[Daves4wd]

Ok I'm not to sure if there is something on this or not but is any dampener good or go for a well known brand? And dose it make any difference if you go a cheap one? Cheers Hope this cam help other people as well as I'm still just getting used to what is what thanks this forum has helped me a shit load with my zook

[ellis]

if u going to get 1 might aswell get a good 1 ive put toughdog's rtc damper on my last sierra and jimny and they seem pree good

[steak_knife]

ellis wrote:

if u going to get 1 might aswell get a good 1 ive put toughdog's rtc damper on my last sierra and jimny and they seem pree good

I've pulled the spring off every one I've ever had.

[monley]

steak_knife wrote:

ellis wrote:

if u going to get 1 might aswell get a good 1 ive put toughdog's rtc damper on my last sierra and jimny and they seem pree good

I've pulled the spring off every one I've ever had.

Why? I love my RTC.

[steak_knife]

Because it always want's to RTC!!!!!

[monley]

steak_knife wrote:

Because it always want's to RTC!!!!!

SO it wants to do what it's designed for?

[joel]

steak_knife wrote:

ellis wrote:

if u going to get 1 might aswell get a good 1 ive put toughdog's rtc damper on my last sierra and jimny and they seem pree good

I've pulled the spring off every one I've ever had.

why wouldnt you just buy one without a spring? there cheaper as well.



but back on topic, i use a tough dog rtc coiled dampener and its freakin awesome, especially up here when i travel a couple of hours on a corrugated roads.

[steak_knife]

monkey wrote:

steak_knife wrote:

Because it always want's to RTC!!!!!

SO it wants to do what it's designed for?

Piss me off????

Any thing off center & the stupid frigging thing want to return to center, that's caster's job & caster doesn't do that with force at while trying to steer the thing up a rock....

[Daves4wd]

I Shouldve added that I'm not after a rtc just plain old dampener I was looking at the iron man one or the West coast supention or something along those lines rtc look cool but I've bien told bad idea

[steak_knife]

joel wrote:

steak_knife wrote:

ellis wrote:

if u going to get 1 might aswell get a good 1 ive put toughdog's rtc damper on my last sierra and jimny and they seem pree good

I've pulled the spring off every one I've ever had.

why wouldnt you just buy one without a spring? there cheaper as well.



but back on topic, i use a tough dog rtc coiled dampener and its freakin awesome, especially up here when i travel a couple of hours on a corrugated roads.

2nd hand or on a car I parted....

[steak_knife]

Daves4wd wrote:

I Shouldve added that I'm not after a rtc just plain old dampener I was looking at the iron man one or the West coast supention or something along those lines rtc look cool but I've bien told bad idea

as long as it's a lil bigger than std your fine mate...

[ROAR99]

Daves4wd wrote:

I Shouldve added that I'm not after a rtc just plain old dampener I was looking at the iron man one or the West coast supention or something along those lines rtc look cool but I've bien told bad idea

just dont go EFS H/D ,, mine started leakin after 4 months,, the rtc softens the steering bump on road. but i only really got it for the bling factor..

[Daves4wd]

Ohk so I guess the iron man hd one it 115 a good price or to much?

[skyman]

Hrmrm so these are good on road and help bumpsteer, but are crap for wheelin' iffen' ya want to steer ?

[Ratty562]

I loved my rtc on my Swb serria made it easier.
I dont run anything on my LWB serria with power steering. I can't be bothered to put anything on lol

[zook91]

does the return to center/steering dampener also act as a steering stabalizer to stop the wobble in the front end?

[christover1]

I've used old man emu and gabriel hd dampers and very happy with both.

[rpower10]

I've got a damper on my coily that my mechanic rigged up but it's close to shot now.. what brands make dampers to fit on a 96 coily? ( not rtc oem replacement.. Is there even a rtc on stock coily's?) I can't see one!

[joel]

steak_knife wrote:

monkey wrote:

steak_knife wrote:

Because it always want's to RTC!!!!!

SO it wants to do what it's designed for?

Piss me off????

Any thing off center & the stupid frigging thing want to return to center, that's caster's job & caster doesn't do that with force at while trying to steer the thing up a rock....

hit the gym Muppet arms,

[Gwagensteve]

Steering dampers are very basic foam cell shock absorbers with 50/50 damping. They do very little so cheap/dear makes no real difference.

RTC dampers are retarded. They are a way to get you to pay more for something because of a "unique selling point"

Bear in mind a steering damper is only there to mask problems in your front end. They do not improve performance, and they don't "fix" anything. Many of the cars I've been involved with don't run them, nor do they need to.

Stock replacement is all that's required, if anything.

Steve.

[sogone]

joel wrote:

steak_knife wrote:

monkey wrote:

steak_knife wrote:

Because it always want's to RTC!!!!!

SO it wants to do what it's designed for?

Piss me off????

Any thing off center & the stupid frigging thing want to return to center, that's caster's job & caster doesn't do that with force at while trying to steer the thing up a rock....

hit the gym Muppet arms,

LOL

[rpower10]

What problems mechanically would they be masking?.. I used to get major death wobbles of any bump before I got the damper on and since all has been good.

[Gwagensteve]

The conditions that caused the death wobble - worn kingpins, wiper seals, suspension bushes, wheel bearings, tie rod ends, or out-of-spec caster, ineffective shocks whatever -- are still there - you've just damped the movement of the steering so you don't notice.

A stock sierra in good condition won't death wobble without a damper.

I notice you have a coiler. How is your caster? Corrected for the lift? within spec?

Steve.

[royce]

Tee hee the ever round and round damper debate

My sierra was an interesting front end but worked and rode how I wanted it, I fitted power steer and it wobbled, nothing but a calmini damper fixed it, still nobody can tell me what 'busted part' I needed to fix to otherwise stop it wobbling

[Gwagensteve]

The pitman arm.

Steve.

[royce]

Gwagensteve wrote:

The pitman arm.

Steve.

Talking to me? Was Genuine factory Sierra power steer so pitman arm drop amount remained the same

[Gwagensteve]

I have no experience with factory sierra PS, but as you point out it should have exactly stock geometry- maybe some more play in the box?

Interesting though. The cars I've worked with that have had wobbles have all been cured with caster correction. Mine has 3deg more caster than stock and has never even looked like wobbling.

Steve.

[royce]

If anything it had less as the old box was a bit buggered, my only thought to it was it being a lot easier to hold the steering in a straight line rather than the wanders over bumps of before that it gave it a chance to start rather than just wandering with the road surface.

I tried everything and nothing stopped it, though it was very random and you could go days with nothing then get 4 in a row.

damper between diff and tie bar, problem solved

I am always going on about harmonics with this stuff, I saw an intereesting thing on a TV show about bridges the other day, the cables on a suspension bridge would whip up something fierce in light rain and wind, but never in heavy rain nor high wind.

Turns out in the right conditions a small stream of water from the rain would develop and run down the cable, altering its weight and the slight amount of wind got it vibrating jsut right to go crazy.

Heavy wind would be ok as it blew the water off and heavy rain tended to run straight off and not along the cable.

The fix there was to have a spiraled ridge along the cable so the water always dripped off and didnt run along

[Mike57]

Gwagensteve - Would you suggest a castor of +3 degrees as a starting point. I have a 2009 Jimny with OME 40mm lift and with a slight shimmy between 70 and 80 kph. Its only done 7,000 km so I was going to start with the castor before looking any further. I have the tough dog RTC steering damper but as you say this just covers it up. While its not bad right now and I can only feel it though the steering wheel I want to get on top of it. The damper did do its job and dampen the vibration but it was no cure. I have read all the threads on this problem already so just need some guidance on the amount of castor. I was going to get an alignment and see how much adjustment was left. I have not fitted any castor correction yet.

Thanks
Mike

[skyman]

royce wrote:

If anything it had less as the old box was a bit buggered, my only thought to it was it being a lot easier to hold the steering in a straight line rather than the wanders over bumps of before that it gave it a chance to start rather than just wandering with the road surface.

I tried everything and nothing stopped it, though it was very random and you could go days with nothing then get 4 in a row.

damper between diff and tie bar, problem solved

I am always going on about harmonics with this stuff, I saw an intereesting thing on a TV show about bridges the other day, the cables on a suspension bridge would whip up something fierce in light rain and wind, but never in heavy rain nor high wind.

Turns out in the right conditions a small stream of water from the rain would develop and run down the cable, altering its weight and the slight amount of wind got it vibrating jsut right to go crazy.

Heavy wind would be ok as it blew the water off and heavy rain tended to run straight off and not along the cable.

The fix there was to have a spiraled ridge along the cable so the water always dripped off and didnt run along

Harmonics and bad frequencies at their worst. I used to drive the new one every day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqK2r5bP ... re=related

More in the you tube thread.