Steering question

[Bagman]

Quick question regarding reversed corvair box. I just finished my build and have been doing some road testing. I have a new reversed corvair box that came with my frame i purchased off craigslist.
The car drives great. No wobble, vibration etc. Only issue i have and not sure if it is an issue, at higher speeds i find the steering to be a tad loose feeling. In other words i have to imput more correction on the steering wheel. I checked play in my box, and i have aprox, 1 1/2 to 2 inches of play in steering wheel.
I have done all my testing etc on the same section of road. The car doesnt feel like its wondering it just feels like i have to imput more steering at 60mph and above.
All components are new and have been checked for play etc. I have adjusted toe in and the condition does not change. My thinking is i need to adjust the steering box a tad.
With car at rest, i can move steering wheel and see the shaft from box flex but not start to turn until you feel resistance in the steering wheel which is almost 2 inches of play.
Am i looking at this correctly?

 

[409T]

I checked play in my box, and i have aprox, 1 1/2 to 2 inches of play in steering wheel.

Zero inches is correct. I'm going to guess that you either need adjustment or a rebuild, assuming everything else is tight.

 

[2old2fast]

A little more info , "You can see the shaft FLEX but not turn ??
dave
Also , how much caster do you have ??

 

[tfeverfred]

Are you using a rod end with a nut and bolt or tie rod end, to attach the drag link to the steering arm. Corvair arms have a 7*taper where the tie rod attaches. If you're just using a bolt, the drag link will not work as it should. That 7* of movement could be your problem. A tie rod end will fit snugly and eliminate movement.

Or you could drill out the arm and use a bolt of the correct size.

 

[2old2fast]

That's not exactly the case . The ball

of the rod end is locked against the steering arm & won't wobble [unless the hole is wallowed out & the bolt is loose] , the three arms I've used had to be reamed to accept a 1/2" bolt [many use a 5/8" which would require more reaming]..
dave​

 

[Bagman]

To answer some questions.
Caster is set at 7 degrees. have tried up to 10 with no change. Using traditional heim end connections with the proper bolt. No slop at all in any of the connections. As far as the flexing of the shaft I will try to elaborate on that a bit more. With the car on the ground, when you turn the wheel and it you just start to feel the resistance of the drag link etc, it appears the shaft from the box moves slightly forward and then starts to rotate. You can grab the shaft and try to flex it, but it is tight. This very well could be an optical illusion. I cant say I have ever watched a steering box that closely
It looks like I will make an adjustment on the box and see how that does. I am not against changing the heim joints on the drag link to tie rod ends either.
This car actually drives better than my daily driver. F350 4x4 dually. I just feel that the steering can and should "feel" tighter at higher speeds.
Thank you for all the suggestions and I will report back after i adjust the box.

 

[tfeverfred]

That's not exactly the case . The ball

of the rod end is locked against the steering arm & won't wobble [unless the hole is wallowed out & the bolt is loose] , the three arms I've used had to be reamed to accept a 1/2" bolt [many use a 5/8" which would require more reaming]..
dave​

But wouldn't there still be an area where the bolt wouldn't fit correctly? The ball of the rod end, while locked against the steering arm, still wouldn't center the bolt. Under steering pressure, wouldn't there still be movement? Why else did you have to ream them and use a bolt? Or did you go through 3 bad ones?

 

[2old2fast]

A LITTLE play at the sector shaft/bushing isn't a deal breaker,One thought is if you're running steamrollers in the rear they have a tendency to "push" the car in relation to the road suface...sometimes air pressure adjustments can change the way a car drives..
dave

 

[Bagman]

will definitely try some air pressure changes. I am running radials and have the fronts at 28lbs.

 

[Bagman]

Tightened up box and drove same route. All seems good now. I had to remind myself that this car is light compared to anything i have owned and when i get up to 75 it feels light. Meaning a little steering imput goes along ways compared to my heavy truck. Definitely not loose now. Also the road i was driving was not the smoothest and is a backroad asphalt designed for 55mph.
Thank you all for your advise and imput. Should have interior finished next week and will be good to go.

 

[tfeverfred]

Great news! I'm glad it was a simple fix.

 

[Hackerbilt]

The box IS centered when the wheels are straight ahead, correct? Thats real important.
Corvair boxes are known to wear the output shaft bushing.
Thats the bushing the shaft that mounts the pitman arm rides in.
You can order new ones from a Corvair supplier.
Clarkes I think...or something like that???