Pastycrimper Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Just been doing a quick browse on Paddocks and Devon4x4 and notice that there is quite a variety of type and price for steering dampers ranging from £11.70 (Britpart cheapest) to £100 (HD type Old man emu). Also noticed a "return to centre" Terrafirma option which I assume does what it says?? I'm not a serious offroader (pay and play style) but I do drive the vehicle a lot off road on our farm and others in Cornwall. Would love to understand what the different types actually mean regarding the feel of steering (e.g gas, cellular dynamic(!??)). All opinions welcomed...... Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Wilson Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 In a nutshell, a really cheap one will work but won't last long in any setting. If you go off-roading a lot (including farm work) it will probably fail quite quickly. A mid-range item will be slightly more refined on the road, and put up with a good few years of occasional off-roading. The HD items are more for people who off-road a lot, or for overland travels across difficult terrain, where the steering takes a beating and so does the driver. These dampers can take the abuse and save the driver a bit of fatigue. That RTC item, I think, is very much overkill for you. I think they are intended more for people with huge tyres and suspension lifts where the castor angle has been altered (it's the castor angle that causes the vehicle to naturally RTC). I would get a decent (emu, decarbon..etc) damper and spend the extra money elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landy andy. Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 As above. Good advice. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris113 Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Despite having 285 muds and a 2.5 inch lift (castor corrected), the terrafirma rtc made no difference over a normal damper. It also has a habit of the spring twisting out of it's collar. Several other friends have it on standard 90s and again it's made no great difference, except in the case of my friend running 35 inch tyres and a 4 inch lift. Next time I will just go for an OME damper. Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 OME damper on my 110, works very well, self centring coming out of corners/bends is very good, your welcome to pop over & have a drive locally to see/feel if it's to our likeing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastycrimper Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 Thanks people. Out of interest I've searched the main sites and the only OME damper I can find is the HD variety on D4x4 at £100......I was assuming there would be non-HD emu dampers but still good quality however I cant find any....any ideas or am I just missing the correct retailer? I'm assuming you can get decent dampers for less than £100. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
q-rover Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 I find the standard item is sufficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 I drove about for a few weeks with my unbalenced 265/75 muds and never noticed any difference from taking the standared damper off and fitting a possibly uprated blistein? red damper some time later when i had swapped to HD steering rods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 I use a cheap and cheerful Britpart steering damper on my challenge truck (35 inch Simex) and 90 (225 something or other). Been running the one on the 90 for 2 years, mostly road use but some green laning. The one on the challenge motor has been on for just over a year, some road use, challenge comps, club trials and green laning. It does the job and I won't begrudge replacing it if I bend it It has completely eradicated the "death wobble" from the Simex so does the job OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastycrimper Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 Mixed views then. It is the type of item that if it does the job then I'd go for the cheapest option. It re-opens the whole Britpart debate - I really wish there was a thread/list that people could add to, stating which Britpart parts are a definite no no and those which aren't and serve the purpose OK. For instance I (and many others) would warn away from any Britpart alternator - they are useless - the bodies/housings are clealry made from poor patterns and terrible metal compound that vary from box to box. I know because after one I bought failed after 400miles (and didn't even fit precisely) I looked at three brand new BP alternators (same part number) and each had visible differences. YET and in possible defence of BP there are clearly some items that do what they say on the cover and work/last perfectly fine. Personally there's nothing more annoying than fitting a part that fails well before its expected lifetime....but equally theres noting more annoying than paying over the odds for OEM parts that aren't mega-essential (e.g. wiper motor assembly). For me things like water pumps/timing belts/ etc are the type of items that I'd pay good money for an OEM part. But a steering damper???....the £12 Britpart option sounds like a deal. Perhaps I shoud ask the question " Has anyone bought a Britpart Steering Damper that has failed prematurely for no good reason (i.e you weren't hammering up a rocky mountain)"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Wilson Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Perhaps I shoud ask the question " Has anyone bought a Britpart Steering Damper that has failed prematurely for no good reason (i.e you weren't hammering up a rocky mountain)"? Yes. Mine lasted <8 months of strictly road use. I put a deCarbon damper on in it's place which lasted 3 years (it got goosed by a broken drop-arm joint) and gave a slightly smoother drive too. I'm now on my second deCarbon damper. My Britpart rule of thumb is: if it has moving parts, go OEM. If it doesn't, Britpart will be OK. Seems to work for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I think my 22 year old 110 still has whatever steering damper it came out of the factory with and there is nothing wrong with the steering on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 £100 for a steering damper? Must be mad!! I went from a standard one on my old RRC to a Bilstein wizzy one and the change was, err, unnoticeable! Get a genuine parts one - it will be fine for your application and will be dirt cheap. I would avoid Britpart for anything that seals or moves - they don't seem to have grasped those concepts just yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidW Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I bought an Armstong branded one which are cheap, not Britpart and I I think the OEM? Seems fine a year leter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I've got an Armstrong too and seems fine a year in - thats with light offroad driving and 8k on road driving. The main quibble i have with Britpart is that some of there simpler parts are made reasonable well, but you get stupid things happen like screw pitches don't quite line up and sloppy sizing of stuff, so it makes it a pain to fit, or it doesn't fit at all. So if the part falls out of any of those catagories, (critical size, safety, critical reliability) then you may find summit that works, but just be prepared for it to fail, and when it doesn't after a year, it makes you happy! So go for a Britpart steering damper, it it fails its not the end of the world and just don;t get another one from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 So go for a Britpart steering damper, it it fails its not the end of the world and just don;t get another one from them. Or if it does fail, just get it replaced indefinately on their 24 month guaruntee - i dont expect any of their parts to last 24 months, so you should have new dampers for life that way! Depends if you want to spend more or less time under the truck swapping parts out though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Depends if you want to spend more or less time under the truck swapping parts out though Also very true, hence why I don't usually go BP unless its an emergancy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmerboy_y2k Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I've always fitted Armstrong ones when i've need to replace one and they've been fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landy andy. Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Gwyn Lewis does OME Heavy duty for £62, and Armstrong http://www.gwynlewis4x4.co.uk/page79.html Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicks90 Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 i had a knackered steering damper on my 90 for about 2 years before getting around to replacing it (spewed all the oil out, and not something the MOT man can actually check thankfully). but as my swivel preload was accurate and my bushes in good condition and not running a lift, i didnt get any excessive steering feedback with no damping. If i really whacked into something offroad it gave a bump, but nothing horrible. Put a new one on, only because i got a new set of shocks and it was included, and have noticed virtually NO DIFFERENCE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roverdrive Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 One vote for De carbon here. Fitted over four years ago, and was used for trialling. Still doing the biz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voevod Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Yes,I fitted a BP one which lasted only a few hundred miles before leaking.Replaced it with DeCarbon,fit it and forget it and not too pricey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastycrimper Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 Thanks everybody! Think I'll go for a DeCarbon or Armstrong as they're cheap and have good comments here. I've got an Armstrong too and seems fine a year in - thats with light offroad driving and 8k on road driving. The main quibble i have with Britpart is that some of there simpler parts are made reasonable well, but you get stupid things happen like screw pitches don't quite line up and sloppy sizing of stuff, so it makes it a pain to fit, or it doesn't fit at all. So if the part falls out of any of those catagories, (critical size, safety, critical reliability) then you may find summit that works, but just be prepared for it to fail, and when it doesn't after a year, it makes you happy! So go for a Britpart steering damper, it it fails its not the end of the world and just don;t get another one from them. I wont be going for the BP one but I TOTALLY agree with your BP "category philosophy". The BP alternator I had just didn't quite fit, needed too much elbow grease and probably left the pully slightly unaligned which had knock on effects with the whole belt system!!!!! My Britpart rule of thumb is: if it has moving parts, go OEM. If it doesn't, Britpart will be OK. Seems to work for me. I like this concept too! Simple and logical! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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