Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

What year 4x4s had steering stabilizers? '72 only? Pics (Thanks Tom Korinek) show what I believe is an OEM stabilizer bracket ('72 Blazer) on the tie rod: the stabilizer attaches to a plate affixed onto the Dana 44 as shown. Was the stabilizer offered for all years?

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

'72 was the first year,as far as I know.

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

Interesting...learn new things here all the time. I guess that bracket is one year only deal then. The '72 model had several one-offs: doors, door panels, window regulators, tow hooks, aux tank, SS tailgate handle cover, rear view mirror...

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

1972 3/4 ton 4X4 - another hard part to locate is the rear brake cable (one year only) for a eaton Ho52. I been holding onto a NOS one for a while, cannot find a match or suitable replacement anywhere.

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

Dave that's good to know. Would that be the e-brake cable then? I've got a nice spare '72 K20 frame so may need to keep an eye out for that part....

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

Since the front is a dana thing, and if 72 was the first year, wouldn't it be the same from 72 up to late 70s-early 80s?

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

From what i recall 72 was the first year and in 73 the tie rod did'nt have the bolt on bracket but a hole made in the tie rod

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

^ Yep ^...And,the axle end is a bracket welded to the housing

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

So are these after market? Seem old.. Mounted on a 70chassis. The one on the tie rod seems the same..http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/...8aa4738eec.jpghttp://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/...038045197e.jpg

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Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

The tie rod bracket looks like a GM piece.

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

^^ Yup. And the axle bracket is aftermarket.

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

Interesting!
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Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

Probably the tie rod bracket was taken from a '72 at some point

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

Digging up an old thread here...

I have a 72 without any steering stabilizer, or the hardware for it. Where some made without, or was it just taken off at some point?

I'd like to add a stabilizer, without the hardware on the truck, what are my options? The ones I looked at don't come with the mounting hardware.

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

First thing - look at your front (Dana 44?) axle and see if it has the affixed bracket to attach the wheel end of the stabilizer (see first pic above). If so, should be a 72 front axle and all you'd need is the tie rod bracket. If not, I'd question an axle swap to an earlier model Dana 44 that would need some extra mounting hardware.

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

My 69 has one. looks og...always thought it was factory. d44 closed knuckle.
still learning.
i guess ill remove it! :)

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

Like to see a picture.

To verify the year of the axle, you can check the date on the ring gear. If its original ring and pinion, it will be real close to the installation date of the OE D44.

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

I'll be heading down to the farm over the weekend and remember to flash some photos. It's a closed knuckle d44 so I'm guessing the stabilizer was bolted on somehow... pics will tell all :)c
Cheers!
Nim

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

So is that just a shock? I ordered from rancho what I thought was the right charged cylinder but it arrived with threaded rods on both ends.

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

I thought that 69's were open knuckle ?

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

The correct stabilizer for 72 is just like a shock that comes with loose bolts that affix the ends to the brackets at the 1) axle (welded in place by Dana) and the 2) tie rod - just like the first pics above

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

okay... I went out to the farm and took pics over the weekend.
Cant upload photos, at least not the same way I used to and I'm not computer literate so I'm gonna just throw my hands up. Kind of a bummer tho because pics say it all.

Here's what I learned about my truck. The axle is factory. I assumed the stabilizer was because it all has the same rust (LOL). It is bolted on tho and the plate that has the stabilizer bolted to it also has the driver side shock bolted to it so it serves dual purpose as stabilizer and shock mount and bolts to the axle outboard of the spring perch. I find it kind of interesting that it shares a bracket with the shock but it is a beefy stamped u-bolted item.

I guess I wont remove it after all. Looks like it was meant to be there.
c
Beers!
Nim

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

David, I found a shop recently that will make cables for almost anything and custom cables too. Might take me a little bit to dig up their info, PM me if you are interested in it. I ordered cables for my 68 swb from them and they fit perfectly and are made in the USA.

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

I Have A 1971 Chevy Dana 44 3/4 ton Front Axle With The Factory Mount On The Axle Tube.

Re: Educate me: Steering stabilizers on 4wd, all years?
 

A 1971 manufacture date would be potentially be correct for the 72 model year depending on the month...