Steering dampers

The steering damper plays an important role for both you and your 4x4. It is an integral part of the steering system and ensures your safety. All the more reason to take an interest in it!

We can say that its primary functions are to attenuate and protect. It must absorb and work with the pivotal movements of the front wheels in order to avoid any swerving and other knocks and returns of the steering wheel. Just like the wheel of a supermarket trolley, the front wheels of a vehicle tend to head off course when they encounter an obstacle.

For example, when one of your front wheels encounters a hole, a stone or any obstacle big enough to disrupt its trajectory, the wheel will tend to want to pivot on itself. The force then exerted can cause a slight "shock wave" through to the steering wheel, usually followed by a slight change of course that you must correct.

The steering damper is there to slow down these parasitic movements, so you don't have to fight with the steering wheel. What is true for a normal car, is all the more true for our 4x4s that we put into challenging off-road conditions.

But the steering damper doesn't just make the ride smoother, it also serves to protect the mechanics and your fingers! When you’re out in the wilds, chances are one of your front wheels might come up against an obstacle. If there is a sudden shock the steering gear might get pushed and this can be transmitted right back to the steering wheel and your hands! The steering damper acts as a buffer and “dampens” the effect of a sudden shock and can help to avoid breakage or loss of control of the steering wheel. 

That's why you should always keep your thumbs on the rim of the steering wheel and not toward the inside!

Stock steering dampers are generally quite well calibrated and in normal use they perform very well.

However, there are reinforced or heavy-duty options available. They are generally harder than their stock equivalent and are recommended for those who like to ride quickly on track or for those who compete or travel overland.

It is also recommended to mount a reinforced model when you fit bigger tyres , because the forces and shocks through the steering system are amplified accordingly.

Detecting a tired steering damper while driving is not easy, you have to be particularly familiar with your vehicle's reactions and often push it to its limits to begin to suspect a problem. Most of the time, the symptoms appear very gradually making the diagnosis quite tricky.

It is rare for a steering damper to fail outright. Generally, the vehicle sees its ability to steer straight affected and the wheels wobble and vibrate more and more regularly and more and more strongly.

Out on the road, and even more significantly when you're off-road, a shuddering sensation through the steering wheel becomes more and more apparent., the steering becomes vague and you will need to work harder to keep on track.

Thankfully, it is very easy to remove a steering damper so you can check it out on the bench.

Here are a few examples of steering dampers from our catalogue:

Steering dampers

Heavy-duty steering dampers

Please note: Euro4x4Parts publishes this information to help its customers but cannot be held responsible for the advice given here and practical consequences that ensue. 

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