The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks front suspension update

I tried 3 times to update my previous post and it didn't print the text. Anyway, I got to an alignment shop 35 miles away Friday and the guys worked on Deb's 65 for 5 hours. They were able to get the camber and toe right but the caster would only go 1.1° on the drivers side and 3.3° on the passenger side. I thought we were on to something when the guy noticed the upper control arm shaft wasn't centered in the control arm but when we fixed it, it didn't make any difference.
It is driveable now but it still turned way to far in both directions. I drilled a hole in the stop bracket and put a 1/2" bolt through it with head becoming the new stop for the spindle. It appears to only turn about 50° now, as it should.
I think the next step will be to replace the 14" steering wheel with a 15" and see if that helps some more. I finally feel like I'm on the right track to getting the thing driveable. I've only been fighting it 5 years or so.

Is there a question here?

Thanks for getting my post to come up; however you did it. My home made steering stops didn't help, it still turns too far and slides the tires. Is it possible that the pitman arm for the 72 is too long and causing the wheels to turn too far? Is there a shorter one that will fit the 72 power steering box?

I can't find specifications on them as far as lengths and taper/bore sizes, but there are different listings for pitman arms from '63-'72. Te part numbers in Moog are; '63-'66 K6086, '68 w/power steering K6131, '69-'72 w/power steering K6131. '69-'72 w/manual steering K6130. The last two were also used on G series vans '71-'82. I'm not sure why there's no listing for '67/'68 w/manual steering.
You might also verify that the idler arm is correct/matching to the pitman arm. They should be the same length. For '63-'66, the number is K14, for '67-'82, it's K6096T.

Mearl,

The suspension on my '65 is factory stock. If you would like I'd be glad to measure the pitman arm length, idler arm length or anything else you would like to get stock geometry dimensions on.

Let me know if this is something you'd like me to do.

Happy Trails...

John

To Mearl,

The pitman arms, '67-'72 are the same except you must match the arm to your type of steering. If someone changed your truck from standard, non-power steering to power steering and kept the standard pitman arm, then you have a problem. Match the arm to your type of steering, power with power and standard with non- power. I believe the two pitman arms will work from 1962 to into the 1980s! I too, thought that the pitman arm and idler arm had to match but I can find NO difference in part numbers!

I hope this helps!

best wishes,

Les

It's looking like I need to just keep making bigger stops for the spindles. Maybe I'll make it to where it can only point straight and work backward from there.
I built this thing for my wife and now she says sell it unless I get to where she's not afraid of it. This from the woman who drove a 53 Chevy honey wagon with 3 brake lines blocked off, to work her way through college. for those of you who don't know, a honey wagon is a septic sucking truck.

How is the relationship between the center link and the tie rods? The tie rods should be parallel with the center link when steered straight ahead. It's making me wonder if the crossmember isn't perhaps mounted too far back in the frame, causing geometry issues in the steering linkage. Specifically, excessive toe out on turns, which is usually an issue with a bent steering arm on the knuckle. But with it doing it turning both ways, about the only things it could be are the crossmember incorrectly positioned compared to the steering box/idler arm, incorrect length pitman and idler arms, or both steering arms on the knuckles are bent. I find the last one to be unlikely.

What you are saying is making sense to me, Longbox. I used the complete 72 cross member with all linkages and the 72 steering box and pitman arm, with a REZ locator kit. I'm thinking that I looked at the linkages recently and they were lined up but I'll look again and know more about what I'm looking for. We did have to change the location of the idler arm because on the 65, it pointed to the back and the 72 pointed to then front, it looks just like it did on the 72, however. I'll go out this morning and check. I have to get around for a car show today but we're taking another car.
The cross member bolted in place using the original holes but that doesn't mean it's in the right place for the 65, I guess.

I looked at the tie rods yesterday and they appear to be nearly parallel with the front of the cross member and in line with the center link. They do go uphill to the spindles, due to the lowering kit. The cross member couldn't go any farther forward because the center link only clears the pitman and idler arms by less than 1/4". I really appreciate all you guys helping talk through this, I just hope we figure it out some day.

We have run into a similar situation. The problem was the center-link. The geometry & dimensions of the 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton, are slightly different, but enough to cause alignment issues.