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Vague steering due to steering damper?

3K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  traildogck 
#1 ·
My 2018 Forester has a rubber steering damper that causes vague steering at highway speeds, especially with full load. It is super annoying and tiring. I am planning to get a steering dampener lock out from Torque Solutions or Perrin. Does the Ascent have this also? I would like to recommend the Ascent to a good friend but cannot if a fix is unavailable. I have yet to order and install so I do not yet know the full result for me would be but just by feeling how soft the rubber is with my bare hands, I can see how it makes the steering so inaccurate. Because I felt how soft the rubber is, I am able to adjust my steering inputs to significantly improve. It is still really bad on tighter turns at higher speeds as it is impossible to carve a turn without having to significantly increase steering angle to hold line. Subaru should offer a choice or at minimum inform consumers of the trade offs as this can cause high speed steering inaccuracies that are not driver fault unless they have been informed and aware a semi rigid rubber is flexing your steering angle and get progressively worse at higher speeds and forces....
 
#2 ·
No, the Ascent steering is ridiculously precise and "connected" to the point that people not familiar with precise steering tend to overcompensate and wander back and forth.

There's zero play.
 
#3 ·
Ah ok. from what I understood all recent Subaru's except sti have rubber isolaters in the steering rack. And now from what you are saying, the Ascent doesn't either. I didn't know about the Ascent steering system, until now. The 2018 Forester has great steering also. Up to a point. Once it loads up, from speed, weight or lateral G's it's requires a non linear steering correction and then a secondary adjustment from the driver to compensate for the rubber to bounce back. It's my wife car so haven't put lockdown in yet but will be for sure. Thanks for the technical info
 
#4 ·
I haven't checked the manual, but it's ridiculously precise, and feels different.

I will check it out later when I am on my computer.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I just checked a dealer site.


It looks like all of the other (except STI) Subaru steering u-joints. I have the Perrin lock down in both of my cars. They are great. The do just what they say they do, they lock down the slop in the joint.

I would agree with @Robert.Mauro Subaru steering is direct and precise.

It almost communicates too much. I am speaking of the old school not electric assist Subaru steering. The electric assist mutes that feeling a bit. So even though the steering is very precise, it doesn't always feel it. I could see how the Perrin lock down could help bring road feel back.
 
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