| Author | Message | ||
     Tobandeira |
hi i just assemble an LSL steering damper.... and ended up with a small doubt. Under severe braking will the steering damper touch the front fender???? could someone clarify this question please | ||
| Barkandbite |
I can't clarify the question, but perhaps I can attempt an answer....  If you've mounted the damper correctly there's no way in hell it's going to touch the front fender...unless you've decided to: a) Somehow defeat the laws of physics, or b) Somehow managed to install the unit vertically. Either way, if you've accomplished (a) or (b) please send pictures as I will be most impressed! (Real answer to your question is "No." Chris | ||
| Enigma |
What Chris said,  | ||
| Dago |
Well I'm sorry to say that Tobandeira is correct. The LSL damper that's installed behind the forks most certainly does hit the rear of the front fender during hard braking. I've been noticing a sharp clunk sound for some time during very hard braking, but hadn't figured out what was happening until I read this thread and examined my fender. There are small gouges on it that line up perfectly with the bottom bolt of the damper. I wonder if LSL knows about this yet. | ||
| Keith |
My first reaction was no way. I just measured the distance form the fork seal to the end of the fork tube. With just the bike's weight on the suspension, I measured approximately 5 1/2" to 5 3/4" that looks like the suspension is free to travel. There is approximately 3" clearance between the LSL damper mounting bracket and the fender. It looks like not only can the fender touch, we could end up driving the fender into the tire hard enough to cause a serious problem. This concerns me as I purchased the damper to comply with the CMRA's requirement so I can take my XB racing. I have a contact here in the States for LSL. I will email him and see what they say. | ||
| Brupska |
I would like to find out also. I was planning on getting one until now. Please let us know when you can. Thanks brupska | ||
| Barkandbite |
I've had the unit installed on my scoot for well over 2 months. I've pitched this bike on its snout more than once and even at close to full compression I don't even get close to getting near the "front fender." Is there a difference between the gold and the regular unit? Chris | ||
| Dago |
Thanks Keith. Please let us know what you find. I'm also going to call Al. I believe he's the one whole sold me the unit. Perhaps he can tug on some ears too. I'll post some pics in the morning of how mine's mounted. I didn't mount it vertically. And I'm fairly certain I didn't break any laws of physics. Regardless, there's a clearance problem. | ||
| Dcmortalcoil |
Dago, I have a Woodcraft damper, which mounts to the front of the fork, but otherwise works the same way. Mine also has clunking noise from it. Take a look at the damper body and you will see that the mounting body that holds the damper body is mounted to the frame via a bearing that allows the mounting body to pivot about a horizontal axis. It's normally pivoted down due to gravity. That is, the mounting body is free pivot move up and down. So when you hit a bump, it will bounce up and come down - that's where the noise also could be coming from. One way to solve the noise is by placing a thick rubber band around the damper body and wrap the rubber band to a stationary part of the bike, like the frame. Otherwise, bias the damper body so that it stays in the down position while providing sufficient give to allow the damper body to move when you turn the handlebar. (Message edited by dcmortalcoil on February 23, 2005) | ||
| Barkandbite |
Ah! Perhaps I should RTFP! I get it. You meant the REAR of the front fender!? Duh! Sorry, I couldn't understand how you were seeing a potential interference with the "front" fender. My bad. OK, so I am assuming you guys are talking about the mounting bolt that goes up into the replacement bearing head insert, right? The "swivel housing" is offset to the rear on mine so I would think even at full compression at the linear-angle of travel the bolt *might* hit but not the mount. Does that jive with your assessment? So we're talking about the bolt hitting the fender and in turn hitting the tire? I must not brake as hard as you lot though I've "accidentally" stoppied twice and I see no evidence of contact although the measurements seem to indicate it could happen. Phew (for the short term) but I wonder what this means for the long term? In my case I measured 3 7/8" of travel between the bottom of the seal and the top of the axle mount with approximately 3 1/4" (straight down) between the head of the bolt and the top of the rear of the fender. I can certainly see where it is possible at full compression to impact, but I've yet to see any evidence that I have. Lucky, I guess...or I need to brake harder Are you guys seeing this issue raise its head at the track or on the street? Not that I'm any more confortable, but I'd like to understand how hard you're plowing to see impact. I wonder if it has to do with our suspension settings, also? On edit: Reading DC's post above this, he gets the clunk but you guys are saying you have gouges from impact...I've heard clunks but I have attributed this to what DC mentions with the bearing as a float. Chris (Message edited by BarkandBite on February 23, 2005) | ||
| Dcmortalcoil |
I guess the Woodcraft guys thought of that issue and designed around it. Their damper mounts in front of the steering column, above the lower tree. | ||
| Dago |
Do you have any pics? | ||
| Dago |
View from left behind the front forks:  The rear of front fender from the left side:  | ||
| Enigma |
Does seem low that, haven't had chance to measure gap on mine. Have you lowered the yokes aswell? | ||
| Barkandbite |
Houston, we have a problem... Ah, see that's what I was referring to... my mounting bracket/damper housing mount is facing the other direction as per the mounting instructions I received with the unit (see link below.) Your picture shows the mounting swivel facing forward which makes the damper cut straight across the fender (mine is much more angled) and I can now see why you might encounter more of a pronounced clunk; the picture above seems to indicate that your swivel mount might be hitting the bottom of the triple tree? My unit is, angled across the fender toward the very rear of it. Also, in an unloaded state, I have 3 1/4" of gap in terms of the measurement you show above. Do you have an 9SL? Is that distance smaller than on an XB9? Here is a link to the instructions I received with my unit. You can see that the mount clearly faces the other direction than the way you have it above: http://www.packetfilter.com/buell/lsl-damper.gif While I agree the gap still makes me uncomfortable, it might explain why you are seeing impact and I am not... Chris | ||
| Dago |
Excellent information, Chris. Thanks. I'll reverse my mounting tonight and give it a whirl. | ||
| Keith |
Chris - I agree. It looks like Dago may have his mounting bracket on backwards. I sure hope this solves the problem. | ||
| Barkandbite |
Dago -- let me know how it goes; I hope it solves your issue(s). I think you'll find the "clunk" goes away as will the impact. I spoke with Al this morning and I believe the original poster also has his bracket mounted backwards. Chris | ||
| Tobandeira |
huummm either way i am pessimistic about it..... it is a matter of hard braking and you will hit the fender.... dont you agree??? | ||
| Dago |
We'll see this weekend, weather permitted. Turning the mount around saves only about .5"-.66". I still have my doubts. | ||
| Navygunner |
Hey Dago, were are you going riding. I would like to look at your damper if you aren't busy. | ||
| Dago |
I need to spend some time with the lady this weekend. So I'll only go for a short ride at some unforeseeable time. I'm 100% game the following weekend. Or, if you just need to see it to see it, I can call you when I head out this weekend. It doesn't ever matter to me which way I go. So I can head your direction. | ||
| Barkandbite |
Tobandeira wrote: huummm either way i am pessimistic about it..... it is a matter of hard braking and you will hit the fender.... dont you agree??? Antonio, I don't agree as I have, as I previously posted, stoppied twice and done several 60-0 braking runs after replacing my pads. I have had ZERO impact (based upon the lack of any scratching or gouges) in my fender. It may have something to do with an assumption that with the compression settings on the shocks that one can actually hit full shock compression. Irrespective of the static measurement of shock travel, I'm just not sure it's going to extend that far. At any rate, I am not worried about it on *my* bike given how I ride, how my suspension is set and the fact that it's mounted properly. YMMV. Chris | ||
| Dago |
Chris: It's great to know how you feel that this moment and that you're not having any problems. Keep it up. Tobandeira & Navy: I will certainly communicate with you guys throughout the resolution of this problem via email. All the barking is giving me a headache. | ||
| Barkandbite |
Dago -- I can't tell for certain if you're taking a shot or you meant what you said sincerely, but given your last sentence I can't help but feel it's the former; if I am incorrect, I apologize in advance. However, you've fired back regarding my opinions regarding the manual issue and yet you've also posted that you've broken your ride due to the lack of one (your axle issue.) It looks as though you've corrected this problem. Further to that, you lit off on this thread and suggested that my comments were off-base and yet again you failed to RTFM and installed the part incorrectly. There's a trend here. You make a bad decision, it gets commented on, and you get embarassed. Welcome to the real world. You consider it "barking," and I consider it answering the question(s) I am asked. Antonio asked if I agreed with him. I do not. I stated as such and why. You don't like my answer, or at least the way I chose to frame it. Perhaps we just don't mesh, personality-wise. Ah well. I honestly do apologize, but I'm really tiring of this banter. I am trying to help. I just did; you've installed the part incorrectly. I would expect this helps. Perhaps it does not. I'll take your advice and won't bother contributing any longer. If I have to diaper and powder every statement so as not to express my opinions and offend you, I'll just bow out and let you discover things the hard way. I'll go ahead and make a promise to you -- I will not respond to you (directly) in any post from this point on. If you want to take these discussions private using Email because you don't like my responses, I'm not sure you're serving anyone. I'm not the one who installed the part incorrectly, you are. If you don't like the commentary when you contribute, you have the same choice available to you that I just made -- I'll just agree to ignore you; perhaps you should just do the same. Good luck and good riding, CHris | ||
| Dago |
Bark! Bark! Bark! Down boy! Down! You're absolutely correct. Our personalities certainly do not mesh. I'm sure yours serves you as well in your circle as mine does in my world. I'm in no way embarrassed. The fact remains that the issue is still not resolved. | ||
| Ingemar |
Dago, if I may, just seperate the weed from the chaff in the posts. You're getting good advise from someone who's really only trying to help. I've stoppied once or twice with the damper installed. Mine doesn't touch the fender, although I think it does come close (but it's so darn hard to see when I'm riding! ). Then again, I don't think my front end ever bottomed out. I'm interested to see what your new findings will be once you have installed correctly. | ||
| Dago |
It's not the advice I appose. In fact, I welcome it. But it isn't welcomed when delivered in such a jerky tone. It happens here (and everywhere) all too regularly. People just seem to accept it without a word. I grow tired of it. Perhaps the problem is mine. Maybe I expect too much civility and cordiality in people. Or maybe I don't. I'll let you know if I still bottom out after gaining that extra 1/2". | ||
| Tobandeira |
i also assembled it the wrong way and i turned it... i trust it will work correctly.... and i thanks all the assistance all of you guys gave me on this issue..... | ||
| Dcmortalcoil |
Here's the Woodcraft mount with HyperPro damper body.  | ||
| Dago |
That looks nice and tucked away. |
