[vl2dy4]

Hi guys which steering damper would be best?

Going to buy one in the next couple of days.

Tough Dog Return To centre

Or

Rancho

Or

Ironman

Or any other suggestions? It is for a 1995 suzuki sierra, leaf sprung.

Cheers

Conrad

[monley]

I have RTC (return to center) damper and i love it...

[vl2dy4]

sweet thanks monkey

[vl2dy4]

monkey wrote:

I have RTC (return to center) damper and i love it...

Did you get a tough dog one? also can you notice it much?

How much did it cost ya?

Cheers

Conrad

[monley]

vl2dy4 wrote:

monkey wrote:

I have RTC (return to center) damper and i love it...

Did you get a tough dog one? also can you notice it much?

How much did it cost ya?

Cheers

Conrad

Yes i have the tough dog damper got mine from this company
http://www.4wd1.com/Sierra.htm

I paid $250 with free postage.

[vl2dy4]

Sweet thanks monkey, hey have you found a front bar yet?

[monley]

Na it's all good thanks mate, getting xrox bar now. Thanks anyway.

[whincup]

i just payed like $70 for the pedders brand one. works good, but then again im judging it against the OEM one that had been there for 15 years

i only got that since it was the cheapest i could find...

[alien]

my stock one jammed and went crap on me so i took it off and left it off... i've honestly not noticed a difference without it, although i think the steering is lighter.

[BlueSuzy]

I had a tough dog damper.Not rtc. All it is is a horizontal shock.

RTC, Are bling. They are a shock, and return your steering to centre when on and offroad. So you are constantly fighting the spring load, as well as tyres to turn. Which can make heavier steering. If your driving and the wheels don't track straight by themselves, there is something else going on. Camber/caster issues.

I went vit Powersteer and didnt use a damper. Powersteering will absorb the impacts of offroad steering, hitting rocks etc.

Coily's never came out with a damper or any mounts to fit them!

[stockman]

Is a steering dampner the only way to reduce bump steer?

[BlueSuzy]

Yes or powersteer or a panhard could be an option if your suffering bumpsteer onroad.

[alien]

unless you're running a lot of lift bump steer shouldnt really be an issue, plus once you know your car you'll know when its about to get bump steer and hold on tighter in anticipation of it, which also makes it a non-issue =)

[crewsy]

If your running lots of lift, a drop pitman arm will reduce bump steer heaps as well.. goes from being wishy washy steering to responsive again too.

[Gwagensteve]

A steering damper has no effect on bumpsteer.

Bumpsteer is a product of geometry. It's a result of the drag link and the tie rod not being in phase. It will occur regardless of power or manual steering, and regardless of whose steering damper is on the car.

It is what causes the car to jink from left to right ( and need correction) whilst driving down a bumpy road.

All sierras have bump steer. It's unavoidable. It is worse on lifted cars, and is lessened by a drop pitman arm on lifted cars.

The effect of the steering kicking back in your hands on and off road isn't bump steer, it's is steering feedback. when the wheel encounters a bump, it's knocked off line and this travels back to the steering wheel. Steering dampers do help to mask this effect, at the expense of heavier steering and reduced steering feel. Power steering almost eliminates it.

I haven't built a car with a steering damper for years, manual or power steering.

My own junk has a damper on it, only because it was on the car when I got it and I can't be bothered taking it off. It's completely rooted.

If you really want to run one, run the cheapest one you can get. Spending more is a waste of money.

They don't fix anything, they only mask problems, (and reduce steering feel, which is sacrilege)

Steve.

[mr_ron]

I have a Rancho 5000xl Steering dampner.. Wasnt by choice tho, there was a 4 week wait for RTC's.

Go the Rtc if it fits into the stock position (could someone clarify if it does for me please)

I dislike my Rancho Dampner, Has a tendency to slip a llittle and im always worried I'm going to smash it on rocks as it mounts to the diff housing.

RTC +1 from a Rancho owner lol

[TryHard]

alien wrote:

my stock one jammed and went crap on me so i took it off and left it off... i've honestly not noticed a difference without it, although i think the steering is lighter.

x2 yer thats the only dif i notice

[Gwagensteve]

Wonder how popular they would be if they were called a "Steering heavier" rather than a "steering damper" ?

Steve.

[SuziBlu]

Gwagensteve wrote:

Wonder how popular they would be if they were called a "Steering heavier" rather than a "steering damper" ?

Steve.

Steve, while I appreciate what you are saying, in rutty faster type country, a steering damper is a godsend, as it lessens the steering wheels effort to tear out of your hands and drive where you really do not want to go.

Yes they do make steering heavier, sometimes I will put on the second one, makes for quite heavy steering, but, I can roar over shit that big heavy cars have left, 12"+ ruts, with very little fatigue on my behalf.

[shep]

on my swb i had a $30 repco jobbie and it worked well. my lwb has a OME hilux one with
custom mounts and it is the same as the cheap one.

[Taylor74]

In a leaf spring zuk the shimmy can also be cured by putting in castor shims. They only run 1 deg or less castor from factory change it slightly (sag springs or sometimes lifted springs) and theres your problem.
Dapmer is only a cure for bad castor in most cases. Rim offset can also amplify the problem along with swivel hubs and steering box not centerd or loose. Ive put RTC in cars and still had a problem with some springs but castor wedges usualy help solve the problem.

[alien]

^ my zuk sat almost a full 2" higher after it was built than it does now, so the castor will have changed for sure - but i still get no shimmy at all. the longer arm on the hi-steer might help leverage wise to reduce that effect but still, im very suprised how nice mine feels to drive without the damper.

i think gwagen is right that they just mask other underlying issues.

[TryHard]

alien wrote:

^ my zuk sat almost a full 2" higher after it was built than it does now, so the castor will have changed for sure - but i still get no shimmy at all. the longer arm on the hi-steer might help leverage wise to reduce that effect but still, im very suprised how nice mine feels to drive without the damper.

i think gwagen is right that they just mask other underlying issues.

yer i tend the think that 2 haha

[Taylor74]

alien wrote:

^ my zuk sat almost a full 2" higher after it was built than it does now, so the castor will have changed for sure - but i still get no shimmy at all. the longer arm on the hi-steer might help leverage wise to reduce that effect but still, im very suprised how nice mine feels to drive without the damper.

i think gwagen is right that they just mask other underlying issues.

You castor may have increased with the springs saging aswell making it better on the road. I know when yours was set up at its orrigional hight it had approx 1.5 deg castor, so if it decreased a little chances are it will still drive good

[SuziBlu]

[Teracis]