The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 53 3100 1/2 ton steering woes

so my '53 has very sloppy steering going straight down the road. up to 90 degrees to get it to keep going straight. seems tight on right turns but very sloppy going left. all steering components are very old but seem to be in good working order. I need some suggestions please.

here is what I found out after my disc brake swap....

1) loose/worn king pin on passenger side, and less worn on drivers side.

2) steering components appear tight with no slop.

3)when on the ground and stationary, the steering wheel is good and tight in both directions. just sloppy when driving. the faster I go the worse it gets!

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Obviously the king pins should be brought up to spec.
Also check / adjust the lash on your (I assume) original old recirc ball steering box. How about your wheel bearings?

Start here, https://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/sets/72157632210242370/ , then the tie-rods, then the King pins. A worn king pin is not ideal, but you can get by for awhile if not to badly worn.

With the weight on the tires, have a helper move the steering wheel back and forth while you watch to see what moves and what doesn't.

Caster setting can cause a lot loose feel at higher speeds, if the front end doesn't lift up when turning lock to lock while setting still, it probably needs more caster. Does it have wedges between the front axle and springs with the thickest part to the rear? It should have some, maybe a 1/4" thick tapering down to a point.

Joe

Rather than trying to find the mythical singular cause of your woes, I would start with taking apart everything that moves, from the frame to the hub caps. You can thank me later. My favorite brand of beer is cold.

Leaf spring pins and bearings.
Castor shims. (Are they there?)
King pins.
Wheel bearings.
Tierod ends. Check for egg-shaped ball ends.
Steering rod ends. Same as above.
Steering box. If it has leaks and no fluid, rebuild it. (It is not as hard to do as most believe.)
Adjust the steering box according to the Shop Manual.
Adjust toe in.
Carl

Excellent list and recommendations, Carl

"King pins" is an understatement (to the un-initiated): king pins, bushings, axle-hole, and wallowed-out journals in knuckles/spindles (deadly and almost non-repairable).

A worn king pin assembly is a big deal - if you do not tend to it, you might destroy the axle (no more over-bore) or destroy the spindles (wallowed-out beyond being useful).

Another factor that is underestimated is PSI in the tires.
Adjust PSI for optimum tracking vs steer-ability (ease of steering).