Discovery 1 Steering Damper Relocation Brackets!
#1
Discovery 1 Steering Damper Relocation Brackets!
FOR SALE: Discovery 1 Steering Damper Relocation Brackets, I have two sets available. Price is $90 shipped per set, including all necessary mounting hardware.
Background: I have had several forum members approach me about my steering damper mod as seen here: https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...rackets-40527/ Specifically they want to know what it would cost for me to make them a set. So to simplify things I made two extra kits and am posting them here.
Details: these brackets are bent from ~ 1/4" and ~ 1/8" mild plate steel for the frame bracket and tie-rod bracket (respectively), fillet welded using MIG for reinforcement, sand blasted, painted in flat black base coat, and clear-coated for finish. I am not claiming they are DOT approved, nor am I assuming any liability, but I have tested my own set for over 150 miles of heavy off-road use and 300 miles on-road without failure.
Brackets are hand built and will have minor imperfections. However the pictures are representative. NOTE: hardware includes U-bolts to fit up to a 1-1/8" tie rod, since some aftermarket rods are smaller than stock. I bolted them on my stock 1" tie rod and they work fine as long as you don't over-tighten them.
EDIT: See post #4 for pricing.
Background: I have had several forum members approach me about my steering damper mod as seen here: https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...rackets-40527/ Specifically they want to know what it would cost for me to make them a set. So to simplify things I made two extra kits and am posting them here.
Details: these brackets are bent from ~ 1/4" and ~ 1/8" mild plate steel for the frame bracket and tie-rod bracket (respectively), fillet welded using MIG for reinforcement, sand blasted, painted in flat black base coat, and clear-coated for finish. I am not claiming they are DOT approved, nor am I assuming any liability, but I have tested my own set for over 150 miles of heavy off-road use and 300 miles on-road without failure.
Brackets are hand built and will have minor imperfections. However the pictures are representative. NOTE: hardware includes U-bolts to fit up to a 1-1/8" tie rod, since some aftermarket rods are smaller than stock. I bolted them on my stock 1" tie rod and they work fine as long as you don't over-tighten them.
EDIT: See post #4 for pricing.
Last edited by Mountain Goat; 04-11-2012 at 08:58 AM. Reason: Pricing
#3
Anyone for steering damper goodness? Maybe I should remind people of the atrocious stock location. Talk about easy to snag! When I installed my kit, I gained about an inch of axle clearance, all I need to worry about now is aiming the differential...
#4
I've had some extra shop time lately so I updated the design and dropped the price a bit on these. I have two complete sets available as of today.
Pricing:
A full set including hardware is now $70
A full set without hardware is $60
Either of the brackets without hardware (split up a set) for $40.
Price includes sandblasting, a primer basecoat, semi-gloss enamel paint top coat, and shipping within the US.
I decided to move the bracket forward, angle it, and offset the holes to allow for an extra 1/2" or so of suspension travel, which should really only be an issue if you go airborne (not recommended).
I've also eliminated the angle in the frame bracket since it was difficult to get a shallow enough bend, and I don't want to interfere with jounce. The tie rod brackets have remained the same. Note that if you over-tighten the tie rod brackets, they tend to deform slightly.
Here are three of the new frame brackets, sandblasted and unfinished:
Here are two frame brackets with primer and topcoat:
New frame bracket installed with my original tie rod bracket:
Closeup of new frame bracket:
Installation instructions:
Install as pictured. Washers are recommended on both sides so you don't pinch the frame and/or bracket out of shape. You can pinch the bracket directly to the frame (as I did) or place an extra washer behind the bracket on the upper bolt to avoid deformation. This is a matter of preference, the bracket will function correctly either way.
Use 7/16" grade 8 hardware or M12 grade 8.8 and nyloc washers. I don't have a torque spec but get them tight enough that they won't come loose accidentally. The holes in the bracket are 9/16" and the holes in the frame are roughly 1/2", so there is some intentional play to ensure fitment. Push the bracket upward while tightening the bolts to leave maximum clearance for the front tie rod.
I recommend measuring the collapsed and extended lengths of your steering damper, then averaging the two lengths to get a desired mounting length. Position the brackets accordingly. Once everything is installed, have a helper watch as you turn the wheels lock-to-lock to check clearance. Test drive. If installed properly, the driving feel should be identical to stock.
Pricing:
A full set including hardware is now $70
A full set without hardware is $60
Either of the brackets without hardware (split up a set) for $40.
Price includes sandblasting, a primer basecoat, semi-gloss enamel paint top coat, and shipping within the US.
I decided to move the bracket forward, angle it, and offset the holes to allow for an extra 1/2" or so of suspension travel, which should really only be an issue if you go airborne (not recommended).
I've also eliminated the angle in the frame bracket since it was difficult to get a shallow enough bend, and I don't want to interfere with jounce. The tie rod brackets have remained the same. Note that if you over-tighten the tie rod brackets, they tend to deform slightly.
Here are three of the new frame brackets, sandblasted and unfinished:
Here are two frame brackets with primer and topcoat:
New frame bracket installed with my original tie rod bracket:
Closeup of new frame bracket:
Installation instructions:
Install as pictured. Washers are recommended on both sides so you don't pinch the frame and/or bracket out of shape. You can pinch the bracket directly to the frame (as I did) or place an extra washer behind the bracket on the upper bolt to avoid deformation. This is a matter of preference, the bracket will function correctly either way.
Use 7/16" grade 8 hardware or M12 grade 8.8 and nyloc washers. I don't have a torque spec but get them tight enough that they won't come loose accidentally. The holes in the bracket are 9/16" and the holes in the frame are roughly 1/2", so there is some intentional play to ensure fitment. Push the bracket upward while tightening the bolts to leave maximum clearance for the front tie rod.
I recommend measuring the collapsed and extended lengths of your steering damper, then averaging the two lengths to get a desired mounting length. Position the brackets accordingly. Once everything is installed, have a helper watch as you turn the wheels lock-to-lock to check clearance. Test drive. If installed properly, the driving feel should be identical to stock.
Last edited by Mountain Goat; 03-26-2012 at 07:32 PM. Reason: Adding installation instructions
#9
I have one more complete set. Note that these require Pro-Comp or any steering stabilizer that has a stud on each end.