My Steer Smarts Story

About three years ago a company, Performance Stability by Power and Sons, contacted me. They asked if they could use my picture on their website. I said of course.

At the time they were marketing their new product called a steering attenuator to JK/JKU Wrangler owners, specifically “soccer mom” Wrangler owners. This aftermarket part helped during highway and city driving. It was their first venture into the aftermarket performance parts.

They also wanted to send me one to review on my blog. Back then I was a big chicken about putting stuff on my Jeep as I didn’t get this whole modification thing. So I had a Jeep friend in Delaware agree to put it on his Jeep and review it for my blog.

Steering Attenuator - The Griffin - Blog Posts

December 29, 2014

February 12, 2015

April 29, 2015

April 30, 2015  

At the same I met another Jeeper on the internet who is super knowledgeable about Jeeps. He is also a moderator of a Jeep Wrangler Forum. I was unsure of the steering attenuator. He looked into it, and contacted Ron with the company. He told me to go ahead and install it on my Jeep. He also started sharing about it on the forum. This new aftermarket product started to take off.

A year later I finally got the guts to test it on my Jeep. I could kick myself for not installing it sooner. It made such a huge difference in my driving.

Performance Stability is now Steer Smarts. And boy have we both come a long way from that fateful day.  Now they have several great products and are growing fast.

They are also Ford Motors oldest supplier. They started delivering product to Ford back in 1905 by horse and wagon. 112 years in the OEM business and now 3 years in the performance aftermarket business. 3 years is about the same time I got into the aftermarket business.

I am very excited to try out their new Yeti Steering Kit. Jeff with Adrenaline Off Road is going to help me with the install. Remember, all this is so new and foreign to me. It is really hard for me to understand just from hearing descriptions or even seeing pictures. I need to get underneath my Jeep to see it all first hand.

When I had my front driveshaft replaced I was there during the whole install with two very experienced professionals explaining everything to me at the same time showing me. It helped me to understand it so much better. Hands On is the way to go.  

SO when I get my new steering parts installed I will get to see and touch. I will have a better understanding how it all works and comes together. It will help me understand more about the steering components of my Jeep. Getting underneath my Jeep working on the mechanical components starts me moving into that next level of Jeep Life.

A Huge Shout Out to Steer Smartsfor upgrading my steering system.

 _______________________________________________________

THE YETI STEERING KIT - Made in the USA

1 1/2 ton Yeti draglink with the Griffen XD attenuator

BALL JOINTS:

• 30mm 1 1/2 Ton ball joints designed specifically for the JK.
• Cold headed medium carbon alloy steel ball studs provide incredible impact toughness for extreme duty usage.
• Induction heat treated ball studs provide ultimate fatigue strength and superior off-road durability.
• Steel on steel bearings provide exceptional ball joint wear resistance and robustness.
• High quality seals ensure long ball joint life. Our superior seals have been rigorously tested to minimize leakage between grease service intervals which greatly improves our ball joint reliability over our competition.
• Fully greaseable.

DRAGLINK ENDS:

• Powder coat over E-coat for a long lasting appearance under harsh conditions.
• External threads are e-coated for durability and long term serviceability.
• Forged from medium carbon high harden-ability steel and heat treated for greater buckling, impact, and fatigue strength.
• Forged from medium carbon high hardenability steel and heat treated for even greater buckling, impact, and fatigue strength.
• Large 1 ¼ inch rolled threads at tie rod adjuster and draglink ends provide significantly increased strength over the original equipment threads.
• Unique “Reverse Pin” technology prevents our linkage from flopping or rocking. This technology is built into the socket unlike the weak external supports on some competitor linkage.

GRIFFIN XD ATTENUATOR: 

• Reduces harsh and negative feedback to your steering wheel.
• Draglink adjuster is manufactured from large diameter ¼ inch thick wall high strength 4130 Chromoly steel tubing for maximum buckling strength.
• Adjuster clamps assure proper clamp force using conventional tools without the possible risk of loosening like large jam nuts.
• Designed with right hand and left hand threads for quick and easy adjustment when installed on the vehicle.
• E-coated for a long lasting appearance under harsh conditions.
• Internal threads and tube are also e-coated for long term serviceability.
• Designed for the proper clearance to other chassis components to eliminate interference.

YETI XD Tie Rod Assembly

Easy bolt-on installation.

Engineered for proper clearance to other chassis components to eliminate interferences.

MADE IN THE USA

BALL JOINTS:

• 30mm 1 1/2 Ton ball joints designed specifically for the JK.
• Cold headed medium carbon alloy steel ball studs provide incredible impact toughness for extreme duty usage.
• Induction heat treated ball studs provide ultimate fatigue strength and superior off-road durability.
• Steel on steel bearings provide exceptional ball joint wear resistance and robustness.
• High quality seals ensure long ball joint life. Our superior seals have been rigorously tested to minimize leakage between grease service intervals which greatly improves our ball joint reliability over our competition.
• Fully grease-able

TIE ROD ENDS:

• Powder coat over E-coat for a long lasting appearance under harsh conditions.
• External threads are e-coated for durability and long term serviceability.
• Forged from medium carbon high harden-ability steel and heat treated for greater buckling, impact, and fatigue strength.
• Forged from medium carbon high hardenability steel and heat treated for even greater buckling, impact, and fatigue strength.
• Large 1 ¼ inch rolled threads at tie rod adjuster and draglink ends provide significantly increased strength over the original equipment threads.
• Unique “Reverse Pin” technology prevents our linkage from flopping or rocking. This technology is built into the socket unlike the weak external supports on some competitor linkages.

ADJUSTER TUBE: 

• Tie Rod adjuster is manufactured from large diameter ¼ inch thick wall high strength 4130 Chromoly steel tubing for maximum buckling strength.
• Adjuster clamps assure proper clamp force using conventional tools without the possible risk of loosening like large jam nuts.
• Designed with right hand and left hand threads for quick and easy adjustment when installed on the vehicle.
• Internal threads and tube are also e-coated for long term serviceability.

A Big Surprise!

There was a big surprise waiting for me in my garage today when I got home from work.  Two big boxes arrived from the Brown Santa. 

It was so exciting to see that Yeti logo on the box.  That means beefier steering is in my future.

A Huge Shout Out to Steer Smarts for upgrading my steering system. 







A few years back Steer Smarts, AKA Powers and Sons, contacted me about trying out their new steering attenuator, now called the Griffin.  I tried it out, and loved it! Now I get to try out the new Griffin XD along with the Yeti steering kit.

April 30, 2015 - The Griffin Installed

March 10, 2016 - The Griffin Update   

Jeff from Adrenaline Off-Road has agreed to help me out with the install. I am extremely excited about this install. It is going to help me understand more about the steering components of my Jeep. Getting underneath my Jeep working on the mechanical components starts me moving into that next level of Jeep Life. 

Stay Tuned to my blog. I will be sharing more on this cool thing called the Yeti! oh and the Griffin too! 

Tips to Find a Trusty Jeep Mechanic

Finding a reliable mechanic to work on your Jeep ~ if ~ you don’t do the work yourself, can be difficult. Especially if you are making upgrades and changes for off-roading. 

Last week, I was at Adrenaline Off Road getting some "How To" tips on how to grease my front drive shaft. While there I asked about the work they were doing on the two of Jeeps in the shop. 

The work that needed to be done on one of the Jeeps at the Adrenaline Off Road shop shocked me. Jeff and Mike were fixing and replacing some pretty messed up work done by a local franchise shop. In the end it is going to cost this Jeeper thousands of dollars most likely $10,000 to fix and replace parts. 

Adrenaline Off Road Shows Me 

How To Spot Bad Mechanics Work on Jeep video

Jeep Momma You Tube Video

I cannot stress enough how important it is to get a good reliable mechanic to work on your Jeep, especially when you are upgrading and making aftermarket changes. 

Tips to Finding a Good Jeep Mechanic

• Stay away from your average run of the mill car mechanic or even a franchise shop that deals in lifts. 

• Reach out to your local Jeep Club for suggestions.

• If you are an off-roader make sure your mechanic has knowledge of off-roading or is an off-roader. 

• Get references from fellow Jeepers/Off-Roaders

Jeff pointed out most of the work he is seeing lately is fixing shoddy work from other local shops. He is backed up with so much work in his shop ~~ at least 4 to 6 weeks out. Basically for two reasons, fixing shoddy work from other mechanics, and lack of good mechanics. 





Jeff at Adrenaline Off Road is currently looking for an experienced full time automotive technician. If you are a Jeep tech looking for work or know of one, send resumes to sales@adrenalineoffroad.com 

Scroll down for the job description.


Good news... Jeff and Mike have fixed all the shoddy work done by the other shop. The two twins and their Jeeps headed out this past weekend to Big Dogs for a first time crawling on the rocks. 

Jeep Talk Show Podcast Episode 297

Wrangler Talk Topic Tips to Finding a Good Mechanic

Help Wanted 

ADRENALINE OFF ROAD LLC. - OFF ROAD SPECIALTY SHOP  

SPECIALIZING IN JEEP VEHICLES 

We are currently looking for an experienced full time automotive technician

Hours M-F 8am - 5pm - NO WEEKENDS, NIGHTS OR MAJOR HOLIDAYS 

Paid holidays and vacation 

Technician must have a minimum of 10 years professional experience working full time as a technician in the automotive industry. We are not looking for a parts re-placer. 

Applicant should  be reliable, positive and work focused.  It is critical to be able to think outside the box in order to do custom work that we do.

What we do:

The majority of the work is performed on Jeep vehicles.

We do everything from custom engine conversations to oil changes.

We  install suspension lift kits, bumpers, custom wiring etc..

A good portion of work that we do is general repair work.

Skills needed:

• Work mostly unassisted and have knowledge in all areas of a vehicle

• Full automotive troubleshooting and testing with diagnostic equipment 

• Follow manufacturers instructions and service manuals

• Maintain a clean work area 

• Lift heavy parts

Special skills desired 

• The ability to correctly set up ring and pinion gear sets

• Welding  and metal  fabrication 

• Experience using a tubing bender to fabricate roll cages , bumpers , sliders etc

• Experience using machinery  such as -  mill, lathe , plasma table 

Competitive flat rate pay with a guaranteed hourly salary based on experience  and demonstrated abilities 

Our shop is climate controlled and has a laid back environment 

All tools are provided

Located in Burtonsville, MD. 

301-502-6180

Send resumes to sales@adrenalineoffroad.com 

Front Drive Shaft Maintenance

I replaced my original manufacture's front drive shaft with a new Tom Wood's front drive shaft earlier this summer. The stock drive shaft couldn't hold up to the stresses of my lift and bigger tires. 

JeepMomma Blog Post

My Shaft's a Woody

July 13, 2017

Regular maintenance is important to keep the Tom Wood's Drive Shaft  in excellent condition and give it a long life. The most important maintenance of this drive shaft is regular greasing. The Tom Wood's website says “We believe a frequent and thorough greasing is more important than the type of grease you use". 

Tom Wood's Grease Information 

One of the main results of the greasing is a proper "flushing out" of any contaminates. A little grease and dirt make an excellent grinding compound, which you don’t want to have. 

All you need is a good grease gun and some grease. You could do this in your own garage, but putting your Jeep on a lift would make it easier. There is one seal in the joint that you need to turn the driveshaft to get at it.   








While greasing, if you pump in grease until you see clean grease come out past ALL the seals, you will insure that most of the contaminants will be washed away. This is extremely important if you submerge your Jeep in water or mud. 

Note: Not all drive shafts need this type of greasing. Check with your manufacturer to ensure proper greasing. 

As you know, I want to be able to maintain my Jeep myself, but I have very little ~ to no background in vehicle maintenance. As the months pass though, I am growing in my knowledge. However, front drive shafts are new territory for me. So, I decided to head over to Adrenaline Off Road where I had my front drive shaft installed. Jeff and his trusted mechanic Mike gave me a quick little lesson. It really isn’t that difficult.

A Lesson in Greasing My Tom Wood's Front Drive Shaft

There are five seals that need to be greased. Just push on the coupler on the seal and squeeze in the grease. You will be able to see the old grease come out of the seals.

One of the seals is a little hard to find inside the joint. Turning your drive shaft will help locate it.  

Once I purchase my own grease gun I will be able to do this myself.