Hi guys, I have a 96' Discovery - no lift or mods - yet( for about 6 months now). I've always had a bit of a virbration when I get to about 60-70mph. I changed tie rod, panhard rod bushings, new shocks and had the wheels balanced. Nothing really changed but the vibration was still minimal.....then I changed the steering damper. I figured if I changed the shocks then I might as well change the steering damper too. I put a new OEM one on 2 days ago and it now shakes worse than before...about 20 times worse. If I hit a bump on the highway now the steering goes outta control...it didn't do that before I changed the damper. I noticed that the damper is connected to the steering linkage and the linkage moves up and down a bit. Is this normal? Any suggestions? I'm pretty handy but I'm not an expert.
steering damper
- Thread starter Thomas1968
- Start date
G
gummikuh
Guest
Hi
Sounds like your front swivel preload needs sorting out.
You will need a spring balance, check that there is reistance up to 11- 14N or roughly 1- 1.5 Kg, not sure what this is in imperial, but this should put you on the right track
Pete
Sounds like your front swivel preload needs sorting out.
You will need a spring balance, check that there is reistance up to 11- 14N or roughly 1- 1.5 Kg, not sure what this is in imperial, but this should put you on the right track
Pete
P
PHARAOHDISCO
Guest
If the steering linkage is moving up and down that means that the ball joints are worn out and require replacing, but also check that the crown nuts are tight and that the safety pins are inserted. While replacing them you should also adjust your swivel pin preload. It is not 1-1.5kg as mentioned in the previous message. The correct value is 6-7kg resistance or 13-16lbs using a spring balance scale.
G
gummikuh
Guest
Hi Tarek
While I am sure you mean well, you do not want it set to 6KG, you would never turn the front wheels.
And I qoute
Attach a spring balance to ball joint bore and pull
balance to determine effort required to turn
swivel pin housing.
Resistance, once initial inertia has been
overcome, should be 1.16 to 1.46 kg. Adjust by
removing or adding shims to top swivel pin.
Pete
While I am sure you mean well, you do not want it set to 6KG, you would never turn the front wheels.
And I qoute
Attach a spring balance to ball joint bore and pull
balance to determine effort required to turn
swivel pin housing.
Resistance, once initial inertia has been
overcome, should be 1.16 to 1.46 kg. Adjust by
removing or adding shims to top swivel pin.
Pete
Thanks guys, I'll check out the swivel preload. I printed out some instructions for that procedure off another site, it looks straight forward but may be time consuming. As for the ball joints, the safety pin is is still there, but how tight can I tighten the crown nuts? Should I tighten till they can't be tightened no more?
I also rechecked that the steering damper is tight....seems good.
Any reason it would show up after switching from an old damper to a new one?
I also rechecked that the steering damper is tight....seems good.
Any reason it would show up after switching from an old damper to a new one?
P
PHARAOHDISCO
Guest
gummikuh said:
Hi Peter,
The subject about swivel pin preload was just raised on DiscoWeb a few weeks ago. Check the thread dated October 7th, titled swivel preload setting. Everybody agreed that the spring balance resistance should be around 6kg. Also check the "Frode" method of adjustment. The link is shown in that thread I mentioned. Let me know what you think.
G
gummikuh
Guest
Hi Tarek
the spring preload figures are the ones stated by LR.
In the initial post he makes no mention of the ball joints being loose, just that there is some play in the damper.
By all means check all the linkage, but I am sure you will find with a shake after hitting a bump that there is something wrong with the preload.
I think 6-7kg is way too excessive, and will cause all sorts of problems.
I would be tempted to check the swivel first, just disconnect all joints from the hub, and attach a spring balance and see, this should only take about 20 minutes, so long as you get the split pins out! Of course you will need to jack it up and remove the front wheels.
The thing with this is you are removing shims, not inserting, so this makes it a bit easier, although I would get a selection of shims on a sale or return basis.
The other thing that might be worth checking is the steering column joints for play.
And of course a long shot but it might be the power steering box, out of adjustement, but if you decide to adjust this, be careful as this is rarely works and it just ends up as a new box.
Also out of pure curiosity, did you check the old damper, was it smooth or notchy?
Did you prime the new one?
Just throwing ideas in
Best of luck
Pete
the spring preload figures are the ones stated by LR.
In the initial post he makes no mention of the ball joints being loose, just that there is some play in the damper.
By all means check all the linkage, but I am sure you will find with a shake after hitting a bump that there is something wrong with the preload.
I think 6-7kg is way too excessive, and will cause all sorts of problems.
I would be tempted to check the swivel first, just disconnect all joints from the hub, and attach a spring balance and see, this should only take about 20 minutes, so long as you get the split pins out! Of course you will need to jack it up and remove the front wheels.
The thing with this is you are removing shims, not inserting, so this makes it a bit easier, although I would get a selection of shims on a sale or return basis.
The other thing that might be worth checking is the steering column joints for play.
And of course a long shot but it might be the power steering box, out of adjustement, but if you decide to adjust this, be careful as this is rarely works and it just ends up as a new box.
Also out of pure curiosity, did you check the old damper, was it smooth or notchy?
Did you prime the new one?
Just throwing ideas in
Best of luck
Pete
P
PHARAOHDISCO
Guest
Peter,
Where did you read that LR suggests the swivel preload setting to be 1-1.5kg on a spring balance scale? Let me know because I am going tp perform this task this week and many others agreed on this other thread that the preload should be aroung 6-7kg. Have a look at this other thread titled " Swivel Preload Setting ". I just brought it up again.
Where did you read that LR suggests the swivel preload setting to be 1-1.5kg on a spring balance scale? Let me know because I am going tp perform this task this week and many others agreed on this other thread that the preload should be aroung 6-7kg. Have a look at this other thread titled " Swivel Preload Setting ". I just brought it up again.
G
gummikuh
Guest
Hi Tarek
This is out of my LR technical manual, and just as a check it is also the same as qouted by the Haynes manual.
Hope this helps
Pete
This is out of my LR technical manual, and just as a check it is also the same as qouted by the Haynes manual.
Hope this helps
Pete
The old damper was kinda notchy. As for priming....if you mean extending and pressing the new damper in and out a few times...then yes. If that's not what you meant then let me be the idiot and ask what the proper method of priming a steering damper is? Maybe I didn't do it properly. ( I'm still kinda new to the LR world).
Didn't mean to start an arguement about preload settings. I've never done it but this is from a tech article I checked out on another site. It seems like solid tech advice as well.
The 96 Defender manual also says 1.16 - 1.46kg, after initial resistence is overcome. I wonder if the 6 - 7kg figure is the initial resistence.
Interestingly, for the Series swivel preload, the manual says 3.6 - 4.5kg. (8-10lbs)
Interestingly, for the Series swivel preload, the manual says 3.6 - 4.5kg. (8-10lbs)
P
PHARAOHDISCO
Guest
The LR technical manual says the resistance should be between 1.16-1.46kgs, however this is the setting with the swivel ball seal removed. Therefore, if I understand correctly the swivel ball setting of 6-7kgs is if the job is done with the seal in place and nothing is removed. Am I right?
Yes, you are right. The manual calls for lowered resistance as you realized without the seal and anything else attached, what they would call a bench-test, hence only the swivel housing connected to the swivel ball.
I did not use this approach, but instead reassembled and then tested.
I did not use this approach, but instead reassembled and then tested.