Roadmaster Exact Center

[john d shepherd]

I do a different type of off roading that logging trails. Most of mine are river beds, and mountain terrain with lots of rock and very slow driving and maneuvering. In the conditions I drive, it is about a 37" tire getting assistance to come back into place beyond what the factory power steering can provide.

Most likely the only solution for me is the power ram steering.

My son is the off road guy, he gets around, but does not have your big tires. To handle them would be fairly easy with increased pressure. I have used as much as 330 lbs on a Super C RV and we have done 150 lbs for off road. RM can do higher pressures (if not today, very soon). I am anxious to hear if we can make the serious off road experience better. We are playing with a option where you could have (say) 150 lbs on road to give you a car like drive and then a lock out for all or part of the off road drive. That's where I need input from actual users. We have everything covered from Jeeps to Tractor trailers covered on road, but off road we have only worked in the mud. I am not sure what would help for your application. If you care to I would appreciate input on your ideas about how this might help. For large RV's we will offer the ability to change the center to counteract wind and road crowns. We had this on a previous RV product and users loved it. This device is called Exact Center and during the install you goal is to get it set to exact center, it takes a couple adjustments. On the RV with trim on the fly that adjustment is done in 2 seconds by push of a button. As a youth we lived in Arizona, there I spend a lot of time walking and horse riding the river beds (really desert that floods once a year when dams were let loose). That would have been a great place to ride, but that was well over 1/2 century ago. Now we have a CanAm 1000 LTD Defender with heat air and tracks, not very rough at all. We don't even have dirt here as it is all sand. Our mountain (here they call it a Mountain) 540 foot tall all sand with nearly no rocks. Roadmaster (Oregon) is just getting started so in the future we can get them to look at what the market wants, so If you have ideas tell me and I can see if we can do some experimenting. We are in the process of making a from the cab sway bar travel adder 2"-4" you could do in 2 seconds. I did have a 2018 Rubicon 2dr and I just disconnected once to see how it worked. It was a RV toad and test unit for EC, it is in the Death Wobble video. I now have a 2021 Bronco test car and a 2021 Dynamax Isatta 5 28SS 4WD Explorer package RV, it has a 220 pound Exact Center. It too is a test vehicle. Help us if you care to. Tell us would be ideal for your application as these gas springs should be a lower cost option for people like you if we can design something that works like needed.

 

[john d shepherd]

Never experienced "death wobble" on any newer (unmodified) Jeeps. I'm looking into it just to firm up the Jeep steering. Backing up with 4 down, that would be a plus.

Another backing video Rubicon 2015 JLU hooked to Winnebago Aaspect 31j class C

20170822 173306 1.mp4

drive.google.com

 

[redbaron]

My son is the off road guy, he gets around, but does not have your big tires. To handle them would be fairly easy with increased pressure. I have used as much as 330 lbs on a Super C RV and we have done 150 lbs for off road. RM can do higher pressures (if not today, very soon). I am anxious to hear if we can make the serious off road experience better. We are playing with a option where you could have (say) 150 lbs on road to give you a car like drive and then a lock out for all or part of the off road drive. That's where I need input from actual users. We have everything covered from Jeeps to Tractor trailers covered on road, but off road we have only worked in the mud. I am not sure what would help for your application. If you care to I would appreciate input on your ideas about how this might help. For large RV's we will offer the ability to change the center to counteract wind and road crowns. We had this on a previous RV product and users loved it. This device is called Exact Center and during the install you goal is to get it set to exact center, it takes a couple adjustments. On the RV with trim on the fly that adjustment is done in 2 seconds by push of a button. As a youth we lived in Arizona, there I spend a lot of time walking and horse riding the river beds (really desert that floods once a year when dams were let loose). That would have been a great place to ride, but that was well over 1/2 century ago. Now we have a CanAm 1000 LTD Defender with heat air and tracks, not very rough at all. We don't even have dirt here as it is all sand. Our mountain (here they call it a Mountain) 540 foot tall all sand with nearly no rocks. Roadmaster (Oregon) is just getting started so in the future we can get them to look at what the market wants, so If you have ideas tell me and I can see if we can do some experimenting. We are in the process of making a from the cab sway bar travel adder 2"-4" you could do in 2 seconds. I did have a 2018 Rubicon 2dr and I just disconnected once to see how it worked. It was a RV toad and test unit for EC, it is in the Death Wobble video. I now have a 2021 Bronco test car and a 2021 Dynamax Isatta 5 28SS 4WD Explorer package RV, it has a 220 pound Exact Center. It too is a test vehicle. Help us if you care to. Tell us would be ideal for your application as these gas springs should be a lower cost option for people like you if we can design something that works like needed.

You say "We are playing with an option"...are you a representative of Road master? I am trying to figure out what your credentials / experience is with this product.

 

[john d shepherd]

You say "We are playing with an option"...are you a representative of Road master? I am trying to figure out what your credentials / experience is with this product.

send me a email [email protected] Family business www.piwcorp.com and www.waterjetplus.com 2 shops Gaylord Mi.

 

[lostinfla]

I do a different type of off roading that logging trails. Most of mine are river beds, and mountain terrain with lots of rock and very slow driving and maneuvering. In the conditions I drive, it is about a 37" tire getting assistance to come back into place beyond what the factory power steering can provide.

Most likely the only solution for me is the power ram steering.

Doesn't this stabilizer ADD resistance to anything off center? Seems to me it would be harder on your factory pump to come off center than you are experiencing now, no?

 

[redbaron]

Doesn't this stabilizer ADD resistance to anything off center? Seems to me it would be harder on your factory pump to come off center than you are experiencing now, no?

That is a good point

 

[john d shepherd]

Jim that is my 2018 Wrangler Rubicon 2 dr in the Death Wobble video. It is bone stock 12000 miles shown with and without Exact Center. It was recalled and the factory stabilizer was replaced, then that was replaced with Exact Center. I Beta tested the Exact Center for 4 years, so I have a fair understanding of the change it makes on a Wrangler. We did a 2015 Rubicon JKU a 2018 Rubicon JLU and many other Wranglers. The 98 TJ has a 4" long arm lift with 33" tires with a 318 V8 shown being backed behind the E-350 Class C is my sons. We have a lot of video of backing. The Roadmaster Night Hawk tow bar is not being spread at all. The owner of Roadmaster (Jerry Edwards) totally supports monitored backing with all of his tow bars. If you drop tire in a hole or hit a curb the wheel will caster, but backing up at a pump on paved or level gravel roads or dry grass is easy to accomplish. I started RVing in 1976, and have never stopped. I have had B,C, Super C (3) Diesel pusher high end 4-5 and Prevost (2). The goal all those years was to find a tow bar that would allow backing. The tow bar (there are patents that failed) never worked as it was not the issue. The Exact Center stabilizer puts 75 pounds of resistance against your wheels castering/turning. It will allow for easy straight backing and slight curve backing all while front tires are monitored. look at front wheels on Jeep you will see a little scrubbing as they resist turning. Exact Center Backing 093021 R2 music.mp4

Exact Center will let your Wrangler do some Toad backing, but actually, the big deal about Exact Center is what it does for the drive. Your Wrangler does
not have to be bad on the road, This video (made for the owner of Roadmaster) explains what to expect with the Exact Center Stabilizer installed when highway driving.

 

[john d shepherd]

Never experienced "death wobble" on any newer (unmodified) Jeeps. I'm looking into it just to firm up the Jeep steering. Backing up with 4 down, that would be a plus.

Exact Center will let your Wrangler do some Toad backing, but actually, the big deal about Exact Center is what it does for the drive. Your Wrangler does not have to be bad on the road, This video (made for the owner of Roadmaster) explains what to expect with the Exact Center Stabilizer installed while doing highway driving

 

[CaptainGizmo]

If you like your wife with two good arms maybe you should not do that.
I have a CanAm Defender 1000 Limited with HVAC a plow and tracks and I put a Exact Center prototype on it. I really do not see the need, but if I put the wife in it and push it backwards, maybe? Not!

Not to get into an argument here, but I’m not sure the validity of this claim. The forces…on both wheels…of a slow, flat backing can’t nearly be the same as the extreme forces generated when hitting rocks and ditches with one wheel; whether forwards or backwards.

Besides the “rumors” and speculations, the fact is, if you were to back up, at less than 1 MPH, whoever is holding the steering wheel of the TOAD would simply let the steering slip. Seriously, it’s not like I’m suggesting I’d bond her hands to it with epoxy and duct tape.

 

[john d shepherd]

Hmmm…
Not sure how this is any different than the multitude of Steering Stabilizers that have been used for years.
If I towed with a Jeep, a stabilizer would be the first things I’d install; if for nothing more than towing.

This reminds me that I still haven’t done my backup drill with my wife in our Raptor. I want to see how difficult it would be for her to hold the steering wheel while I back up; with and without motor running for power steering.

captaingizmo
Keep in mind (my numbers may not be perfect but close) you have a 15: 1 steering box as a simple person I think that might mean a wheel turning at 2 mph would spin the steering wheel at ??









































30 mph 2 x's 15 = 30. I have been involved in this trying to hold the wheel when a curb was hit and some fingers got broken. That was a very long time ago so take nothing I say on this as gospel. I do remember the broken fingers.

You say "We are playing with an option"...are you a representative of Road master? I am trying to figure out what your credentials / experience is with this product.

Red Baron I am not a Roadmaster employee, I am the inventor of the Gas Spring centering stabilizer, I hold all the patents we (my family) own the business I started my indentured apprenticeship at 56 years ago. We have two shops in Gaylord, Mi. We have worked on Gas spring assisted stabilizers since 1998. The current design of Exact Center was started about 5 years ago. Exact Center is covered by several broad patents. As the holder of all the prior Gas Spring Stabilizer patents the USPTO was quick and gave us the broadest coverage we have seen. I have 22 + US Utility patents covering automotive, industrial, and architectural applications. We started with our patents with our first patent being issued in 1979. I am not a engineer, I am a Architectural Ironworker and business owner who likes to solve problems. We (the family business) does have a lot of high tech (for a iron shop) tools. I have three sons and grand children and aunts and uncles in or were in the business during the last 56 years. We will be the place new ideas and applications will come from, Roadmaster will be the source of the brackets the off road users will need and they will be the place anyone wanting to license the patents needs to go to for automotive applications. Roadmaster and I both want input from the forums and users. Thank you to everyone who has read or watched and posted questions or ideas. I have been waiting a very long time to share my excitement. If you find anything from my part of this you dislike for any reason please let me know. I am here to learn what you need for you applications and to share ideas.