Without a proper dampener, you’ll have a hard time controlling your Jeep and navigating through rough terrain. This is known as bump-steer and flighty steering. When off-roading, you need to be 100% in control of the vehicle. Rocks, potholes, trees, bushes, steep climbs – all these situations require the steering system to work flawlessly. That’s exactly what a dampener is for. So, while technically, you can drive without one, I strongly recommend against that.
And don’t forget about the most common signs of a bad stabilizer. I’m talking about a loose feeling in the steering wheel, lack of stability, weird noises, and – this one is pretty easy to notice – leaking fluid.