3" Suspension Lift - Tracking??

A steering damper goes between the chassis and the drag link and adds some friction, hopefully reducing the wobble at the hubs.

The steering is actually damped by friction at the hub swivel housing.

Series LandRovers are prone to the wobble, and nasty wandering, caused by loose kingpin bearings. You are supposed to set them up with a spring balance to measure the pull at the steering arm to move them. Tightening, called pre-loading the bearings increases the friction, and prevents the wobble. (I fitted a damper to mine, not to reduce wobble, but to try and reduce kickback at the wheel off road. TIP: never let your thumbs hook around the wheel rim, if you hit something the wheel will turn and break them off.)

On a Suzuki, the kingpins are helped by the large rubber seal that goes around the ball joint. As well as keeping out dirt, it increases the friction at the swivel, and reduces wobble.


Larger wheels, with more offset, or spacers, make wobble much more likely.

Some people tighten up the kingpin bearings so much that they wear out in 5 minutes in an effort to stop wobble.

Obviously, wheels that are bent, running out of true, have half a field stuck to the inside of the rim or are well out of balance have an effect too. Some people report that corrosion builds up on the hubs and makes the wheel out of true, watch for this.


Bottom line:
1) balance wheels. Make sure they are bolted to a flange on the machine. The tyre place will try and use a cone affair that only uses the centre hole on the wheel if you let them, these don't work on our wheels, because it is the bolt holes that centre the wheel, not the centre hole like a normal car.
2) adjust kingpins to book.
3) renew ball seals.
4) if you must, fit a damper for the final belt & braces touch.

There is not that much resistance in the swivel on a Jimny. There is not supposed to be a need to use shims on the kingpins to give more tightness on the kingpin bearings but as Martin has documented, Suzuki has started to do them and Martin can supply them through the shop.

They are supposed the just bolt up to the required torque and be correct. The SJ's used to have shims and then you had to shim them to the correct pre-load with a spring balance to check it.

The rubber swivel seal does not add much resistance realy, not enough to make a noticable difference.

The symptom we are talking about here is steering wheel wobble, where is goes from left to right at it's own will usually at a set speed.

A steering damper ight supress this somewhat.

The other issue is shaking or vibration which could be due to the corrosion on the hub, out of balance wheels etc.

Worn kingpin or wheel bearings could contribute to either of these symptoms.

So replacing everyting and doing it properly to book spec is the only sure way of solving it and then add a steering damper if it is still there, which it might well be!

Kirkynut