Steering damper washers?

[reluctantartist]

When I took the old steering damper off I think there were washers but a lot of it had rusted. The haynes and clymer says they are lock washers and it looked like I had a partial toothed lock washer on the bolts (what was left). Is that the correct type of washer if there are washers or should I be using flat or spring washers. I need one on the small end and two on the larger end?

Thanks
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1982 Westy, 1974 412 Variant... Yes, Aircooled's are great! Oh and I do have modern computer controlled vehicles too, but I just don't care about them.

[raygreenwood]

The large end or eye....used a single split lock washer on everyone I have seen. You can also use a Schnoor ribbed washer.
The little end was odd. It effectively uses a stud that threads through from the bottom through the centerlink and a lock nut on that.
I will have to look at mine this evening. Its in a tray on the bench at the moment. Ray

[raygreenwood]

Ok.....here is what I have....and what I found in the books......and what I found in my little black book that is a driving and maintenance log covering 4 chassis I have owned and about 300k miles.

As with several other details on the type 4 front suspension. ...what came from the factory is ....adequate....but not ideal.
On the big end which is the left end bush attached to the front sub frame.....has the bolt screwing in from the top. It has a single split lock washer under the bolt head.
The books also show a washer on the bottom side ....but does not list it in the part #s. So I will open the factory part file later and see whether its lock washer or plain washer.

But...from my book notes, there needs to be a washer of about .060" minimum thickness between the bushing and the subframe.....or else larger diameter dampeners may rub and scuff on the frame.

The other part about this in my notes....is that having the lock washer on top locks the bolt to the bushing tube....the pressure locks the bushing tube to the spacer washer underneath....all of which clamps the bushing tube tight so it cannot turn. This means that what little angular movement there is of the dampener body....rotates the rubber bushing around the tube. Its not ideal but I have never worn a bushing out.

The lock washer must be good on the top side....or I have found that lots of city driving on rough streets can work the bolt loose. So....ideally the steel bushing inserted into the rubber eye should have a graphite lubricant on it.

The stupid part is this. On the other end .....the small metal cranked arm that bolts to the bushing ....lists in the books as a single bolt that screws upward from the bottom through the bushing eye in the centerlink....into the little cranked end piece. It shows a single lock washer under the bolt head.

Here are the problems I have found over the years with this one......there are basically four brands of dampener.....boge, sachs, cofap and some odd mexican brand. Not all of them seem to be the same thread. It appears from my notes that the Sachs and the new mexi ones...have a fine thread and the others have a coarse thread.

The factory stock (generally Sachs) was a fine thread from my notes. The issues are that the original bolt part going through the bushing ....if it was threaded on the whole bolt ....it was loose between the walls of the bushing.

Further......if you used a non-fully threaded bolt...which fit the bushing tightly and didnt rattle....which makes it come loose a lot......the gap between the bolt head and the beginning of the thread must be exact or very close.....or the thread bottoms out before the whole stack up....bolt, bushing and metal arm on top. ..gets tight.

Further...adding washers under the bolt head....more than just the lock washer....causes two problems:
1. It makes the bolt head out too far on the botto.....which by my notes from long ago....can make it scrape in some area on the suspension sub frame....but worse makes the lock washer not secure.....so the bolt works loose....which is damn dangerous because it can get caught on the subframe and lock your steering.

From my notes.....there are several options:



2.if the original bolt is not available......find a partially threaded bolt that is not too hard and use a die to carefully thread it to the right length so it locks properly.

1. Use the original bolt if you can.

2. Find a partially threaded bolt of the right length that is not too hard and use a die to carefully add more thread so it locks properly.

3. This is the route I took. Get a partially threaded bolt of the correct diameter and correct thread. Cut the head off. Thread the bottom end to fit a lock nut. Put a lock washer under yhe nut. Only put enough threads on the bottom end of the bolt so that the locknut gets full thread into its depth...and then locks....so you can thread it upward and tighten it down into the metal arm end.

What this does...is if the lock nut ever comes loose....which with locknut and lock washer I have not had it do......the lock nut and washer will simply fall off....and the threaded stud will still stay in the bushing without allowing the dampener to swing loose and jam your steering....or have a bolt that can fall out the bottom and jam the steering.
Ray

[reluctantartist]

Thanks ray. I have a 412 parts catalog and it is showing that the 2 washers used on the big end are the same it doesn't give the actual part number though. Also the diagram shows two washers used on the small end : one under the bolt head and one between the center link and the small end of the steering damper. It is supposedly the same type of washer as on the large end of the damper.
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1982 Westy, 1974 412 Variant... Yes, Aircooled's are great! Oh and I do have modern computer controlled vehicles too, but I just don't care about them.

[raygreenwood]

Yes....finally looked at the parts book. The problem with this set up from my notes is that the wsher thicknesses must be exact. If you make that bolt up tight it cant flex as the suspension angle changes. The bolt works loose. Its why I went to a screw in stud locktighted into the little end. Then a locknut on the bottom so neither end can come loose. Ray

[reluctantartist]

If I understand right then I should only put lock washer on the bolt head and locktight the threads?
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1982 Westy, 1974 412 Variant... Yes, Aircooled's are great! Oh and I do have modern computer controlled vehicles too, but I just don't care about them.

[raygreenwood]

I think that should work. Locktight the threads for sure...but I am afraind of putting a lockwasher on it.
Since mine is on the workbench and will not be reinstalled for a while.....you may have to rezearch this one on your car.

The issue: as the centerlink moves back and forth.....does the steering damper change angle with relation to the centerlink? If it does.....it means that the small end rotates some small amount. If the bolt is locked into the threads of the small end with lock tite....which is good.....and the head of the bolt is locked to the centerlink bushing by the lockwasher.....as the part rotates it may unscrew the bolt from the threads on the small end of the damper.

With no other evidence right now....I would just do it the way you suggest.....lock tite and lock washer. But keep an eye on it. Its clear from my notes and from what is in mine that I had issues with keeping the bolt tight.