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steering dampner

brownfoxx1

Active Member
'09, trike. 6k miles, 103 engine; steering dampner bolts vibrated loose. lost one, other broke off in the head.recommend others to drill safety-wire hole for .32 safety-wire. use longer bolt s w/ washer & anti-seize lube.
the saftey-wire will keep the bolts from backing completely out.
 
What you discovered is the downside of using steering dampner rather than determine what is causing the steering wobbles...! They require maintenance and make steering much slower unless adjusted "just" enough to control the shimmy/oscillation without degrading steering to much...AND be size properly so when you turn lock to lock, it is not the steering damper that is limiting the range, and the mounting taking all the stress.:(
 
Years ago the government spent millions on a study to find out why so many children were getting hurt on tricycles. The conclusion was "because they have three wheels". Money well spent.

Trikes are a breed all to themselves. They aren't motorcycles and they aren't cars and they don't handle like either one.

Back to rake and trail again. To make the trike stable at high speeds the rake is increased. The "every action has a reaction" to this is that at slow speeds, they tend to follow any little crack or imperfection in the road surface including crowns. Ride one at low speeds on a lawn and they want to t
go everywhere but straight ahead. It gives you a very uncomfortable feeling until you get used to it. The steering damper tends to take that "softness" out of the steering and also prevent the harmonic wobble from occuring. Depending on the rake/trail it could happen at high or low speed or both.

The old sidecar rigs used to have springers with adjustable rake for riding with or without the side car. Most of todays aftermarket trike makers are adjusting the trail number by raking the trees anywhere from 3 to 5 degrees, which is not the same as raking the neck the same amount. Way to much math to explain here.
 
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