Steering damper

Introduction

This is a popular upgrade, particularly on lifted Jimnys, that can improve the vehicles road manners.

All serious all terrain vehicles have factory installed steering dampers. Suzuki's vehicles do not, although they need it badly because they are so bumpy and twitchy. Suzuki probably skimped on that for cost reasons.

Benefits, issues and risks

If you install a steering damper, it will significantly improve the steering feel. The steering in a Jimny is generally very light. With a steering damper, it will feel heavier in a positive sense (like you are driving a proper big 4WD vehicle), but will not be hard.

Also, vehicle's "twitchy" behavior at dodgy tarmac roads will be significantly softened, and the shake while driving on gravel roads will be significantly cushioned.

Having a steering damper should not negatively affect the life expectancy of the power steering system elements, as they are designed to turn the wheels with much more resistance than this steering damper actually adds.

However, steering dampers do not eliminate Death Wobble, the frequency of the shake exceeds the damping capacity of the damper. You will need to cure the Death Wobble properly. The main issue that a damper cures is "tramlining" which is where the steering heads off in its own direction due to ridges in the road (as found on the inside lane of British motorways)

Beware that you might require vehicle recertification in some countries in order to make your modification road legal.

Solution

There are several steering dampers available around, which can be utilized on a Jimny.

If you don't want anything flashy, the ordinary steering dampers made for Land Rover Discovery 1 have been found to be quite satisfactory, and they are usually cheap to buy online. One such steering damper is Armstrong STC786.

Since Jimny has no mounts for the steering damper, there are several "bolt on" kits available to buy, but you can also weld on your own pieces of metal to make the mounts if you have that skill and do not mind to "burn" the vehicle.

Typical chassis rail bracket

A typical bracket that bolts to the chassis rail to fit one end of damper, these are a bolt on solution rather than welding.

Typical steering arm bracket

A typical bracket that bolts to the steering bars to fit other end of damper.

Steering bar fitment detail

Detail of damper fitted to steering bar.

Typical steering arm bracket

Detail of damper fitted to chassis rail.

Typical steering damper fitted

Fully fitted damper using a Discovery Series 1 damper.