The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Understeering

I'm not sure if this is the correct term to use for the situation I have.

Just so you'll know, it's a 67 Chevy C10. The front end, my Techie tells me, came from "something", and he thinks the year model is between 73 & 84. It has "power" steering. You can turn the wheel with one finger. Very nice. Probably came from a car.

My current problem is that the turning radius isn't balanced from left to right.

I have all the room I want if I want to turn left, but turning right is very tight.

Any ideas, considering the circumstances, on how to balance this out a bit better?

Thanks,
Davey

Try a front end alinement.sounds like caster or camber need adj

Techie aligned it when he did the original work.

I'm not the expert, but he said the "mismatching of parts" made it hard to get it precise.

Just thought someone in here might have experience with this type of problem.

Davey

Like I said, I'm not an expert.

It just seems to me that you should be able to screw/adjust the tie rod ends in particular directions to get to where you need to be.

I guess it don't work that way.

Davey

Davey,

It works that way with rack and pinion steering, but not with drag link. Don't know what he has.

Makes me wonder if the drag link is the wrong lenghth.That'd account for not being able to turn as far one direction as the other.
Speed

What or who is this "Techie", you keep referring to? If he is your alignment guy, find a new one.
I replaced the complete front suspension components on my '67 3/4 with '76 3/4 pieces. That gave me the PS/gear box, disc brakes and 1-1/4" sway bar. I didn't use the springs because the '76 had a 454 and I didn't want to raise the front.
Everything is bolt-up except for the gear box. The newer frames are shaped a little different. They have a big dent to allow for the fatter box. I ground a little meat off the gear box and a little off the frame. Place a flat 1/16" washer between the frame and the gearbox bolt ears, where the bolts (4) go through the frame. This places the Pitman shaft in the exact same location as the manual gearbox pitman shaft. The manual gear box is much smaller, but actually sits 1/16" farther away from the frame.
You should have the same steering, left to right.
An original '67 PS would have been the ram cylinder type.

Is the pitman keyed? Sounds like its on the wrong spline.

Hy Davey, just a suggestion to try and figure out whats wrong, disconnect the pitman arm from the tie rods, now count the number of turns lock to lock in the steering box, now put the box in the middle of it's travel, now the tie rods should theoretically be able to be reattached with the wheels in the straight ahead position. If they won't go back on, is there enough adjustment to make them line up. If they do go back on we have another problem, let us know.

Davey - if your steering column is any indication of the front end it might be from a 73-87 truck. I had and 81 Suburban and you could drive it with one finger. But your steering column and wheel, in your pics, is from a 73-87, and I bet that means a few suspension parts are as well. As for the uneven steering I do not know. Not to scare you but I had a Fqrd that did not steer even from right to left and I eventually learned that the frame was broken at the front crossmember, which was the reason it had been "unalignable" to that point. I am sure that is not the case with your truck.

I would start by looking at the steering linkage and seeing if everything looks right. If the front end is pieced together as you describe there could be a few parts that are not working right or just plain wrong. Good luck.

"Techie" is a good friend of mine who has been in front end work and mechanicing for many years. I trust him totally.

I mentioned the situation to him last night and he mentioned something about a possible problem with the Pitman arm, or shaft, or whatever.

I'll take it back later this week and let him look at it some more.

When he did the orignal work to the front end, he told me it wasn't perfect, and asked me to drive it some and let him know how it felt, and let him know if it wasn't right. So that's where we're at.

He has, since day one, advised me to take it one step at a time with this truck, and fix little problems as I go.

Except for this little problem everything else seems okay with the steering. Well, new tires would certainly help the situation too.

Thanks!
Davey