Steering dampner

[ROAD DOG]

Hello i never posted here before, not sure if im doing this right ?? I picked up a used lehman steering dampner to put on my 2003 road glide trike with champion easy steer ,it came with no directions & i can not figure out how to install it?? Would any body have directions or a picture of one installed ?? I have lower fairing & i do not no if it will work with raked trees ?? This is a really cool sight !! Thanks for any help

[Ozarkryder]

Does it look like this?
Attachment 327

Got this picture from here:

Lehman Trikes - Leader of the Three World :: Home

I had a damper on the Harley when I first got it, as it had a hack. That one attached to the crash bar [ah..um..engine guard] at the end with the tube, and the other end attached to a plate where the air baffle goes behind the lower triple tree. If your '03 doesn't have a baffle there are 3 holes drilled back there for one.
In the picture it looks like the small ring would go to the cr..engine guard, and the big ring goes around a fork leg. It may be that the small ring can go the the frame. Try different positions as your equipment allows, trying to keep the damper lined up in the plane of rotation between attachement points.

Or, get a hold of Lehman or one of it's dealers for instructions. (From the website at: Lehman Trikes - Leader of the Three World :: Home )

E-mail: sales@lehmantrikes.com
Phone: 605-642-2111
Fax: 605-642-1184
Toll Free: 1-888-3WHEELS (1-888-394-3357)
To find a dealer near you call toll-free 1-888-3WHEELS (1-888-394-3357) or visit our online Dealer Locator:Lehman Trikes - Leader of the Three World :: Home

*Oddly enough, even though on this site on my 'puter those URL's look the same, they get you to different pages. (?!?)

[Gorilla]

Road Dog, My first question is why are you putting it on? Your Road Glide with a Champion E-Z-Steer should not need one unless you have something wrong. I have close to the same setup (Road Glide with a 4.5 degree rake) and it is rock solid all the way up to over 100 mph. Lehman used them to moderate a slight wobble at low speed. Lehman's do not normally have E-Z-Steer (rake) on them unless it is special install. The damper some how attaches between the frame tube and the down tubes though. Really if you have wobble issues then I would check your triple tree bearing drag adjustment, front tire condition including inflation and front wheel bearings. You should not have wobble with your setup. Ted

[Ozarkryder]

Hmmm. I tried to answer how to install the damper, but tmigala had the better idea of fixing the root cause rather than covering up the sympton. Good advice there. Also check the psi in the rear wheels. Trikes are pretty sensitive to that.
Around here a lot of the roads are worn different one side to the other in the tire tracks. If one wheel hits a bump it moves while the other moves differently. Especially at low speeds this causes the trike to pitch and/or yaw, and that energy has to go somewhere - it manifests itself as a shaking in the bars until that energy is dissapated. Note that this is different than a low speed wobble, which will be a more constant and slower movement felt in the bars.

Trike physics- sheesh! who'd a thunk?

[ROAD DOG]

THANKS FOR THE REPLY , I do not have any steering shake or wooble I have 98 road glide champion trike kit, easy steer never had any steering problems I have put about 13000 miles in the last year . I just finished my 03 road glide champion trike kit & easy steer, road it about 10 miles the roads are all salt & crap up hear .no shakes or woobles, smooth & straight . I bought a used Lehman steering dampner to try it to see if makes any difference with the easy steer it has 7 different adjustments , and I want to play around with it to see if it makes it steer any better or not. just looking for someboby with a picture of one mounted on there bike, this does not mount to the fork tube , it mounts were the air deflector would go on the lower tree & on the frame or the crash bar ?? but it just dont line up wright . maybe it can not be used with raked trees???? THANKS AGAIN FOR THE INPUT

[Ozarkryder]

Sounds like it mounts the same as on my HD when I had the sidecar on it. It mounted on the right side crash bar about half way between the frame and the curve, and the heim joint end went onto a flat plate that replaced the air deflector. I don't think it would have worked with the lowers, but yours may be different. So....YMMV. Good luck with it, will be interesting to know what comes of your expeiment.

On edit, the place where the air deflector ataches to the back of the triple tree hasn't moved, I would think a part may be missing. Seems to me it's most likely the plate in place of the air deflector.

I could be wrong, but that is most unlikely. I am, however, very often badly mistaken.

[BlueTrinity]

FWIW - When Lehman installs the damper, it is anchored between the left frame downtube and the inside of the left fork leg. Below is a pic.

Having or not having additional rake (EZ Steer) is not an issue.

Gotta say though, if it is as straight, trouble free and wobble free as you say, I would certainly be hesitant to do much "experimenting". Your description doesn't seem to leave any room for the trike to "steer better".

Good luck!

Dave

[ROAD DOG]

I got my steering dampner mounted , but we had snow again & the roads are crappier than last week so i did not get to test drive yet, it sure does tighten up the steering when you put it on # 7 .i think it will help in the cross winds on the highway?? Does anybody have a new try glide with the factory raked trees. & factory installed the steering dampner ?? Is it adjustable ?? If so can you see any difference when adjusted while riding ?? Thanks

[ROAD DOG]

I finally got to ride my trike sunday the steering dampner works great in the wind ,we had 20 -25 mile a hr winds & if you set the dampner on the lowest setting the wind would really toss the trike around, turn it all the way up to # 7 its much less tossing around in the wind on the highway, evan when its not in the wind it makes the bike seem quicker steering. I will buy another one & put it on my 98 road glide which also has champion easy steer. The new reverse gear shift handle makes using reverse a lot easyer , after i heated it up & bent it.