[V6-12v] The barn door steering sound cure

[Elliott Potter]

On Wed, 23 Jun 2004, Tom Christiansen wrote:

> Elliott,
>
> >What you were spraying is the steering damper, and if you can squeeze
> >your arm in there with something a bit heavier (oil), it will last
> >longer.
>
> Steering damper?? What is its purpose in life? What does it do?

It's a low-tech way to absorb road shock (prevent bump steer) and reduce
steering kickback (if you've ever been in a car with seriously
overassisted steering, you might notice that if you steer quickly to
lock and let go, the wheel "bounces" back away from lock).  It also
helps keep the steering wheel a bit more steady at high speeds.  Basically
it's an oil-filled shock absorber attached in parallel to the steering
rack.
You may have seen one on a seriously jacked-up pickup truck; it really
does look like a shock absorer.

Some basic info is at
http://www.koni.com/_bus_truck_trailer/_general_info/technology/steering.html

--
Elliott