Steering rack damper - purpose and installation rules
Content
Installing a steering rack damper not only improves ride comfort over rough terrain, but also leads to conflicts with the traffic police, new car dealers and insurance companies. Therefore, before carrying out such an upgrade, weigh all the pros and cons, because if you become the culprit of an accident, you will have to pay all the damage at your own expense, and the car will be temporarily suspended registration.
Cars with electric power steering (EUR) have one significant drawback - their steering is noticeably stiffer than that of a vehicle with power steering (HPS). This is due to the design of the EUR, so the only way to improve driving comfort in difficult conditions is to install a steering rack damper.
How does power steering work
To understand how the damper works, you first need to learn how the power steering works, because these devices use the same effect, so we recommend that you carefully read this article (power steering rack device). When the distributor torsion bar is bent, oil enters one of the cylinders, moving the rack and pinion and thereby eliminating the bending of the torsion bar and the resulting distributor bore alignment. The wheel, when hitting an unevenness, receives not only a vertical, but also a horizontal impulse, which leads to a shift in the steering rods and a slight movement of the toothed shaft (rod) of the rack.
The torsion bar, under the influence of this impulse, bends, after which the distributor holes coincide again and the hydraulic booster compensates for it. This is due to the fact that the torsion bar is attached at one end to the steering wheel shaft (steering wheel), so even a slight turn of the wheels in the other direction causes a reaction of the power steering, which seeks to eliminate the bending of the torsion bar. As a result, even a strong impact on the wheel results in only a slight movement of the steering wheel, which is necessary for the driver to feel the road.
This is how the steering rack works
The electric booster works on a similar principle, that is, it reacts to the difference in the position of the steering wheel and the toothed rack shaft, but due to its higher speed, it cannot compensate for suspension shocks as effectively. The situation is even more serious in cars without power steering or EUR, where any blow to the wheel leads to a jerk of the steering wheel, which, in especially severe cases, breaks out of the fingers.
How a damper works
In fact, the damper is a conventional oil shock absorber, in which the resistance to the movement of the rod is proportional to the speed of its movement. The impulse generated during the impact of the wheel on the obstacle is fed through the rod to the steering rack. If this element is installed on it, then the work of the power steering is duplicated, that is, an attempt to sharply move the rod is compensated by a sharply increasing resistance of the damper, that is, approximately the same thing happens as in the hydraulic booster, but according to a different principle. That is, the driver, without losing touch with the road, gets rid of sharp steering strokes.
The effectiveness of the installation of the steering damper is confirmed by statistics - this device is included in most configurations of foreign cars of the middle and higher price ranges, in addition, it is even installed on the UAZ Patriot, where the mechanism provides a significant increase in controllability. But, its effectiveness directly depends on the condition of the suspension, if it is worn out and needs repair, and also if the damper itself is tired and works unevenly, then the car's handling drops sharply and driving it turns into a lottery.
How to install it on the "Lada Granta" and other front-wheel drive cars "VAZ"
The method of installing the steering rack damper depends on the configuration of this device and the fasteners supplied with it, but the general principle of installation is as follows - one end of the shock absorber is screwed through an adapter to the same holes as both steering rods, and the second is fixed in one of two places, then have to:
- plate under the platform for the battery;
- bracket screwed to the same studs that fix the steering gear housing to the car body.
In the first case, together with the shock absorber, a flat plate with holes and 2 washers is supplied, in the second, the corresponding bracket.
To install the steering damper on the "Grant", "Priora" or any other front-wheel drive "VAZ" in the first way, do this:
- Disconnect the battery and remove it.
- Unscrew the bolts, then remove its platform.
- Unbend the fixing petals of the nuts of the steering rods. If you find it inconvenient to work due to poor access, remove the air filter from the air duct.
- Loosen the tie rod nuts.
- Remove the pressure and fixing plates.
- Replace pressure plate with shock absorber adapter.
- Reinstall the fixing plate.
- Screw, then tighten the nuts and fix them with the tabs of the plate.
- Install the plate and washers from the kit under the battery pad.
- Lock the battery pad.
- Screw the second end of the damper to this plate.
- Reinstall, then connect the battery.
Steering gear "Priora" with installed damper
The same method is suitable for the vast majority of budget foreign cars. To install the damper in the second way, follow steps 1-8 of the previous list, then proceed as follows:
- unscrew the nuts securing the right steering bracket to the body;
- install the bracket from the kit over the bracket or instead of the bracket;
- screw the bracket with new M8 self-locking nuts (do not use old nuts, they do not lock well);
- follow steps 10 and 12 from the previous list.
In terms of complexity, both methods are approximately the same. Therefore, the final result depends on the characteristics and workmanship of the shock absorber.
If none of the methods worked for you, because it did not provide enough free access to the steering mechanism, then remove the air filter and receiver, then maximum access to the bolts that fix the rods will open. When you put the receiver in place, check the condition of the seals, if they are even slightly damaged, replace them.
Vehicle with damper installed
The consequences of installing a damper
Most of those who have installed such a device for themselves note that the operation of the steering mechanism has become more comfortable, and when driving over bumps, the steering wheel does not pull out of their fingers. But, such tuning of a car is a change in the design of the vehicle, which means that it is formally illegal, that is, in the event of an accident and an examination, CASCO and OSAGO insurance are canceled, and car registration will be suspended until you return everything to its original state.
If the accident occurs through your fault, then the result of the cancellation of the insurance will be the need to pay all the damage from your own pocket. Regardless of the degree of guilt in the accident, the traffic police inspector will write you a fine for illegally making changes to the design of the vehicle. Also, installing a steering rack damper will void your vehicle warranty. If this device is discovered by an inspector during a technical inspection, which is mandatory when buying a car, then you will have to remove the damper, otherwise you will not be able to register it.
Cancellation of the OSAGO policy is one of the consequences of installing a steering damper
Conclusion
Installing a steering rack damper not only improves ride comfort over rough terrain, but also leads to conflicts with the traffic police, new car dealers and insurance companies. Therefore, before carrying out such an upgrade, weigh all the pros and cons, because if you become the culprit of an accident, you will have to pay all the damage at your own expense, and the car will be temporarily suspended registration.
