FH steering damper

[Martin K]

I’ve cleaned up the rather grubby (!) collection of bits that came out of the gloom under the bottom yoke - piccie shows the order it all came off in.

It’s now lovely and clean, and reassembled in that order. Only problem is - it simply doesn’t work. With the lovely black knob turned so tight it won’t go further, there is no damping whatsoever - the star washer still rotates freely, no grip at all.

Was my original missing something? I’ve order the raised nut from drags (back order) as the one fitted is a normal nut. Could that have something to do with it?

Should there be another friction plate somewhere to take up the obvious slack?

A bit stumped as to how it all works. A return piccie of a working one would be welcome, or usual high standard advice and guidance from gentlemen of this parish.

Cheers

Martin

[keith.mettam]

Martin it will never work covered in grease ! The parts should be grease free and dry. Wash it all off in petrol or brake cleaner. Star washer should not be free when the steering damper is used as it applies spring pressure to the friction assembly for the damping effect. Have you all the right parts shown for the complete unit in the Draganfly parts diagram ? Link:- https://draganfly.co.uk/product-categor ... pic-forks/
Also are the threads all good ?
Regards,
Keith.

[Mick D]

Hi Martin

That looks the same as mine, a few thoughts:

The lower fixed plate pivot bolt needs to be just nipped up to allow the plate to move
There is an array of washers and a spring under the black knob, do you have these installed - see Draganfly for details: https://draganfly.co.uk/wp-content/uplo ... scopic.png
The friction assembly needs to be free of oil etc.

I turned up a stepped nut from a basic one - easy if you know someone with a lathe but you could just fill the annular space with a small washer or even an O ring temporarily.

Steering Damper Rod.png (61.91 KiB) Viewed 634 times

Regards Mick

[Martin K]

Thanks gents - all parts clean, friction disc gently sanded to bring back friction material, all parts as per drags picture, all threads perfect (used the right die, and everything).

Doesn’t seem to be any of that then.

Maybe adding a small washer (or using a correct stepped nut) might make it. Also allowing the plate to move will help, that might’ve been too tight.

Many thanks

[simon.holyfield]

Could you post a picture of the assembly?

[Mick D]

Hi Martin

You need to confirm the headstock / bearing assembly too as a missing washer etc. could affect the clamp up of the damper.

Another thought, is the damper rod correct for your model?

Regards Mick

[JohnnyBeckett]

hi i got a new complete steering damper at kempton park motorcycle jumble for £20 pounds and it's got a knob with Ariel on it

[paul.jameson]

You appear to be missing a friction plate and a plain plate. Order of assembly, from the top down is :

underside of lower fork yoke
friction plate
plain plate with lugs for bolt through steering head on frame
friction plate
Plain plate with tag at 90 degrees which goes into slot in lower fork yoke

But I don't know why it doesn't fit as my KH is missing the same two parts!

[will_curry]

My parts list for the Huntmaster only lists one friction plate.

As far as I'm aware there was only ever one damper rod assembly whether
one or two friction plates were fitted.

Measuring a damper rod assembly in situ and fully up there is 1/8" of the biggest
diameter of the rod still showing at the damper end. At the knob end the thread is 3/4"
long and there is 1" of rod and thread proud above the top of the steering column - not
the top nut.

[david.anderson]

Earlier Ariels were fitted with 2 friction plates in the steering damper, However the damper was so effective that it was easy to lock the steering. As a safety measure Ariel removed a friction plate and the tab steel plate from the assembly. While still effective as a steering damper, it was then virtually impossible to lock the steering. Not sure what year that happened but my 52 VH has the extra plates but my 57 VH does not.
Is the damper rod too long and bottoming in the damper knob (cheap copy) before tightening the damper. Some of the aftermarket damper knobs that I have seen have the plastic extending below the embedded and threaded steel bush, rather than the steel bush standing proud. The only other problem could be is the slotted brass member at the bottom, is it bottoming on the pin through the bottom yoke.
David
Edit. actually in the photo that you have posted the pin that drifts into the bottom yoke, through the slotted brass member is missing?