Oh great, steering problems...need some thoughts here guys

[TireSmoknWindsr]

Ok on my '66. I still think a new steering box will fix it. I've adjusted it and it still has a pretty good amount of play. If you shake and fiddle w/ my suspension its all solid tight and new. Going down the road it tracks a little off. Sometimes if I go over a hill at a higher speed when I drop off and the load moves off the car as its pushed over the hill sometimes it will cause the wheels to jerk and when the load comes back to the front suspension the car wants to jerk to the side bad sometimes. It does it sometimes on potholes and things but especially coming out from under load on a hill. Going straight and downhill it does alright buuuut. Any ideas here? Think getting it aligned again could cure that? Maybe they just didn't do a good job the last time and it's got the wheels tryin to go different ways? It's got new shocks, control arms, pitman/idler arm, bushings, etc. Tight as can be but my steering scares me sometimes....its just sloppy and jerky.

 

[Fostang]

Well if you say you've tried adjusting the steering box and it still has a little bit of play. I'm thinking $400 or so bucks are in order for a new box.

Which is basicly what I'll end up doing for my coupe.

 

[RajunCajun]

You have a couple of options:

Can try rebuilding the original
I took mine fully apart and didnt find any worn parts so put it backtogether and filled it full of greese works just fine
Various Parts @ Johns Mustangs

Buying a rebuilt for around 190
@ Johns Mustang

Buying a flaming river style for 490
@ Mustangs Unlimited

 

[TireSmoknWindsr]

What all is involved in rebuilding one? Could like NAPA, O'Reilly, etc get a kit?

 

[65 fastback]

Sometimes if I go over a hill at a higher speed when I drop off and the load moves off the car as its pushed over the hill sometimes it will cause the wheels to jerk and when the load comes back to the front suspension the car wants to jerk to the side bad sometimes. It does it sometimes on potholes and things but especially coming out from under load on a hill.

This sounds like classic bumpsteer. As your suspension cycles up and down the wheels are toeing in and out, thus making your car twitchy (sp?) Have you lowered your car or done the Shelby mod? Also, do you have the Granada disc swap? - All of these mods will induce some amount of bumpsteer.

Tim

 

[RajunCajun]

What all is involved in rebuilding one? Could like NAPA, O'Reilly, etc get a kit?

mainly replacing of bearings and the seal on the top plate

The most worn bearings ive seen are the ones on the shaft itself the two ball bearings there realitively easy to replace and dont require a full dissassembly

Ive never seen a kit anywhere offered for M/S boxs and I dont know if Napa, etc... carries pieces or kits youd have to check you never know. johnsmustang has just about been the only person Ive seen that carries them and even then sometimes he doesnt have them in stock.

 

[Fostang]

What can be done to reduce bump steer?

When having the granda conversion, shelby drop, and being lowered?

 

[TireSmoknWindsr]

My car has stock drum spindles and I haven't done the Shelby drop neither.

 

[65fastback2+2]

make sure your drag link ball stud that goes into the pitman are is both tightened down in the drag link and the nut securing it to the pitman arm. if the drang link side of the ball stud is wore out it could be pulling out slightly. I know when i redid the 65 FB's suspension the bullstud-to-pitman arm nut wasnt tight enough and I had 2" of slack, tightened it up and it dropped to 1/8" both ways.

 

[TireSmoknWindsr]

Well...I hadn't piddled w/ the box in about half a year...since we had tried to tighten it up...well...just for kicks I figured hey I'd go mess around w/ it some and apparently my shop teacher who was adjusting it while i turned the wheel had it on there loose and it backed out...so I tightened it up...hmmm...helped some still loose though....I thought maybe it was low on fluid...went and topped it off...it still has play in it but its about like it was when I first got it and I'm happy now...I am gonna go see about getting it re-aligned by a different place who aligned my '71 hardtop a couple years ago and did a good job. I wonder what I need to tell them though about the possible bumpsteer issue...I havent drove it on any hilly-twisty roads yet to see if that w/ the box cleared some of it up or not.

 

[66coupe306]

Sounds like the standard piece of junk Mustang steering box. Worked like crap from the day it rolled off Henry's line!!!!! You know, I love the Mustang, but it must be one of the biggest piles of crap that ever rolled off of an assembly line!

 

[Mach-One-Man]

undefinedYou could send it out to Rhodes in Ohio, they will rebuild it & only replace what is needed & send it back usually within 2-3 days.

 

[TT670]

sounds like bumpsteer to me too, my 65 has every single component replaced in the front end, including the steering box, it is in perfect alignment and acts like you describe now and then. 99% of the time you dont notice it, but if the front takes a good hit, or if you get alot of lift over a rise the evil bumpsteer shows its face, Im going to get myself a Baer tracker kit and work on correcting it. If you were to lift the car, remove the springs and cycle the front suspension thru its range of travel youd see what bump steer is, it can be nasty on these old mustangs.