (downloadable and printable online)

When ordering online, check the manufacturer and distributor carefully. While you’d like to save money on your purchase, it’s best not to focus too much on the price. If it’s too cheap, chances are it has defects, or it’s an imitation.

If it seems too expensive, compare it to the prices on Steer Safe’s website. It shouldn’t be the same because distributors also earn a little. It’s the price you pay for the guarantee that you’ll get your product quickly.

How does it work?

One of the panels has a fulcrum bar, which allows the springs to turn as they stabilize the wheels. This panel must be clamped fixed onto the rig to preserve the vibration-absorbing tension within the springs.

Underneath the fulcrum bar is nylon padding to maintain the fulcrum’s smooth movement against the plate.

As the fulcrum turns, one side (where one of the springs is anchored) pulls the other side, helping the wheels track straight. On the other hand, the other panel turns with the wheels while clamped onto the knuckles.

This technology applies nearly the same principles as sailing, where several strings attached to the mast are systematically pulled to control the boat’s direction.

Does it work?

Steer Safe stabilizers provide up to 400 lbs of tension that keeps the wheels from reacting to outside forces. For example, if you’re driving an RV and a bigger truck passes, you’ll feel your RV being either pulled or pushed around.

Usually, you need to hold the steering wheel with both hands to keep it from yielding to outside forces. But with steering stabilizers, you can handle the wheels even with one hand because you have control support from below.

But does it always work?

Not all motorists are fans of steering stabilizers. Some of them, particularly those with years of truck driving experience, prefer their wheels to be free of straps.

Understandably, they’ve been handling heavy vehicles for a while, so they’ve gotten used to steering their vehicles in a safe direction using their physical strength. Adding an item that allows the wheels to resist will feel a bit strange and could affect their handling of the steering wheel.

Conclusion

Safety must always be your top priority when purchasing or upgrading your vehicle. Especially if it’s a motorhome or trailer, which houses many of your assets, anything that can improve its safety is worth considering.

But don’t take other people’s words for it. Try it yourself first before you decide. Maybe a steering stabilizer makes you lose control of the wheels more. Or perhaps the sudden resistance distracts you.

You must consider these to determine whether this new addition to your vehicle is worthwhile.