Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Steering Damper

I have the Suplex but no steering damper. I don't think you would need it on models that were originally fitted with the thrust race bearing under the spring instead of the bronze damper blade. I don't know when Morgan changed but certainly the 2011/2012 had thrust races. When the thrust races were fitted Morgan changed the steering geometry (castor angle?) to reduce/eliminate shimmy.

I have the races fitted on my 2010 car. I did suffer from shimmy which might have been down to worn kingpins. Certainly it has gone now that they have been replaced and Suplex kit fitted. I wait with interest to see if the shimmy returns once the kingpins have bedded in! If it does, a damper is next on the list!

Bearings under the springs on the 2006 4/4

Spoke with PJB today, of Supex fame, he confirmed that in his opinion a Morgan having Suplex fitted that already has reaction plates and will be removed by the fitting of the Supex kit should have a steering damper fitted, he has one himself. Also if the car is susceptible to shimmy. I am still thinking about Suplex and hope to talk with Alan who has a +8 with Suplex.

Chatted with Peter of Suplex fame, he confirmed that any Morgan that has Suplex fitted and has the reaction plates removed should have a steering damper fitted. On his car he uses the VW damper a Merc SLK is an alternative, you can get brackets for various cars with different steering boxes from Geoff's shed I personally think the damper will benefit any MOG.

Those of you of a certain age may remember the Ford Anglia 105E's tendency for wheel wobble. This was blamed on the McPherson strut and steering box arrangement. My first car, a 105E suffered terribly from wobble, although it did have mismatched crossplies on the front. Anyway, when I bought a test failed car for the engine, it was fitted with a steering damper. These were off the shelf for Anglias. The U bolt fixed to the track rod and the bracket fitted to the lower edge of the wheel arch. As with the Morgan it transformed the steering - no wobble whatsoever.
My Roadster has never suffered wobble. At the start it has damper blades with heavyish steering, but after the Mulfab bearing conversion there was no wobble, even though the steering is significantly lighter. A tiny amount of front end nodding (with damper blades) was tuned out with extra clicks on the AVO's.

Hi Dave, what year is your Roadster? Do you know if is was built with 6 degrees castor, if so it is probably why you never got shimmy, nearly all wider tracked Morgans with no damper blades get it as they were built with 4 degress of castor, not sure when the factory started setting up Roadsters with 6 degrees though.

Rosie's shimmy was very minor, and is non-existant now, plus the benefit of damped kick back on bumps.

It's 2005 with 2007 stub axles..........

My -99 4/4 is now Suplex enhanced with no damper blades. At first I thought I had some shimmy but it turned out to be the rims (not the tyres as I thought earlier). Two new rims and there is no shimmy or shake what-so-ever at any speed. My rack & pinion steering is a bit lighter at low speed but a bit too light at speed. I think a steering damper will finish off the whole set up nicely.

The damper generally used is used on a old VW beetle.