Steering problems - 1948 Dodge D24

[Bruce48D24]

I am hoping to get my 1948 D24 Custom Club Coupe road worthy again for a tour in April. This was a very dependable car until a number of years ago, it suddenly developed sloppy steering, for no apparent reason (no collision, or hard bumps occurred - that I know of). Now I have to turn the steering wheel 8 to 10 inches before the wheels turn!

I checked the bolts that mount the steering box to the frame, and they are tight. I have tried to shake the tie rods and pitman arm with the car jacked up but with allthe suspension still connected - and did not notice any movement. I have also tried turning the adjustment screw for the worm and roller, with the suspension still connected, to no avail.

I am now ready to pull off the pittman arm from steering arm and try the worm and roller adjustment again since I located a spare pittman arm for that procedure, as outlined in the shop manual; and check for "end play" of the steering shaft.

I also have a steering box and column off a 1950 Dodge for extra parts or shims - it looks the same except the mounting bolts look to be in a different position.

Has anyone else experienced this or worked on this problem before? Any advice as to how proceed to fix this problem?

Thanks for your help.

Bruce

[dparksie]

Before you get into the box, did you check the rag joint? When you hit a bump in the road does the steering wheel jump? You can check the rag joint by trying to pull the steering wheel towards you. If it does you may just have to replace the rag joint.

[james curl]

I do not know about Dodges but 48 Plymouths have a rubber pad between the frame and the steering box that goes bad and lets the steering box move about on the frame where it is mounted.

[greg g]

And is there not on some applications a "Y" shaped intermediate piece between the drag link and the tie rods that has rubber isolators for each attachment that go spongy whe the deteriorate?

Edited January 30, 2010 by greg g

[claybill]

it is also possible that the splines in the nner steering wheel rod are sripped...these are on the end of the inner rod under all the hornbutton and nut. you can take the horn stuff off and then turn the wheel and check if the steering-wheel-shaft is turning or not..easy do. 5 min.

bill

[Niel Hoback]

Can you feel any "roughness" in the wheel when you turn it? It seems like a broken bearing on the worm shaft could cause a sudden increase in play, but it would also be felt. I saw the big nut holding the pitman arm come loose on a ford truck once that did exactly what you describe, but it was frighteningly obvious. I would not have mentioned that except now you've got me worried.

[Bruce48D24]

Thanks for all the pointers and ideas. I hope to make enough room in the garage to jack the car up and double check for movement and anything obvious tonight. Maybe then I can better tell which idea might be on track.

I can tell you that there has not been any roughness feeling in the steering wheel - just looseness and slowness to turn the wheels.

I will update after getting under the car again.

Thanks,

Bruce

[alan32433]

I suggest that you leave the car on the ground and get a helper to move the steering wheel back and forth to the limit of play. You should position yourself under the car and watch each of the joints and all potential areas that could cause play.

When I have seen this type of problem, it has always been an accumulation of minor to moderate wear across several or all of the joints and or bushings, rather than a single point of failure. The wear in each of the spots adds up to a lot of total play in the end. This is usually indicative of wear over a lot of years and means you have lots of work to replace multiple joints and rubber bushings, and perhaps rebuild or tighten your steering gear box as well.

Never know though, maybe you will find a single point of failure using the technique I mentioned in the first paragraph.

Good Luck!

[Bruce48D24]

I finally took a day off from work to tend to the 1948 D24, and to work on a 1928 DA Dodge. On the 1948 D24, I pulled the steering-pitman arm off and let it hang, still connected to the tie rods. I then put a pitman arm on the steering gear from a 1950 Dodge (different design but the splines still fit the '48 shaft). I tried to move, shake, or wiggle the arm attached to the box, but there was no movement - so that tells me the box itself is good. Then I looked at the original arm attached to the tie rods and took the end of it thinking to move the whole assy., and the end of the arm moved a good 3/4 of an inch before moving anything else!

So Greg G. from NY was correct! The rubber bushings in the endes of the "Y" shaped steering arm are shot - deteriorated from years of absorbing oil! It is so strange that when everything was still assembled the play or movement could not be seen!

I have ordered replacements from Steel Rubber Products, although I wish these bushings were available in polyurethane.

Thanks for all of your help and suggestions, it got me started on the right path to find the problem.

Edited February 23, 2010 by Bruce48D24
missing words

[greg g]

Glad you found your problem. Lots of squishy things to wear out before the metal pieces do.

When can I pick up my prize???? Something from Crackerjacks will do....

[busycoupe]

Can you see the motion in the steering without taking it apart? I have a 48 D24 that had very loose steering when I got it two yrs ago. I had my son wiggle the wheel while I watched under the car. Everything looked OK but there was still a lot of slop in the steering. I replaced the kingpins and then adjusted the worm adjustment on the box. Now the steering is better, but I think it might still be a little loose. I'm not sure how much slop is considered "normal" in a 62 yr. old worm gear steering set-up. The car is driveable, but it does wander a bit. I think that may be due to the bias ply tires. Is there a way to check for normal play versus too much play in the steering?

Dave