[skottdamn]

hi guys, im thinking of getting a return to centre steering dampener for my sierra sj70, but have a couple of questions.

1 - will it make it noticably harder to steer the car without a power steering setup?
2 - will it help eliminate death wobble which has just started happening since fitting a new 2" lift kit (leafs and shocks)

ive only just got into zuking so i dont know squat.

[sideways]

skottdamn wrote:

hi guys, im thinking of getting a return to centre steering dampener for my sierra sj70, but have a couple of questions.

1 - will it make it noticably harder to steer the car without a power steering setup?
2 - will it help eliminate death wobble which has just started happening since fitting a new 2" lift kit (leafs and shocks)

ive only just got into zuking so i dont know squat.

Wobbles largely stem from worn/incorrectly preloaded king pins, dead wheelbearings and severely out of balance tyres.

Whilst a steering dampener might (I emphasize, might) stop it from wobbling, it's only masking the issue. There's an actual problem somewhere there that needs to be fixed.

RTC dampeners are completely pointless on a Sierra, they're just wank factor.

[jimny_timmy]

^^^ why did they come stock with them???

[sideways]

They didn't come stock with RTC dampers.

[jimny_timmy]

Hmmm ok... The one on the tintop I have looks factory... I should really stick to jimnys

[Matthew]

If it looks stock you're likely confusing a regular steering damper with a rtc steering damper.

[Gwagensteve]

And if the front end is properly set up, there's no need for a damper. IMHO they are fitted to prevent warranty claims
For out of round tyres/ kerb bumps knocking kingpin preload out.

Rtc dampers are rubbish. They exist to give patrol and cruiser owners the impression they haven't wrecked their caster with the hektik lift they just installed, and to look like a coil over. That's all. They serve no useful function.

Steve.

[jimny_timmy]

Matthew wrote:

If it looks stock you're likely confusing a regular steering damper with a rtc steering damper.

Yeah come to think of it you're right on the money.

[johnmath]

1. No
2. No
3. No

(3 -Will it provide another benefit? At least in my experience, that is. YMMV)

[petes 80]

Even in an 80 they are useless. As has been said, people buy them for the wank factor and they almost always are used to mask more serious issues

[skottdamn]

cool thanks for the help guys. i think i'll start with a wheel balance, i put a second hand set on when i did the lift kit, and they look pretty swolen and cracked.

[pezz]

no dampener is where it's at...
if you run jimny power steer you dont have the holes in the pitman arm and then it looks like you never had one...... once you cut of the chassy mount

[skottdamn]

so i put my stock wheels back on and it still has the wobbles, there is no play in the tie rod or drag link, and the bearings seem fine, so i guess ill have to get the king pins checked. it only started after the lift kit was fitted (by a mechanic) and ive triple checked everyting is tight, will the change of angle affect the preload on the kingpins?

[Bozy97]

so a steering damper wont help with my steering wheel getting jerked around heaps then? like will it have a cushioning affect?

[pezz]

Bozy97 wrote:

so a steering damper wont help with my steering wheel getting jerked around heaps then? like will it have a cushioning affect?

i think the question you should be asking is

why is my steering wheel jerking around on me? i dont want to mask this problem with a shitty steering dampener.... help me

[SuziBlu]

Im gunna get flamed for this I know, but, I feel a steering damper is of great value.

Belting along with no power steering is pretty hard, wheel jerks around a lot, a steering damper does as it says, dampens the steering wheel jerk.

Return to center, had this, its good, but not as good as envisaged.

Do not use to mask things, use it to stop fighting the wheel so hard when your out having fun.

[Bozy97]

it only jerks around off road when going on rough tracks. So a damper would be of good value