Just finishing brakes and wheel bearing checking greasing and adjusting.I have noticed when I push the hitch in against the damper a good resistance is felt and the damper does return back out very slowly.My question is when I pull it out I can pull straight back fully until I hit a metal stop is this correct?
I think this sounds normal enough. When you pull the hitch out you will feel a lot of resistance. Just before the damper is stretched out to its full length, the metal tube that it is located in (the one you can see if you pull the rubber gaitor at the hitch back) will come to a dead stop. At the end of that metal cylinder there is a a peice attached onto it that prevents the cylinder being able to pull back through the mechanism housing. Its this that you're actually pulling against whe you're towing as the damper itself is quite a fragile thing.
try using a grease gun on the grease nipples theres 2 on top and 1 underneath which is neglected most times, pump full of grease and then check operation.
Just found out what was wrong with my damper. Went to remove to order new one and found the end in the hitch not connected? removed hitch cleaned greased everything pushed and pulled damper(resistance in and out)refitted everything now feels like it should.