Steering shock observations.

[Mickldo]

I have a 4-way steering damper on my 80. I fitted it because I had read good writeups on them. I haven't been happy with it. I'm not convinced they work any better or worse than a normal stabiliser. I probably won't buy another to replace it.
The way the spring is mounted it has forced the spring to rub against the damper body and as the coil rubs over the end of the body it catches a bit.
Raventai, the spring is set up to have no tension in the centre position and either compress or extend as the steering is turned left or right. A mounting bracket kit to suit the vehicle is included.
Ats4x4dotcom, those fox dampers look good, have you got a price?
Landtank, a couple of the 4x4 hire places in Hervey Bay routinely adjust their steering stops on their troopys to reduce the angles on the birfs to try and lessen the possibility of birf failure in the hands of the backpackers. Whether this works or not I don't know but they don't usually worry that much about the castor on their rigs as the diff housings are usually bent from the backpackers jumping them!

 

[cartercd]

Another way to remove steering stabilizer

I battled removing my steering stabilizer (pickle fork was wrong size and my gear puller kept slipping off). So I went with Plan C.

1) Drank beer
2) Used right angle grinder with cutoff wheel and cut the damper at the mounting pin.
3) Used a vice to press the pin out. It popped right out. Be aware that when the pin pops out the vice will fall, so plan accordingly.
4) Repeated step 1

 

[IdahoDoug]

The bench vice used as a hand tool wins my "favorite picture of the day" award!!!! Absolutely logical!! Absolutely priceless!!

hehheheheheh.

DougM

 

[Indiana80]

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’m researching a steering shimmy I’m experiencing with my 92 FJ80. What Dan describes above seems to match my symptoms. 176k miles on the truck. Doesn’t appear to have been off-roaded, and I’ve had it for 3 years. Done a lot of work to it. However, suspension is still stock except I installed new Bilstein shocks and OME steering damper. Also rebuilt front knuckles using OEM parts- including new bearings. Bearings are not loose- no slop when checking the 12 to 6 positions. All suspension bushings are original and from what I can see, are still intact and not cracked. The sway bar bushings are cracked, but still intact. I’ve also had the 33” KO2s road-forced balanced twice and it hasn’t changed anything. My steering is heavy- I think PS pump is weak, but fluid is still circulating in reservoir. At highway speed, tracking straight it’s smooth as silk. If I bump the steering slightly right or left (and only at highway speed), I get a slight kickback / shimmy feeling. Based on Dan’s write-up is it possible to install the damper incorrectly and cause this? My OME damper didn’t come with instructions that I recall. I just bolted it up in no particular order. Any advice on what could be causing my symptoms would be appreciated. Muchas gracias.