Steering shock observations.

[cruiserdan]

Recently I have noticed a teensy bit of a shimmy in the steering wheel at ~45 mph if the wheel was slighlty off-center. I suspected tire balance as that symptom is often a result. I re-balanced the tires (myself so I know they are dead-on) and it did not change. That in mind I began to suspect my original 138,000 mile steering shock. I called Ben at Slee and had him send me an OME steering stabiliser (note the OZ spelling ).

This unit, for those who have not installed one, has a different mounting method than the stocker. The stocker has sockets like a tie rod end and the OME has pins like a regular shock. I have heard many horror stories regarding getting the original off and I was ready for a fight. Didn't happen....

The key, as always, is to have the proper tool. I have a factory SST tie rod end puller and that thing is the cat daddy. I unbolted the frame side bracket and let the shock pivot to the ground. I then rotated the tie rod a bit, removed the nut from the tie rod end of the shock and fitted the puller. A few twists of the press bolt and it popped right out. I then took the shock over to the vice and clamped the bracket in the vice, fitted the puller and "pop" off it came....

The OME mounting pins have a slender side with a taper and a fat side that is straight. The taper pin goes into the tie rod and the frame bracket. To install you fit the pins onto the shock, flat washer and locking nut. Do not tighten yet. Next fit the taper pin to the frame bracket and install the lock washer and locking nut (again loose). Next reinstall the frame bracket loosely and fit the taper pin onto the tie rod end with lock washer and locking nut.

With a pair of 19mm wrenches, one on the shock side and one on the pin side, tighten the nuts. You will feel the one on the shock side "bottom" against the shoulder of the pin and the tie rod side will snug up before the base of the pin contacts the tie rod end and the frame bracket end. Next tighten the frame bracket bolts and you are done.

After installing the shock my steering wheel "feels" better (to my surprise) on the gravel road to my house and the road manners are improved. I was surprised by that as well. When I examined the stock shock I found that it still "dampened" when I cycled it but if I wiggled it slightly it had a bit of a jerky feel to it and I suspect that was where the shimmy was comming in.


D-

 

[FJBen]

That was the hardest part of my lift...LOL everybolt came off easily...that one took some "heat" ;p

 

[Junk]

Cool, but the SST is highly unnecessary

 

[robjam]

Recently I have noticed a teensy bit of a shimmy in the steering wheel at ~45 mph if the wheel was slighlty off-center. I suspected tire balance as that symptom is often a result. I re-balanced the tires (myself so I know they are dead-on) and it did not change. That in mind I began to suspect my original 138,000 mile steering shock. I called Ben at Slee and had him send me an OME steering stabiliser (note the OZ spelling ).

This unit, for those who have not installed one, has a different mounting method than the stocker. The stocker has sockets like a tie rod end and the OME has pins like a regular shock. I have heard many horror stories regarding getting the original off and I was ready for a fight. Didn't happen....

The key, as always, is to have the proper tool. I have a factory SST tie rod end puller and that thing is the cat daddy. I unbolted the frame side bracket and let the shock pivot to the ground. I then rotated the tie rod a bit, removed the nut from the tie rod end of the shock and fitted the puller. A few twists of the press bolt and it popped right out. I then took the shock over to the vice and clamped the bracket in the vice, fitted the puller and "pop" off it came....

The OME mounting pins have a slender side with a taper and a fat side that is straight. The taper pin goes into the tie rod and the frame bracket. To install you fit the pins onto the shock, flat washer and locking nut. Do not tighten yet. Next fit the taper pin to the frame bracket and install the lock washer and locking nut (again loose). Next reinstall the frame bracket loosely and fit the taper pin onto the tie rod end with lock washer and locking nut.

With a pair of 19mm wrenches, one on the shock side and one on the pin side, tighten the nuts. You will feel the one on the shock side "bottom" against the shoulder of the pin and the tie rod side will snug up before the base of the pin contacts the tie rod end and the frame bracket end. Next tighten the frame bracket bolts and you are done.

After installing the shock my steering wheel "feels" better (to my surprise) on the gravel road to my house and the road manners are improved. I was surprised by that as well. When I examined the stock shock I found that it still "dampened" when I cycled it but if I wiggled it slightly it had a bit of a jerky feel to it and I suspect that was where the shimmy was comming in.


D-

I get worried when I order mine from Dan and he orders his from Slee.

 

[cruiserdan]

I get worried when I order mine from Dan and he orders his from Slee.

I was going to price a stocker for you and listen for the "thud" when you hit the floor and then suggest you call Christo......

 

[jditom]

I bought the tie remover tool that Slee recomended and it is the best $40 spent. It was so easy my 8 year could do it. No more pickle fork, BFH, stupid pulley graber thing (nice use of tech terms) etc.

I'm with Dan on the right tool for the job. Unless you like beating the c p out of your cruiser with the BFH

 

[robjam]

HFS Help! I've fallen and I can't get up.

$206.99 LP Steering Damper

I'm with Dan, calling Christo

At your convenience, shoot me that shock absorber price.

 

[Tapage]

I have a factory SST tie rod end puller and that thing is the cat daddy.

someone have a pic of this kind of puller . ?

I changed mine, maybe 2 month ago .. and sure .. it was a fight . ! I win for sure .. but not easy.

 

[ElJefe]

I have been using a cheapo $7 harbor freight pitman arm puller on TRE's for years on my trucks. Haven't tried in but it should work just fine on the tapered shank for the steering stabilizer. Slip it on... a couple of cranks on the nut... pop! And the 33 bucks you save on the Christo tool will more than cover the steaks and beer.

 

[cruiserdan]

HFS Help! I've fallen and I can't get up.

$206.99 LP Steering Damper

Hardly seems enough, does it.......

 

[Romer]

that thing is the cat daddy.

For the under 60 crowd, I think he means its a nice tool to have.

 

[Darwood]

I have been using a cheapo $7 harbor freight pitman arm puller on TRE's for years on my trucks. Haven't tried in but it should work just fine on the tapered shank for the steering stabilizer. Slip it on... a couple of cranks on the nut... pop! And the 33 bucks you save on the Christo tool will more than cover the steaks and beer.

Same here except I'm using an Autozone pitman arm puller. It doesn't fit right but it works. I can only get one of the two pulling arms on a joint but it pulls them off fine...

hmm maybe using the pitman arm puller on TREs is why one of the arms broke when I used it on my pitman arm. :whoops:

I now have 2 pitman arm pullers... one with one arm and another with two. The one armed pitman arm puller isn't very good at pulling pitman arms.

Also I noticed a similar improvement to my steering when I replaced the steering stabilizer with the new OME unit. My stock one had the same play that Dan describes. The new stabilizer also improved the on center feel.

 

[Atticus]

For the under 60 crowd, I think he means its a nice tool to have.

No, that would be the bee's knees.

 

[jditom]

someone have a pic of this kind of puller . ?

I changed mine, maybe 2 month ago .. and sure .. it was a fight . ! I win for sure .. but not easy.

Here is the one Slee recomended and I used

http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/OTC-7315A.html

 

[dclee]

Anyone know of other sources beside OME and OEM? I've already blown one OME and suspect the second is on its way out.

Thanks,

 

[jditom]

Anyone know of other sources beside OME and OEM? I've already blown one OME and suspect the second is on its way out.

Thanks,

How do you blow them out so fast??????

 

[ElJefe]

hmm maybe using the pitman arm puller on TREs is why one of the arms broke when I used it on my pitman arm. :whoops:

I suspect that your puller broke for the same reason that my first one broke... because it was a chinese POS and isn't good for anything bigger than a TRE. I busted mine, got it replaced under waranty at HF, and it has been a TRE puller ever since. On a side note, mine is small enough to just grab the TRE's on both prongs. When I busted mine the first time I was removing a pitman arm from a 60 series. In the end it took a 60 ton axle press, and when it let go it sounded like a cherry bomb went off.

 

[Darwood]

I suspect that your puller broke for the same reason that my first one broke... because it was a chinese POS and isn't good for anything bigger than a TRE. I busted mine, got it replaced under waranty at HF, and it has been a TRE puller ever since. On a side note, mine is small enough to just grab the TRE's on both prongs. When I busted mine the first time I was removing a pitman arm from a 60 series. In the end it took a 60 ton axle press, and when it let go it sounded like a cherry bomb went off.

Hehe, well that last time I used the puller on a pitman arm it was on a 93 Dakota. It took me 3 days of soaking in rust eater, a socket extension casualty, and a breaker bar with a hi lift handle on it to get the pitman arm off. The poor little guy had been through a lot so I don't blame him on breaking..

 

[landtank]

Nice timing on this Dan. So I've had my OME damper sitting on the cart for some 5 years now because it came sans hardware. What do I need to put this thing on? Can I re-use the original hardware or do I need to source something else?

 

[e9999]

Nice timing on this Dan. So I've had my OME damper sitting on the cart for some 5 years now because it came sans hardware. What do I need to put this thing on? Can I re-use the original hardware or do I need to source something else?

Rick, ARB in Seattle does carry some of the hardware for the OME stabilizer.