[Gough]

Just thinking of getting a steering dampber for my 99 jimny, are they worth it and if so what should I get ie.. return to center one ?

[Reubs]

Mixed opinions on the subject -

I'm personally in the 'you shouldn't need one - fix your front end up first' camp!

Try a search or a read of this thread:
http://www.auszookers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=33825

[bigdogdazza]

Do you have power steer? I fitted a tough dog RTC to my 98 jimny no psteer and found it made the considerably heavy steering even worse! It does take wobble out and great when you snag a tree root etc the wheel doesn't rip out of your hands. I ended up removing the spring and just running the damper to try get best of both worlds, it's only a compromise but in this form and will fit psteer soon and spring back on if needed.

[ellis]

i love my rtc we have one on our non ps jimny and my ps jimny and had one on my old coily sierra

[zukenutter]

I've got an RTC sitting in a box Bought it as a replacement to the non RTC dampener to try out and see how it compared, just haven't gotten around to it yet.
The spring is removable so you could try it and if it doesn't work out just remove the spring. I think fitting a dampener gives a more stable feel at highway speeds and therefore worthwhile.

[Gough]

I have power steering and Ido get a bit of a wobble at about 70 km, but also thought it would make drving a bit more comftable

[bigdogdazza]

Yup made my non power steer jimny heaps more predictable/stable to drive at speed AND stopped wobble AND best of all don't have to worry about steering wheel ripping out of your hands whilst wheeling!

[sando]

RTC's will chew out steering boxes abit earlier in patrols and cruisers, presume its the same in our little rigs....

[Gwagensteve]

bigdogdazza wrote:

Yup made my non power steer jimny heaps more predictable/stable to drive at speed AND stopped wobble AND best of all don't have to worry about steering wheel ripping out of your hands whilst wheeling!

I'm interested as to how you reckon that the damper has made your car more stable or predictable at speed.

Preventing the wheel "ripping out of your hands" is exactly why steering dampers are fitted. The valving in the damper prevents the steering from moving very quickly, whist providing minimal resistance to steering at "normal" speeds. The hydraulics of a power steering box largely prevent this, which is why steering dampers are pretty redundant for power steering cars, except to mask actual problems with the front end.

Steve.

[zukenutter]

I guess you'd just have to try a before and after yourself Steve, those of us that one fitted know it feels better.

[Blakey]

I have a steering dampener fitted and it does nothing doesn't stop wobble doesn't make it more predictable at speed. at 100 steering is still quite light. it still wobbles on wet ground at about 90kmh dampener does nothing in my opinion only reason i haven't taken it off was cause its rusted on and i cant get the bolts undone. and cant be bothered cutting it off.

[zukenutter]

Sounds like a whole heap of problems in your front end Blakey

[Blakey]

right now i dunno what wrong with it, it seems the Power steering gets light at higher speeds. its not super light its just lighter. as for the wobbles its only in very wet roads, other then that i never see any of it,

[squibby]

zukenutter wrote:

I guess you'd just have to try a before and after yourself Steve, those of us that one fitted know it feels better.

It's a personal thing I guess how it 'feels' but Didn't feel better to me. Felt slow, heavy and vague. I like to know what my tyres/wheels are doing, and 'feel' the road surface via the steering wheel. Damper takes a bit of that away in favour of stopping wheel ripping from your hands off-road. the RTC spring helps you to keep the wheels dead-ahead when in mud and ruts. Some cars take a turn or two more from lock-to-lock then our Suzukis, so it's easy to be a whole turn out and not realise it in ruts/water/mud. The RTC sorts this for you. Probably something you need on a Pajero or soemthing bigger kinda pointless on Jimny anyway IMO.

[dzasta]

Ive got an '89 Sierra. It had a real bad wheel wobble in the front end at speed (about 80k) I replaced the steering dampener and the wobble was fixed. I also had dodgy bearings on the swivel arms so I also had them replaced and the front end is perfect now.