Thread: Bilstein steering damper - I'm sick of it.

Originally Posted by Redback

I have read through this and other threads on steering dampers, 4WD1 have the Ironman damper for $121 delivered, so I thought bugger it and have bought it, I read the dramas some were having with the bilsteins and I really didn't want an RTC damper so Ironman it is, it's 50/50 with a foam cell construction and 35mm bore size, desighned for extended offroad situations, which is what we do.

Baz.

This is what I have fitted to my disco baz

funny this thread popped back up ,as i am experiecing same issues with my bilstien on my D2 am about to put a tough dog one in

Originally Posted by Tank

If any brand Damper causes the vehicle to veer off the straight and narrow then there is something wrong with the suspension/steering setup on the vehicle, the damper is just multiplying the effects of a worn or out of adjustment front end, Regards Frank.

Sorry Tank, have to disagree with this statement. If the length of the dampner straight out of the box is longer than the space to fit it to the vehicle, then the vehicle will no longer be able to track straight ahead.

I think all of the cases mentioned in this thread, the vehicle has veered to the right. If however there was less gas in the dampner causing the dampner to be shorter than the fixing points then the vehicle would veer to the left (assuming that the dampner is fitted between the track rod and the diff like on classic rangies).

Originally Posted by GuyG

Sorry Tank, have to disagree with this statement. If the length of the dampner straight out of the box is longer than the space to fit it to the vehicle, then the vehicle will no longer be able to track straight ahead.

I think all of the cases mentioned in this thread, the vehicle has veered to the right. If however there was less gas in the dampner causing the dampner to be shorter than the fixing points then the vehicle would veer to the left (assuming that the dampner is fitted between the track rod and the diff like on classic rangies).

What ??

re-read my post from 11/4/09.
Bilstein, Koni and de-Carbon are all mono tube steering dampers, so, regardless of how low or high the gas pressure is (even if only 1psi) they will continue to extend until they top out.

This isn't a problem unless something in the system (either too high gas pressure, too low swivel pre-load, etc) is out of balance.

Think of it this way, if the extending force (which is the area of the piston rod multiplied by the gas pressure) exceeds the drag of the swivel preload and the tyre/road interface friction, it will self steer the car (as some have recounted)

If the swivel pre-load is OK or they haven't overdone it with the sherry at the shock factory and over pressurised the damper, the vehicle drives straight, as many of us with Bilstein steering dampers can attest.
I can take my hands of the wheel on a straight road (no camber) and the car drives straight (which I wish our Patrol did......well, it sort of does)

Originally Posted by rick130

What ??

re-read my post from 11/4/09.
Bilstein, Koni and de-Carbon are all mono tube steering dampers, so, regardless of how low or high the gas pressure is (even if only 1psi) they will continue to extend until they top out.

This isn't a problem unless something in the system (either too high gas pressure, too low swivel pre-load, etc) is out of balance.

Think of it this way, if the extending force (which is the area of the piston rod multiplied by the gas pressure) exceeds the drag of the swivel preload and the tyre/road interface friction, it will self steer the car (as some have recounted)

If the swivel pre-load is OK or they haven't overdone it with the sherry at the shock factory and over pressurised the damper, the vehicle drives straight, as many of us with Bilstein steering dampers can attest.
I can take my hands of the wheel on a straight road (no camber) and the car drives straight (which I wish our Patrol did......well, it sort of does)

I've read your reply, but it makes no difference to my answer or my experience with the unit. When I spoke to the supplier they said that they could have some of the gas removed, it was easier to just fit another dampner (different brand) - problem solved.

I was able to have the bilstein dampner refitted when we installed a maxi drive heavy duty track rod because where the dampner mounts to the track rod is adjustable to take into account the extra length of the bilstein dampner over what was previously used - again problem solved

I think you've hit the nail on the head, clearly it would seem that there are batches of bilsteins steering dampners that have been over pressurised at the factory which are causing the problems which people are experiencing. This is confirmed by the supplier saying they could have some gas removed from the one I purchased.

I find it interesting that many people have found exactly the same issue after fitting the bilstein dampner, then the issue has gone when a different one is fitted, yet there are those who continue to not believe that it could in fact just be an issue with the dampner itself.

Anyway, its no longer an issue for me as the bilstein dampner was damaged when 4wding and is on its way to scrap metal. I won't be getting another one.

Guy, I have had Bilstien dampers on 3 Disco's with no problem whatsoever, fitted one to my next door neighbours 93 Disco, also no problem, it took me (106kgs) and my son (120kgs) to compress and fit these dampers, they all run straight as a die, as do the majority of bilstien fitted Disco's, if your's or anyone elses steers itself, then there is something wrong with your front end, not the damper, Regards Frank.

Originally Posted by GuyG

I've read your reply, but it makes no difference to my answer or my experience with the unit.
[snip]

Your longer and shorter examples threw me, as regardless of the gas pressure the unit will continue to extend, it can never be 'shorter' as you put.

Originally Posted by GuyG

[snip]
clearly it would seem that there are batches of bilsteins steering dampners that have been over pressurised at the factory
[snip]

This has definitely happened with Delphi de Carbon's in the past, there was a spate reported on LR4x4 a few years back (or it might have been the old LRE forum that pre-dated it) where people were literally running in circles the gas pressure was that high, the dampers were forcing the steering onto full lock.
Funnily enough a few went to Bilstein without issue.