Steering Brace manufacturers

[brods]

Lets see, there is:

BD Diesel Performance $225
Defiant Truck Products $184
DT Pro Fab $185
PSC $170?
Solid Steel Industrial Manufacturing $235
Windecker Machine $169

Let me know if there is anyone else and I'll edit the list. Prices are what is readily available on the web, as noted in the following posts better deals may be available

Some go over the top of the sway bar (BD & Defiant) while most go under. Some use tubing and one is totally out of plate (Defiant). All appear to use a similar nut with shaft extension, though it is not clear what grade steel they use. They all appear to use a similar self aligning bearing, though I couldn't tell if they all used the same eccentric locking setup to clamp on the shaft part of the nut.

Any thoughts which is a better kit and why? The only observation I have at this point is that the Defiant brace should be the least expensive to manufacture since it is a single piece of plate with no welding.

 

[JDerbedrossian]

BD, rip off



DT, Solid Steel and PSC same design but you can get the PSC version for 150 shipped from ebay.



Defiant, flat plate compared to square tubing. Which one is more flexible a square tube or a flat piece of metal .

 

[brods]

JD, from the pictures on the DT site, their brace appears to have more gussets than the others.



Do you know if their brace for the 3Gs is different than the one they have pictured?



#ad

 

[4xquadrod]

BD, rip off

DT, Solid Steel and PSC same design but you can get the PSC version for 150 shipped from ebay.

Defiant, flat plate compared to square tubing. Which one is more flexible a square tube or a flat piece of metal .

The Defiant's design isn't just a flat piece of metal, it has bends in it that structurally strengthen the brace. I found it to be strong and of good quality.

 

[wmarosits]

Dose any one know which one will fit with a snow plow frame on my truck?

[Sno-Way plow on a 06 3500]

 

[seafish]

The Defiant's design isn't just a flat piece of metal, it has bends in it that structurally strengthen the brace. I found it to be strong and of good quality.

X2!!!! I have said it before and I'll say it again, (NOT to diss any of the others) , BUT the Defiant Steering Box Support is an excellent product in it's design, manufacturing, fit and finish, and packaging. I could not believe the diffrence in control and reaction to my steering after I installed it, and I didn't event think that my truck with less then 50,000 mils even had any steering issues (maybe just a litlle "floaty")-- The truck now responds to handling manuevers when I move the steering wheel LESS then 1/2" in either direction. Paul at Defiant has come up with a product that is not simply a carbon copy of the original DSS, like many of the others supports, AND he has excellent knowledge of our trucks and customer service in the top tier. Can't ask for more then that. I DO feel that any comparisons of the Defiant Brace to simply a flat piece of steel are misleading. As mentioned above, it has structural folds and bends in it that create an elegant and effective right angle, and self gusseted design, that is certainly more then strong enough to do what it is designed to do--help mitigate road and suspension component forces from being transferred to and quickly wearing out the OEM steering box, particuarly if one is running oversized wheels and tires.

 

[BDaugherty]

I bought the PSC unit along with a rebuilt box and pump. The first box leaked right away and burned up the pump. The second box has been good and the rebuilt high flow pump has been great. I WOULD NOT buy another steering brace from PSC. I found it to barely fit and was hastily thrown together with painted over welding splatter. NOT what I would expect for $160.

 

[wcjp]

Just bought my BD brace. Hasn't arrived yet. The prices listed must be suggested retail list price. Suggest calling vendors/search internet. I paid less than posted.

 

[CPittman]

Windecker Machine Ltd. - Steering Stabilizer



These from Windecker Machine (Solid Steel?) are $169



Whats the diff?

 

[AlaskanCummins]

I bought a Defiant soley due to their one piece plate design. No welds and the bends in it are there for a purpose as Seafish said.

 

[Grumpy John 4x4]

Dss

Old Man Bob installed it on my truck and Im loving it!

 

[brods]

Windecker Machine Ltd. - Steering Stabilizer



These from Windecker Machine (Solid Steel?) are $169



Whats the diff?

Yeah it is confusing. Iiirc Solid Steel Industrial Manufacturing ("www.solidsteel. biz") and Windecker Machine ("www.solidsteel. ca") were together at one time. They had a falling out of some kind and split up.



What's confusing is if there is a patent on the original brace (as it says on Windecker's website), how can there be so many look alike knockoffs?

 

[Wingate]

Don't have any experience with any other brand other than the BD Brace, but I LOVE what it did for the steering on my truck! I'm sure any of them are better than none at all!!!

 

[boatpuller]

I like the way the Defiant traps the bearing between the brace and the steering box, seems like it will protect it better also. Hope I'm correct as I just ordered one yesterday.

 

[R.Taylor]

Defiant is the way to go, Clean simple design with no welds. Took all but 30 minutes to install. I also did the Defiant stainless shield the same time.

 

[Ducman82]

anyone make there own???

 

[JDerbedrossian]

Guys don't flame me, just an observation from the pic I am going to post.



#ad






put it in a vice and flex it, it will.



p. s. I have no stock in any of these companies , so its just an opinion.

 

[brods]

Considering that the force the brace is meant to resist is the side to side movement of the sector shaft and that the force will be acting in line with the plate, against its strength, not pushing up and down in the direction where it is weakest, the plate style could very well be up to the task.



It would definitely be interesting to have it side by side with the tubing style on identical trucks, say both with oversized tires to add extra stress, and see if there is any difference in deflection while turning the wheels lock to lock on dry pavement. Or one truck, two braces, a magnetic dial indicator and run a test with each brace and compare the total deflection for each brace. (Hint hint to the brace mfgs).



If the plate style does a comparable job, then it is a more simple and elegant solution. Even so, it would appear to be much less costly to manufacture, which unfortunately is not reflected in its selling price.

 

[brods]

anyone make there own???

Its tempting. The bearing assembly is readily available, the frame is nothing special. The stumbling block might be the sector shaft nut. While the hex material is readily available, unless you have access to a lathe, bottoming tap and could machine it yourself, the setup costs for machining just one nut would likely kill any savings.

 

[boatpuller]

Its tempting. The bearing assembly is readily available, the frame is nothing special. The stumbling block might be the sector shaft nut. While the hex material is readily available, unless you have access to a lathe, bottoming tap and could machine it yourself, the setup costs for machining just one nut would likely kill any savings.

You can get the nut from Defiant

Title Here - REPLACEMENT SECTOR NUT 7/8-14 X 1-5/8 FABRICATION COMPONENTS