A tensioner for an endless drive member, comprising: a shaft-and-base unit that is mountable to be stationary relative to an engine, wherein the shaft-and-base unit includes a fastener aperture to permit a fastener to pass through to fixedly connect the shaft-and-base unit to the engine; a tensioner arm that is pivotable relative to the shaft-and-base unit about a arm pivot axis (As), wherein the tensioner arm has a first axial arm end and a second axial arm end, wherein the tensioner arm has a radially outer surface that includes a pulley support surface, and which extends from the first axial arm end to the second axial arm end and is entirely free of any radial projections; a pulley that is rotatably supported on the pulley support surface of the tensioner arm for rotation about a pulley axis (Ap) that is offset from the tensioner arm axis (As), wherein the pulley is engageable with an endless drive member; a bushing that is positioned radially between the shaft-and-base unit and the tensioner arm to support the tensioner arm radially on the shaft-and-base unit; a tensioner spring that is positioned to urge the tensioner arm in a first direction about the tensioner arm axis (As), wherein the tensioner spring has a first end, a second end and a plurality of coils between the first and second ends, wherein the first end is positioned to transfer torque with a base of the shaft-and-base unit and the second end is positioned to transfer torque with the tensioner arm, characterized by comprising a damping carrier that includes a spring end engagement slot that is positioned to hold the second end, wherein the damping carrier further includes a radially inner damping surface thereon, and wherein the second end and the radially inner damping surface are positioned such that a tangential force on the second spring end during said torque transfer moves the damping carrier to bring the radially inner damping surface into frictional engagement or increased frictional engagement with the shaft-and-base unit. a shaft-and-base unit that is mountable to be stationary relative to an engine, wherein the shaft-and-base unit includes a fastener aperture to permit a fastener to pass through to fixedly connect the shaft-and-base unit to the engine; a tensioner arm that is pivotable relative to the shaft-and-base unit about a arm pivot axis (As), wherein the tensioner arm has a first axial arm end and a second axial arm end, wherein the tensioner arm has a radially outer surface that includes a pulley support surface, and which extends from the first axial arm end to the second axial arm end and is entirely free of any radial projections; a pulley that is rotatably supported on the pulley support surface of the tensioner arm for rotation about a pulley axis (Ap) that is offset from the tensioner arm axis (As), wherein the pulley is engageable with an endless drive member; a bushing that is positioned radially between the shaft-and-base unit and the tensioner arm to support the tensioner arm radially on the shaft-and-base unit; a tensioner spring that is positioned to urge the tensioner arm in a first direction about the tensioner arm axis (As), wherein the tensioner spring has a first end, a second end and a plurality of coils between the first and second ends, wherein the first end is positioned to transfer torque with a base of the shaft-and-base unit and the second end is positioned to transfer torque with the tensioner arm, characterized by comprising a damping carrier that includes a spring end engagement slot that is positioned to hold the second end, wherein the damping carrier further includes a radially inner damping surface thereon, and wherein the second end and the radially inner damping surface are positioned such that a tangential force on the second spring end during said torque transfer moves the damping carrier to bring the radially inner damping surface into frictional engagement or increased frictional engagement with the shaft-and-base unit.