Death of a steering damper?

[Error404]

My poor rad! Its gets ripped out at least once a month lol.
I need to buy shares in Glycol

Its an option... i'll see how I get on from underneath first I think

[diesel des]

Anyone with a picture of these things? My urs4 is a bit odd to drive despite many new bits...

[lji86]

did mine in an hour or so, bit of a fiddle as the bolt goes upwards on the right hand side. made loads of difference to feel

[rj scotty]

Dose anybody else's steering "grown" when turning the wheel at slow speed/stationary.

Alignment done 200 miles ago
New Promounts
Poly wishbone bushes
New Ball joints
New steering joints
Flushed hydraulic system

Grown appears to come from the the rack/damper area.
Its done this since day 1

Drives nice though

[Error404]

I think that might be the rack preload that needs a tweak mate

[rj scotty]

Would you say growing was due to to much or to little pre load ?

cheers

rich

[newsh]

Its spelt Groan and Groaning BTW

Grown is what the grass has done since it was last mown.

[stiglet]

Alex, I just removed my damper today when I did my tie-rods. Really easy! It bolts to the chassis in a little concave near the wheel on the passenger side. You have to get at it from underneath, no chance from the top. Unbolting from the steering bracket can be done from the top.

Not sure why renewing the damper would increase steering feel but i've just taken mine off today and the steering feels better. More connected to the road.

Alex, your wandering steering problem will definately be a bigger problem now you've fitted spacers and I would say tracking for sure. I notice you said it had been done, but have you checked to see if they actually did it properly? It's happened to me and a mate before, because the connecting rods always seize up, they just don't bother! If it's not tracking, then something is loose/amiss. I know the exact feeling you're describing and I have had it on my coupe whenever the tracking is out and/or something is loose (like a tie-rod end for example, have you replaced these too?)

If all is good and you have a decent 4-wheel-alignment, then the steering should be quite sharp and responsive, and DEFINATELY shouldn't "wonder" around. With the spacers you'll find it will pull when you hit a bump though, and it will tramline. FYI, the proper toe angle should be 0 degrees to within 10 minutes, although I prefer a little toe out

[Error404]

The steering doesn't wander TBH Al, it just feels sloppy as f**k, its as if there is a slight delay from input to action.
I know the 4 wheel alignment was done properly as I watched they guy do it and got the proper print outs etc.

The car has always snatched over bumps and contours in the road - the spacers have made it slightly worse, but only marginally. I don't mind tramlining, but its the yanking at the wheel over every pothole and bump in the road, these don't go hand in hand IME.

Everything else at the front is new and uprated, there is no way my car left the factory feeling like it does

Gonna try the pre-load adjustment, and will remove the steering damper at the weekend too and see what difference that makes.... but really its still a daily driver and i like a civilised drive, so i'll probably replace it if removing has little effect.


Rich - AFAIK you need to dial the pre-load UP a bit until it stops groaning

[GT500]

Alex, check the bracket that the steering arms bolt to, I have found loose bolts and the brackets can crack! not good! Get a helper to move the steering when stationary, left to right. Then have a good look at the bracket and arms in movement.
HTH

[Error404]

Good call Rob, the nuts are new and torqued up properly, but I hadn't even thought that the bracket itself might be damaged.
I'll give the lot a proper going over at the weekend

[lind4hl]

stiglet: did it feel betteer when you removed it from the car? so you dont have any at all?

[stiglet]

stiglet: did it feel betteer when you removed it from the car? so you dont have any at all?

Removed completely and steering feels better. Although my "better" might be construde as uncomfortable and a bit too lively for some. Since doing my tie rods my tracking is inevitably wrong, so I can't give a sure for sure assessment yet. I'll get that sorted first then let you know.

Although, being a damper, it is purely designed to restrict steering movement and feel. I was playing around with the damper once it was off and I can tell you it is a hardcore damper! With this off, I would fully expect my steering to have more feel and be less sluggish. That's exactly how it feels so far.

[s2driveruk]

weighs a bloody ton too doesn't it lol.....looks well over engineered for the task as usual

[Error404]

Do you find it wrenches the wheel about over bumps etc Al?