Steering wanders

[KPoole9008]

I have adjusted my Corvair steering box so I have about 1/2 inch play in it from when I turn the steering wheel until the pitman arm starts to move. I have the caster set at 7-8 degrees. When I drive the car it seems to want to wander just a bit. It's like I am playing catch up with the steering. Is this normal or am I missing something? Thanks

 

[Rick]

I have adjusted my Corvair steering box so I have about 1/2 inch play in it from when I turn the steering wheel until the pitman arm starts to move. I have the caster set at 7-8 degrees. When I drive the car it seems to want to wander just a bit. It's like I am playing catch up with the steering. Is this normal or am I missing something? Thanks

When you adjust the box you should feel the box drag abit in the center when turning lock to lock.If not it's to lose.

 

[Francis Blake]

Where do you have your toe in set? It should be set toe in about 1/8 inch, that way when you are moving the forward stress will move your wheels approximately straight. This should help prevent wander.

 

[putz]

I used to do alignments and alot of times it is a tire swap your front tires from side to side see if it changes direction. This is the easiest thing to try but adjust box after this don't tighten the box to tight when centered or it will bind.

 

[spike]

I have adjusted my Corvair steering box so I have about 1/2 inch play in it from when I turn the steering wheel until the pitman arm starts to move. I have the caster set at 7-8 degrees. When I drive the car it seems to want to wander just a bit. It's like I am playing catch up with the steering. Is this normal or am I missing something? Thanks

I had a similar problem where everything was setup correctly but the car still wandered. Turned out the front tires were down to 15 lbs of air & should have been 40lbs. They didn't look like they were that low but once that was corrected the wandering stopped.

 

[KPoole9008]

Where do you have your toe in set? It should be set toe in about 1/8 inch, that way when you are moving the forward stress will move your wheels approximately straight. This should help prevent wander.

My toe in is set at 1/8. The tire pressure is correct.

 

[409T]

Isn't the 1/2" of play too much?

Jeff

 

[fordsbyjay]

Isn't the 1/2" of play too much?

Jeff

My new box from flaming river has way more play then that. I think it is too much but I guess they feel it is normal.

You can try and change your toe in to toe out. I found that helped a bunch on my car but it still wanders some. You just have to keep making small changes to dial it in.

 

[ellis8500]

Wondering if you've done a proper 4-wheel alignment. Front and rear axles centered and parallel. If not parallel, car will want to pull to one side then caster tries to straighten things out. Gets that wandering going.

 

[Old Rotor Flap]

I'd like some additional comments on the half-inch of play and even more as in the case of Jay's new box. I think it's excessive, but I don't know enough about the boxes or the whole steering thing to begin with.

How are we measuring this? Is it the length of arc at the O.D. of a 14 or 15 inch steering wheel, or ?

I can picture this as not being too bad - not like the interior car scenes of old movies where the driver turned the wheel ninety to a hundred and eighty degrees every seven seconds while the film projected to a screen out the back window showed the road to be straight.

 

[Lee_in_KC]

I don't know how Vega boxes compare to Corvairs, but my Flaming River Vega box has virtually no play. If the steering wheel is moving the Pitman arm is moving. I did notice a little play in my steering some time ago and I found that the Pitman arm wasn't tight on the shaft. The nut was still tight but the Pitman arm had loosened up somehow... I guess from just the back and forth movement from normal steering action. I re-cinched the nut (it has a lock washer) and the arm was tight again. Now on my beginning-of-season check-list. :thumb:

 

[fordsbyjay]

I'd like some additional comments on the half-inch of play and even more as in the case of Jay's new box. I think it's excessive, but I don't know enough about the boxes or the whole steering thing to begin with.

How are we measuring this? Is it the length of arc at the O.D. of a 14 or 15 inch steering wheel, or ?

I can picture this as not being too bad - not like the interior car scenes of old movies where the driver turned the wheel ninety to a hundred and eighty degrees every seven seconds while the film projected to a screen out the back window showed the road to be straight.

I have a 12" steering wheel and have 2 1/2" of play (IIRC). At the time I had calculated it to be 24* of play so I sent the box back to Flaming River. It only had 700 miles or so and they basically tightened it up and sent it back. It was no different after. And Yes I have no play elsewhere. My steering u-joint is tight and I replaced/upgraded all my rod ends in the steering to 5/8's and 1 1/16 DOM tubing. Also, when I had the box out I put it in the vice and checked to make sure the play was still there (to eliminate any other factors).

 

[Greg R]

My new box from flaming river has way more play then that. I think it is too much but I guess they feel it is normal.

You can try and change your toe in to toe out. I found that helped a bunch on my car but it still wanders some. You just have to keep making small changes to dial it in.

Had the same issue with wander. Changed toe in to 1/8" toe out and everything is fine now.

 

[Ted Brown]

Is your tie rod out front or behind where it is supposed to be for the stock setup measurements to be correct?

 

[EX JUNK]

Is your tie rod out front or behind where it is supposed to be for the stock setup measurements to be correct?

Ted, I have a question. What difference does it make if the tie rod is in front or the rear of the axle? Its job is to tie the wheels together and set the toe. This can be accomplished in either position. Now, if you are referring to proper Ackerman then there can be a problem if the steering arms have not been modified from the stock rear mounted tie rod position. However, if the steering arms have been modified to maintain proper Ackerman, I can not see what difference having the tie rod in front of the axle can make. If I am incorrect in my statement would you please explain where I am wrong in my assessment. ( I do realize that most guys that reverse the tie rod position do not take the time to build new, correct steering arms or they purchase the "neutral" steering arms that are available which DO NOT allow for proper Ackerman.)

Jim

 

[GT63]

Ted, I have a question. What difference does it make if the tie rod is in front or the rear of the axle? Its job is to tie the wheels together and set the toe. This can be accomplished in either position. Now, if you are referring to proper Ackerman then there can be a problem if the steering arms have not been modified from the stock rear mounted tie rod position. However, if the steering arms have been modified to maintain proper Ackerman, I can not see what difference having the tie rod in front of the axle can make. If I am incorrect in my statement would you please explain where I am wrong in my assessment. ( I do realize that most guys that reverse the tie rod position do not take the time to build new, correct steering arms or they purchase the "neutral" steering arms that are available which DO NOT allow for proper Ackerman.)

Jim

Speaking from experience, the first time an 18 wheeler loses a tire in front of you and you have no time to re-act, it hits that tie rod, your going for a wild ride. I've heard of several T owners that had it out front until they hit a construction barrel, or cone or animal. Afterwards, they all moved it to the back. It's the unexpected that gets you everytime. It wasn't meant to be a front bumper.

 

[fordsbyjay]

Mine is out front. They height of the frame/spring/hairpin configuration I don't see how it could be at the rear with out running into something.

 

[EX JUNK]

Speaking from experience, the first time an 18 wheeler loses a tire in front of you and you have no time to re-act, it hits that tie rod, your going for a wild ride. I've heard of several T owners that had it out front until they hit a construction barrel, or cone or animal. Afterwards, they all moved it to the back. It's the unexpected that gets you everytime. It wasn't meant to be a front bumper.

The ORIGINAL question in this thread was about WANDERING. It had NOTHING to do with an accident nor using it as a bumper and bending the tie rod.

Jim

 

[Youngster]

I'm wondering if the degree of caster has something to do with the toe in or out. From reading past questions on wandering and "death wobble", it seems in most cases the caster is above 5 degrees.

IMO, you need to do the 4-wheel alignment first when play with your toe in/out. I know in a perfect world it should be toe in but I have had to go to a toe out setting on a couple of cars.

One last item, My veiws on tie rod placement. It's true as Jim says "It's all about Ackerman". Depending on the type and size of the rim you use, the forward mounted tie rod might cause some interferance on short wheel based cars.

GT63 has a very valid point. Last week I made a replacement tie rod for a guy that hit a rabbit causing a 1" or so bow in his.

Ron