 | Home > Technical > Steering Damper |
 
|
|
|
| The Hulk Member Since: 13 Apr 2016 Location: Aberdeenshire Posts: 81   
|
Does anyone have one of these?
 Click image to enlarge Mine was completely unsecured at one end and the bracket was fouling the holes in the steering guard Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge I've meantime removed it and I'm assuming it's not essential to the operation of the steering? It still steers ok anyway and has actually stopped wobbling like there's an unbalanced wheel! The 90 has one which looks just like a standard shock-absorber. Does anyone know why this has a separate bracket rather than being bolted directly to the chassis bracket? And should I bother replacing it?  Mid Life; Live It!
Ongoing thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic45697.html 110 300Tdi Utility (Hulk) 90 300Tdi SW (GF's Tank) |
||
20th Jun 2016 8:22pm |
|
| 300TDi CSW Phil Member Since: 03 Apr 2016 Location: Bracknell Posts: 750  
|
Fitted one to mine last week as part of a suspension upgrade session.
Fits to the normal chassis bracket at the end that you appear to have a seperate bracket. No issues whatsoever with it and much prefer the handling now. 1995 300 Tdi Epsom Green - It's a keeper. Wide Track Sankey- In bits- Gone to a new home M0XQS |
||
|
20th Jun 2016 10:06pm |
|
| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20504
|
Looks like the mounting is non standard or bent?
Maybe it's just me! I considered one of those once but decided against it, just stick to OE as it doesn't do much anyway to be honest other than as described above. |
||
|
20th Jun 2016 10:23pm |
|
| williamthedog Member Since: 29 Dec 2012 Location: south wales Posts: 3441 
|
That happened to my original steering damper a while back.
Detached itself from the chassis mount, not nice. |
||
|
21st Jun 2016 5:09am |
|
| The Hulk Member Since: 13 Apr 2016 Location: Aberdeenshire Posts: 81
|
No, it's not just you! It's very bent, either because of the force exerted on it, causing it to shear the mounting bolt; or because it was getting trapped in the holes of the steering guard after the securing nut came off the chassis. I don't understand why that bracket would be there in the first place. It must have vastly increased the strain on the mounting. Mid Life; Live It! Ongoing thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic45697.html 110 300Tdi Utility (Hulk) 90 300Tdi SW (GF's Tank) |
||
|
21st Jun 2016 9:17am |
|
| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20504
|
It certainly does look like much more force has been excerted on the bracket.
|
||
|
21st Jun 2016 11:47am |
|
| The Hulk Member Since: 13 Apr 2016 Location: Aberdeenshire Posts: 81
|
Job done!
I had to remove the steering guard, which was a pig of a job for access - the o/s rear bolt took 20 minutes alone and the o/s front was so tight that I sheared the bolt
Anyway, I fitted the damper as nature intended without that strange bracket, tightened everything up, and... what a difference! I'm not comparing to the OEM damper because I didn't have one but compared to the previous botched fitting it's like a new motor. Steering is relaxed and the previous wobble has disappeared. It's almost civilised 
Click image to enlarge I suspect this is the reason for the strange bracket - fabricated to allow access to the PTO winch? Click image to enlarge All done and now time for a glass of wine 
Click image to enlarge Mid Life; Live It! Ongoing thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic45697.html 110 300Tdi Utility (Hulk) 90 300Tdi SW (GF's Tank) |
||
|
21st Jun 2016 7:29pm |
|
| 300TDi CSW Phil Member Since: 03 Apr 2016 Location: Bracknell Posts: 750
|
That looks much better. Did you replace the rubber bushes at the pin end. Just noticed they look a little perished in the earlier photo's. 1995 300 Tdi Epsom Green - It's a keeper.
Wide Track Sankey- In bits- Gone to a new home M0XQS |
||
|
21st Jun 2016 8:16pm |
|
| The Hulk Member Since: 13 Apr 2016 Location: Aberdeenshire Posts: 81
|
Nope! They did look a bit perished but once cleaned up they were fine. The damper is only a couple of years old so it should be good for a while yet
 Mid Life; Live It!
Ongoing thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic45697.html 110 300Tdi Utility (Hulk) 90 300Tdi SW (GF's Tank) |
||
|
21st Jun 2016 9:40pm |
|
| Lotus_esprit_s1 Member Since: 01 Oct 2014 Location: Uk Posts: 201 |
The "strange bracket" is indeed to drop the steering damper to allow it to clear the drive to the hydraulic front mounted winch which was once fitted. I expect yours is an ex utilities defender modified by Special Vechiles.
|
||
|
22nd Jun 2016 6:51am |
|
| The Hulk Member Since: 13 Apr 2016 Location: Aberdeenshire Posts: 81
|
Yes, it's ex-utilities. That bracket clearly isn't up to the job. Either that or the mounting bolt has simply worked loose and it has become mangled over time before finally detaching. Mid Life; Live It!
Ongoing thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic45697.html 110 300Tdi Utility (Hulk) 90 300Tdi SW (GF's Tank) |
||
|
22nd Jun 2016 7:36am |
|
| Lotus_esprit_s1 Member Since: 01 Oct 2014 Location: Uk Posts: 201 |
To be honest the bracket is up to the job it was intended for - securing a standard steering damper. Your return to centre damper is putting a lot more force on it that it wasn't intended to cope with - that coil Spring is constantly exerting pressure on the bracket by trying to centralise the steering.
My view on those dampers is that they are fitted to try and mask other issues such as slack swivels, worn joints, worn bushes, tracking out, or 2" lifts messing up the steering geometry. |
||
|
22nd Jun 2016 12:51pm |
|
| The Hulk Member Since: 13 Apr 2016 Location: Aberdeenshire Posts: 81
|
Can't argue with you on that score. They seem to be more geared towards off-road stuff so I'd question the value of them for normal road use. It was on the truck when I bought it with no original as a spare so I'm just making the best of it by ensuring it's fitted correctly. Mid Life; Live It!
Ongoing thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic45697.html 110 300Tdi Utility (Hulk) 90 300Tdi SW (GF's Tank) |
||
|
22nd Jun 2016 1:11pm |
|
| I Like Old Skool Member Since: 23 Feb 2015 Location: Manchester Posts: 820 
|
Take it off and throw it away. If your other steering components are up to scratch then the standard steering damper does nothing and you won't notice the difference of having it fitted or not. As has already been said, the damper is great for masking other faults. I once had a series land rover without a damper that would sometimes shake-its-head alarmingly at certain speeds if I hit a small pot hole or similar (search 'Death Wobble') I have often run my Defenders and Jeeps without steering dampers when the dampers have been damaged/failed.
|
||
|
23rd Jun 2016 8:43am |
|
|
|
| All times are GMT |
< Previous Topic | Next Topic > |
Posting Rules
|
Site Copyright © 2006-2025 Futuranet Ltd & Martin Lewis
