The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Steering stops

I have a 1950 3600 that has a disk brake conversion and a SBC engine that required the steering gear to be moved out for manifold clearance. The pitman arm was modified to move the new adjustable drag link is inboard of the pitman arm to regain steering geometry.

I seem to recall when I did the brake conversion that I confirmed that the steering stops worked as intended. However, now I can not recall where the steering stops are located and found that when cranking the steering wheel all the way to the left the driver's side tire rubs on the pitman arm. I think I am very close to the stop as I think I am near the end of the steering gear travel but would like to confirm. I am sure I can resurect my memory regarding the stops if I dig deep enough but thought it may be easier to just ask the experts.

Well, as I remember your steering stops are cast into the top of the axle and I believe you'll see them as little nubbins that stick up there on each side (your control arms hit them in extreme turns). In that image you attached, the stop is right there toward the top of the arch of where your axle goes up. What size of wheels/tires are you using? Tall and thin is the best for a few different reasons.

I am thinking they are small "L" shaped pieces that are on the back side of the axle, held on by the nut and lock washer that hold the kingpin retainer in place. That's where mine are.

Your drag link is missing a Zerk fittings. You are using the original design tie rod ends?

Mine looks like this on my '46. Not sure if that's similar to your '50?

According to this post in the 67-72chevytrucks forum, your 1950 3600 steering stops look like the below pictured items. The 1929-57 Chevy Master Parts book lists them as GM# 3652923, which is different than the 1/2 ton "L" shaped stops. They are listed as fitting 3/4 through 1-1/2 ton trucks, 1947-55.1.

If you can't locate yours, look at the listed range of trucks as donors.

Edit: They bolt on to the axle on the back side, using the king pin retaining bolt same as the 1/2 ton style mount.

Thank you all for the input.

I don't think the control arms get to the nibs on the to of the axle, I will need to look at the backside of the axle where the king pin bolt is located (I beleive the parts pictured by Gdads51 are there).

The picture was early on in my drag link design/install and grease fittings have since been installed. I have also upgraded to the newer style tie rod ends.

Right now I have what I believe are the original 2 piece wheels (17") with correspnding tires (I can not recall the size) but noted the pitman arm contact when test fitting new to me 16" wheel (7" wide) with a 235/85R16 tire. The pitman arm contact was similar for both wheel /tire combinations. I am planning to go to 215/85R16 tires to get a narrower tread width. I would have preffered a 6" wide wheel but the 7" wide wheels were a good deal.

These guys are correct and my memory wasn't. I crawled under and mine has the stop pieces bolted on the back side also. 215/85R16 will be better than 235 width.

Do the newer style tie rod ends give a little more tie clearance over the original?

Sorry, I did not compare the tire clearance to the tie rod ends. When I investigate the steering stops I can check but it may be a few days.

I checked the front axle and the steering stops are in place on the back side of the axle but I am not sure what is intended to contact them. It is possible that the disk brake conversion affected the part of the spindle that is intended to contact the stop but if I recall when I did the disk brake installation I confirmed that the stops were contacted, but that would have been without a wheel and tire mounted. Just eyeballing the straight forward steering wheel position I get roughly 2 turns of the steering wheel to a stop (not sure if its the axle or the steering gear) turning right and about 2 1/2 turns of the steering wheel before the tire contacts the pitman arm. I do not have the toe-in set after the tie rod end replacement so it could be that my visual for straight forward position is off. More investigation will be undertaken later but for now this thread can be closed.

I did look at the tie rod end to wheel clearance but did not see any concerns with the 7.50x17 tires currently on the truck. It could be a different story with 15" wheels.

I broke one off, snapped the bolt, cranking hard to make a left turn into my parking space. I left it that way and just back off when I feel the tire rubbing on the pitman arm. facilitates backing into mu parking space with out the camper hitting the telephone pole on the blind side.

First off, pull the pitman arm off the gear box or remove the draglink off the ptman arm, then find center of the gear box. Set the steering wheel on center if its not. This would be a good time to adjust the sector gear and steering shaft bearings. You need to know that the gear box is centered before adjusting steering stops.

Step two is to pull the tires and check that both stops are in place and the spindles hit both stop at full turn.

Step three is set toe-in.

With all three steps done assemble everything and check number of turns each direction.

The spindles should hit the axle stops before the gear box hits the internal stops or damage to the box can happen.

Thank you Joe, I plan to follow your 3 steps before the truck gets on the road. Given my altered steering box location and related pitman arm location I may need to modify my stop to prevent contact of the tire with the pitman arm or I may use 1Ton Tommy's approach.

Making the stop adjustable is as easy as drilling and tapping a hole, when my truck had wider tires which hit the tie rod I limited the steering as shown. . Not needed now as I have 650 x 16 tires

Chuck

Sorry for dragging up an old story but I recently confirmed that with the wheels removed that my steering stops on the back side of the axle contact the spindle as intended. The left tire contacting the pitman arm prior to contacting the stop must be a result of the steering box relocation.

Once I have the intended wheels and tires installed I will determine if I need to make an adjustment to the steering stop.