Steering Slop

[bambamshere]

I have been reading a lot in the shop manual and looking at the pictures in it. My steering still has a lot of play in it when turning it side to side. I have done king pins and tie rods and put new shocks on it. Now I would like to get rid of the loose steering. 

 

I have watched some stuff on youtube but haven't seen anything for 50's steering gear adjustments. I want to make sure I am doing this right before I start. It's the plate I take off with the 4 bolts and take a shim out and check it. Is thia right?

[Jeff Balazs]

Not necessarily. May just be a simple adjustment made from the top of the steering box. Was on mine. Look in your manual.

Jeff

[bambamshere]

Ok will do didn't see anything in it but will do. This is my steering box by the way. 

[Jerry Roberts]

You might find an adjustment nut and a screwdriver slot under that nut on the side . There could also be a star shaped washer that you remove and replace after you do your adjustment . Adjust your steering box with the wheels facing forward . If you haven't done it already , have someone turn the steering wheel back and forth through the ' slop ' while you are underneath looking for whatever is too loose before you adjust the steering box . 

[bambamshere]

Thanks I will do that. It has been loose since I got it. Thought doing everything on front end other the steerbox would help but nothing. Now I know there is a star shaped washer on the plate. This has to be taken off before adjustment takes place. 

 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2018 by bambamshere

[Bobacuda]

Have you changed out the drag link (it does not have replaceable tie-rod ends)?  When the steering in my '53 got sloppy, the drag link was the primary culprit.

 

Lay under the truck and have someone move the steering wheel from side to side while you watch the pitman arm and how the drag link and tie rods respond.  Doing this made it fairly easy to spot slop in the system.  After I had the slop removed (new drag link), I moved on to adjusting the steering box.

 

BTW, the drag links are not cheap.  I have considered taking my old one to a machine shop and having them modify it to use tie rod ends.

[greg g]

I don't know about the trucks,but cars had a rubber isolated between the box and the frame.  These go to mush after sixty years.  This allows the box to move quite a bit before moving the linkages.

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

I have to second the fact that you should consult the manual, in this manner as you go through the highlights of the system, you can make a check list and as you verify what is or is not up to par, then you can check it off as  good or needing investigation/repair.  

[bambamshere]

Thats a good idea Plymouthy Adams

[kencombs]

Since I mostly work alone, checking things like this a difficult.  What I've started doing is making use of mirror and lights.  Front on stands, both wheels off, and mirror arranged so I can see from a location outside the truck but able to reach steering wheel  .  Not as good as a helper, but always available!

[bambamshere]

Ya I have the same problem. I have a few friends that have nice cars and such but as soon as I need them there usually doing something else. So I was actually thinking of a mirror. Lol oh well we will see. Everything but the draglink and steering box has been replaced and I had drag link off when I did everything else. But me pushing on it with hands and being in truck are 2 different things.

[Plymouthy Adams]

38 minutes ago, kencombs said:

Since I mostly work alone, checking things like this a difficult.  What I've started doing is making use of mirror and lights.  Front on stands, both wheels off, and mirror arranged so I can see from a location outside the truck but able to reach steering wheel  .  Not as good as a helper, but always available!

burns some incense while doing this and you can go on the road with a smoke and mirror act...(insert rimshot here)

[Bobacuda]

The old drag link from my truck did not appear to be a problem, until it was under load on the truck.  That is when you could see the ends flex without moving the tie rod or the tires.

[BobB]

1 hour ago, kencombs said:

Since I mostly work alone, checking things like this a difficult.  What I've started doing is making use of mirror and lights.  Front on stands, both wheels off, and mirror arranged so I can see from a location outside the truck but able to reach steering wheel  .  Not as good as a helper, but always available!

If you have an iPad and a family member that’ll let you borrow theirs, you can set one to watch the other end and sit upright to turn the wheel. FaceTime will let you see what’s under there reasonably full size. You can watch the one you’re holding while you adjust the one watching to just the right view before getting behind the wheel.

[Jerry Roberts]

The last time that I needed to check slop in this way , I just asked a passing neighbor for his help . It took about one minute and no effort on his part . He just very lightly turned the steering wheel within the too loose position . You don't need to grab onto anything underneath and push and pull , just look . 

[FlashBuddy]

Sheesh, I'd be happy to lend a hand. Of course you would have to pay my air fare (always wanted to visit Manitoba), then listen to my off color jokes 

[bambamshere]

Flashbuddy I have been to Colorado a few times. Used to drive truck. Hate that Eisenhower pass or tunnel.

 

Thanks for offer lol

Edited July 22, 2018 by bambamshere

[JVL]

On 7/21/2018 at 2:41 PM, Bobacuda said:

Have you changed out the drag link (it does not have replaceable tie-rod ends)?  When the steering in my '53 got sloppy, the drag link was the primary culprit.

 

Lay under the truck and have someone move the steering wheel from side to side while you watch the pitman arm and how the drag link and tie rods respond.  Doing this made it fairly easy to spot slop in the system.  After I had the slop removed (new drag link), I moved on to adjusting the steering box.

 

BTW, the drag links are not cheap.  I have considered taking my old one to a machine shop and having them modify it to use tie rod ends.

 

[JVL]

Bob, where did you get your drag links at ?

[Merle Coggins]

I just got a drag link from DCM Classics. They are having them made with tie rod ends instead of fixed ball joints. This makes them adjustable. I just installed it this past weekend, making it 1/4" shorter than the original one to offset the Rusty Hope disc brake bracket, to center up my steering wheel.

[Bobacuda]

I got mine on EBAY - best price at the time.  If I were buying one now, I would look into the one with the replaceable ends from DCM Classics ($160) like Merle got.  I paid more than that for mine and when its fixed ends are toast, I have to replace the whole thing.

[ggdad1951]

I got mine from greybeard....he was a character

[Radarsonwheels]

Oof sloppy steering stinks. Mine I would have to turn pretty far in each direction before it started correcting. Holding a curve was easy but going straight could be a chore. The schoolbus size wheel amplifies the slop too!

 

 

My sloppy steering box was a major factor in doing a chassis swap to power rack and pinion. I also had done kingpins, shackles, shocks, tie rods. My nomenclature is probably off but the box has a link that goes back to the driver’s knuckle which I replaced, and the link to the passenger side also got two new tie rods screwed in, and an alignment was done. I was even considering adding wedges under my spring perches to get more caster- parallel parking be damned, but got talked out of it by my local oldschool alignment guy. Make sure your front spring hangers don’t have side to side play- mine did. It wasn’t a cure though.

 

There is a worm and a sector gear in there. Mine was a Gemmer brand box- yours looks like it I think. Anyway there is a screw with a locknut on the outside of the box. You can tighten it up to take out some slop but be aware that there is supposed to be a tight spot in the middle. As you screw the stud it makes the gears mesh more tightly but if you go too tight you are just quickly wearing it out instead of taking out slop. 

 

I found some companies that would rebuild it- basically they fabricate fresh gears to go in there, but to the tune of $600ish and I didn’t know if I would cut the box off from the column and weld it back or make a collapsible segment later. I thought it would be silly to ship the whole long shaft too.

[Silverdome]

Here's a link to someone with steering slop on the car side.

 

 

[Merle Coggins]

Sorry. I should have linked those YouTube videos to this thread too. Find the videos near the end of that thread. They are pretty good about explaining the adjustments of the steering box.