Re: '63 Steering Alignment and Lock-to-Lock Turning

[Douglas C.]

Hi,

I just finished re-building my front suspension and steering linkage on my '63 Convt. - just another stage in my body-off restoration.

Just "eye-balling" my alignment for now, but was curious about lock-to-lock steering bias (or lack of bias).

When a '63 is properly aligned and the steering wheel is in the straight ahead, 12-O'Clock position, is there any bias in lock-to-lock steering wheel rotations from left to right? In other words, should the steering wheel turn the exact same number of rotations when turning the wheel all the way to the left lock position as when turning to the right lock position?

Just checking steering box, with the steering column alignment mark in the 12-O'Clock position, the lock position to the left is about 1.8 revolutions and to the right its about 1.8 revolutions.

In my "eye-ball" alignment, it looks like I may have lost 0.25 revolutions to the right, once I got the tie-rods adjusted and installed. The alignment mark on the steering box ended up at 3-O'Clock.

For now, I'm assuming this may work its way out once I get a proper wheel alignment. I'm also a little concerned about excessive wheel travel which might rub the inner fenders.

Thanks for any responses on this question.

--Doug

[Jim S.]

Re: '63 Steering Alignment and Lock-to-Lock Turning

There are two ways that you run out of travel at full lock. Either the gear runs out of travel and the ball nut inside the gear goes metal to metal. Or the steering stops designed into the suspension limits the travel. For the most part the steering gears (both power and manual) were manufactured to specifications so that the gear had closely the same travel as the suspension.

The steering gear specification was: Right Turn (or Left Turn) from gear being on center.
1.79 turns of handwheel for 40 deg 23 min (Sector shaft) travel (strg gear stop).

Jim

[Duke W.]

Re: '63 Steering Alignment and Lock-to-Lock Turning

Hi,


In my "eye-ball" alignment, it looks like I may have lost 0.25 revolutions to the right, once I got the tie-rods adjusted and installed. The alignment mark on the steering box ended up at 3-O'Clock.


--Doug

It's not clear to me your exact situation, but your rough tie rod adjustment may be off. In order to keep the steering wheel centered when driving straight ahead, the tie rods should be equal length.

Duke

[Edward J.]

Re: '63 Steering Alignment and Lock-to-Lock Turning

Doug, to just get the toe adjustment roughed in, This how I did my 63,First I left the pitman arm un-attached from box, I then just pointed the tires straight ahead (by eye best I could) then counted the the turns from stop to stop and divide in half.then split the difference the steering box has a notch stamped on shaft end which points to 12. then attach pitman arm to box, Then take a measurement from the center thread of tire front and rear try and get the adjustment as close to 1/16th to 1/8 of a inch from front to rear of tire.(rear being greater). always remember the notch is always at 12 so keep it there and recheck after adjustment. This point is keeping center steering feel at the best point.

[Douglas C.]

Re: '63 Steering Alignment and Lock-to-Lock Turning

Duke and Jim,

Here's my problem.

When I start off with the steering box steering shaft in the 12-O'clock position (1.8 turns, left or right, lock-to-lock), then install my tie rods to be of equal length, the steering shaft has to be turned 1/2 turn to the right (6-O'Clock position, see picture) to make the tie-rods line up to the holes on the steering relay rod.

When I shorten the right tied-rod, about an inch or so (compared to the left) - I can recover a 1//4 turn back to the left (alignment mark in the 3-O'clock position) - but with no thread left for further adjustment. The pitman arm seems to be correct for manual steering '63 (Cast No. 3829451A) and I have it installed with the numbers facing downward to the ground (is that my problem?).

There is no body or engine and the front stabilizer bar is not installed.

[Douglas C.]

Re: '63 Steering Alignment and Lock-to-Lock Turning

Is the pitman arm not keyed to the box shaft?

I thought that the pitman arm could only be attached to the box in one of the key slots.

There appear to be 4 key slots on the Pitman arm. If that's not the case - then that would be the source of my problem.

[Timothy B.]

Re: '63 Steering Alignment and Lock-to-Lock Turning

Douglas,

The pitman arm is keyed to the steering sector shaft so that's installed correctly. Was the steering box apart for any reason, if so could the worm gear be upside down inside because it's tapered to fit to the sector shaft.

If the box is OK then cross check the frame with a tape measure because it may be bent, does the car have any collision damage.

[Duke W.]

Re: '63 Steering Alignment and Lock-to-Lock Turning

Duke and Jim,


The pitman arm seems to be correct for manual steering '63 (Cast No. 3829451A) and I have it installed with the numbers facing downward to the ground (is that my problem?).

I'm not sure if that's correct or not, and it appears it can be installed with either the numbers up or down. Maybe someone else can verify.

Duke

[Gary R.]

Re: '63 Steering Alignment and Lock-to-Lock Turning

#451 is the correct manual arm, #383 is the PS arm. They can only be installed in 4 possible positions, but there is only one correct position. With the box on true center the arm points the front of the car. The numbers do face down because the taper hole on the small end mates to the ball stud in the centerlink.If the box was rebuilt with good used gears or new gears there may be an on center issue. I have over 500 sets of new gears and sometimes I see the same thing. What a lot of people don't realize is these casting do vary as do the gears. I have had the same year castings, say 1965, and installed new gears in the first box and did not like them then tested them in the 2nd box and they were fine. I have found many boxes where the center mark on the input is off, sometimes a little others a lot. You need to confirm just where your center is and if that is also the high point of drag, many times it is not. The only way to do this correctly is with a dial torque wrench, not a clicker, not a beam, but a dial reading in the 0-30 in/lb range. I have seen a box dead on in one car only to be way off center bolted into another car. A simple tie rod adjustment corrected it but there are times were the tubes will not be text book centered.