The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1957 3100 Steering Oddities

Hey all!

I've came a LONG way since my last post. Truck is fully on the road and driving! (Proof: http://i.imgur.com/SeUFUUN.jpg)

But I'm having a steering problem, which is common, but mine makes a little less sense. I'm pretty sure it's bump steer but basically I'll be driving fine and then at >30 MPH I'll suddenly just get pulled in a direction either hard left or hard right. and then it starts swaying back and forth really bad until I can get it back under control. Usually happens due to a change in the road.

Here's what I've done so far:
* I've checked previous posts
* I've followed the Flickr post about overhauling a steering box
* I cleaned up and fixed all the original steering arms and inspected all hardware (shims, bearing, kingpins, etc.)
* I've had the car sent in for alignment
* I've adjusted both the lash screw and the worm bearing screw on the box
* I've followed the steps in the Chevy manual for adjustment.

The only thing I can see that seems out of whack is the driver side front leaf spring is pulled hard right and destroyed the bushing on that side, and is not even touch the other bushing. I'm going to fix that today. But I don't feel like that little bushing is enough to throw the steering like that.

Any thought as to what I could have missed?

Something I found today. The guys at the alignment shop left the front driver wheel with -2 degrees camber. But all others with close to 0.

I also noticed both fronts go to 0 camber when jacked up.

Could either of those matter?

You are wasting all of your time and effort until you address the spring pins/bushings.
If they are worn on the sides, you may have a bent frame or axle.
If just the pins/bushings are severely worn, you would expect some severe wandering.

Was hoping you'd see this thread 52carl, you know your stuff!

The whole spring is slid to one side of that shackle, completely wore away that sides bushing. Other side still brand new, and pin is sticking out on that side.

So would only one spring pin / bushing would be enough to set it wandering that bad? Wasn't sure.

Figured it out!

In the Chevy manual it details how to adjust the worm gear and the lash adjustment screw. When I crawled under today I had a feeling that the lash screw was too far out despite not being able to turn it in.

Pulled the plate on the side where the lash adjuster is, smacked the end of the sector gear with my hand and voila.. popped in. Which pushed the splined rod for the pitman arm out, had to readjust my wheel stop is all. Re-adjusted the lash and the worm as in the manual. I guess the sector gear was caught or something from when I first tore it down.

Drives like a dream. 😍 First time on the road in more than forty years..

Now to go back and fix that bushing and spring pin!

Go ahead and replace bushings, shackles and pins on the front and back of the front AND rear springs. If you think it drives like a dream now, just wait until you've tightened up those springs. It's not so obvious on a leisurely drive but when you have to make an extreme maneuver at speed to avoid a "texter", those loose bushings will jump to the top of your to-do list.

You need a new alignment shop if he did not check & tell you about those things. Sounds like your kingpins are bad if the camber changes when you jack it up.