Steering Wanders

[AusMarty]

I just had my wheel alignment done after I found the po installed the drag link backwards, the truck tends to wander, not to any paticular side so I am constantly corecting the steering back and forth,not radically but just enough to be a pain, the front end is all new no slop in anything,
the castor is at 2deg 18min left and 2deg 49min right
Any ideas ?

[Sammy]

You sure it isn't in the steering box? If so it is pretty common for them to get play after a few years. And there is a procedure for adjusting the steering box to remove some play. Just important not to over adjust. That procedure is in the overhaul manual and the Haynes I believe.

[GruntMoanCough]

If the steering box checks out, see if the toe is zero or toed out.

[Hubscrub]

check your center link mine was in backward and my truck wandered i installed it correctly, got an alignment and she drives nice now

[AusMarty]

Originally Posted by Hubscrub

check your center link mine was in backward and my truck wandered i installed it correctly, got an alignment and she drives nice now

Yes the centre link was in backwards but that's all sorted now

[70cst]

Originally Posted by AusMarty

Yes the centre link was in backwards but that's all sorted now

Glad you got her fixed...my truck had a major alignment screw up and it sure does mess up ones drivability of their truck.

[AusMarty]

Originally Posted by 70cst

Glad you got her fixed...my truck had a major alignment screw up and it sure does mess up ones drivability of their truck.

OOps!! What I meant was I sorted the draglink but it has the wanders after correcting it, It used to dart all over the road now it just wanders
I'm thinking maybe the power steering box

[cdowns]

do you have a front sway bar that limits swaying??

[68gmsee]

First check out the gearbox to make sure it's not the problem.

Then insure all of the steering components are within specs. If all that checks out, have a good, reputable front end shop check the front end again.

As GruntMoanCough mentioned above, toe in toe out and caster and camber are very important for tracking on the highway.

And don't overlook the possibility of bad tires. Swap them if you have to to test. Also, if you ran the truck for a period of times with the front end out of alignment, you will have uneven wear on the tires.

http://www.anewtoronto.com/wheel%20alignment.html

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by AusMarty

OOps!! What I meant was I sorted the draglink but it has the wanders after correcting it, It used to dart all over the road now it just wanders
I'm thinking maybe the power steering box

I had the same issue with my 72. Replace everthing but the box and it stll wandered. The box check ok but I replaced it anyway and it fixed the problem.

[magicoolbus]

If the PO drove for a while with the alignment and draglink issues, I bet your tires are worn improperly. Try a tire rotation?

[ChevLoRay]

An old man I knew was into Model T Fords. He used a VW steering stabilizer (shock absorber-type) to stabilize his T front end.

If all else fails, the 4-wheel and off-roaders also have them available to add to the front ends and that will stop the wandering and sudden movements that a pot hole or other roadway variation that might cause sudden veering.

[Wrenchbender Ret]

Check to see that the steering is on center. Drive it & mark the steering wheel to the hub with chalk when it is going straight down the road. Bring it to the shop & line up the marks. Crawl under the front & see if the inner tie rod ends are equal in relation to the frame. If not you need to center them with the tie rod sleeves & reset the toe-in. These trucks drive as good as anything out there when you get them right.

[hayhauler71]

did you check or replace the rag joint very common problem on the trucks

[AusMarty]

Originally Posted by magicoolbus

If the PO drove for a while with the alignment and draglink issues, I bet your tires are worn improperly. Try a tire rotation?

You hit the nail on the head, I rotated the tires and the wandering has gone< I can steer it with one hand now.
Only one problem left !!, The steering wheel won't return to centre, tommorrow I'll disconnect the drag link from the pitman arm and see if I have any tight spots in the ball joints and tie rods and check the steering box for tightness

[68gmsee]

Glad you found the problem. Unevenly worn tires or tires that have thrown a belt, sometimes mimick front end aligment problems. I always recommend swapping tires before doing any major work on the front end unless the problem is fairly obvious.

[john]

Make sure the adj. screw on the gearbox isnt too tight. That will cause not to return to center.

[magicoolbus]

Glad all of us could help!

[AusMarty]

Originally Posted by Wrenchbender Ret

Check to see that the steering is on center. Drive it & mark the steering wheel to the hub with chalk when it is going straight down the road. Bring it to the shop & line up the marks. Crawl under the front & see if the inner tie rod ends are equal in relation to the frame. If not you need to center them with the tie rod sleeves & reset the toe-in. These trucks drive as good as anything out there when you get them right.

Wrenchbender you hit the nail on the head with the steering side, I pulled all the steering linkages off and checked ball joints, idler arm tie rods and steering box for tight spots and all felt good
While the steering gear was all disconnected I checked the steering box for true centre, I got 4 1/4 turns lock to lock so I put some masking tape on the column and some on the hub and marked it at 2 1/8 turns which is true centre, I then put all the steering linkages back on and sat it on the ground lining the marks up on the steering column and the wheels are turning to the right slightly
so it's back of to the alignment shop next week and hopefully all solved

[Lee H]

I looked at the center link on my 72 and it looks like it will only go in one way. The attaching location holes of the pitman arm and idler arm angle forward. If were in backwards it seems the link would be rubbing the tierod. Does anyone have pics of correctly or incorrectly installed center link? I checked the chilton's and no diagrams for center link placement.

[AusMarty]

Originally Posted by Lee H

I looked at the center link on my 72 and it looks like it will only go in one way. The attaching location holes of the pitman arm and idler arm angle forward. If were in backwards it seems the link would be rubbing the tierod. Does anyone have pics of correctly or incorrectly installed center link? I checked the chilton's and no diagrams for center link placement.

Lee, The centre link can go in both ways and yes if it's installed wrong the tie rod will hit the pitman arm, The easiest way to tell is the tie rod ends go in from the rear of the centre link "Nuts facing Forward"

[Lee H]

Thanks for the shout back, That's what mine looks like. Guess maybe the steering gear is too lose.