Flat towing with a steering damper?

[Bullitt6283]

I'm setting up a TJ for flat towing. I would seem to me that the steering damper might resist or inhibit the front tires from steering as quickly as they should when the jeep is being towed around a corner. Does this make sense?

 

[TurboTJ]

It hasn’t been any problem for me.

 

[bobthetj03]

No problem with mine. OME damper on mine.

 

[Rob5589]

No issues here either

 

[superduty]

No issue

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[Jerry Bransford]

It's a non-issue. If it was the factory would include information on it in the owner's manual where it covers how to set it up correctly for flat towing.

All you have to do is unlock the ignition switch, shift the transfer case to Neutral, and shift the transmission into Park or into a forward gear. Do not flat tow with the transmission in Neutral which can damage it.

 

[Bullitt6283]

Thanks all for getting back to me so quickly! This is one less thing for me to obsess over.

@bobthetj03 I have the OME damper as well.

Cheers,
Ron

 

[Jerry Bransford]

If that OME damper is gas charged I'd seriously consider swapping it for a hydraulic like Rancho's RS5000. Gas charged steering dampers keep trying to expand which tends to push/bias the steering toward the left.

 

[Bullitt6283]

If that OME damper is gas charged I'd seriously consider swapping it for a hydraulic like Rancho's RS5000. Gas charged steering dampers keep trying to expand which tends to push/bias the steering toward the left.

Sounds like a good thing to check. I'll disconnect one end and see what it tries to do.
-Ron

 

[L J]

I'll disconnect one end and see what it tries to do.
-Ron

There's no need. OME stabilizers are hydraulic.

 

[Bullitt6283]

There's no need. OME stabilizers are hydraulic.

Thanks!
Good to know.

 

[chino1969]

It's a non-issue. If it was the factory would include information on it in the owner's manual where it covers how to set it up correctly for flat towing.

All you have to do is unlock the ignition switch, shift the transfer case to Neutral, and shift the transmission into Park or into a forward gear. Do not flat tow with the transmission in Neutral which can damage it.

Jerry, with a manual trans. should one put the trans. into a forward gear as well as the transfer case in neutral? I can understand how putting an auto. trans. into neutral can cause damage but am at a loss as to how a manual trans. can be damaged if the transfer case is in neutral as well as the shift lever.

 

[Rob5589]

The owners manual is clear; tcase in N, trans in a forward gear for manual; tcase in N and auto trans in P. Don't do anything otherwise.

 

[alittleoff]

Having a gas charged S/D is not a bad thing if it pushes slightly to the left. Considering most roads are engineered with a crown in the center. And it's not like it's going to yank the steering wheel out of your hands. C'mon