Looking for help from suspension gurus

[Denver69 10]

I recently rebuilt the entire front-end on my '68 Convertible. The problem is the car has a tighter turning radius going to the right than to the left. For example, if I'm going to park in a parking space, I just turn to the right and the car steers right in. But if the space in on the left and I turn the wheel to the left, the turning radius is so great that I overshoot the space and have to stop, back up a little and then pull in. Another way of saying it is I can easily make a U-turn on my street if I'm turning to the right, but have to stop and back up if going to the left or I run up over the sidewalk and neighbors grass.

In looking at the steering set-up, I'm pretty certain that the amount the front wheels can turn is dictated by the end of the strut rod making contact with the spindle. I measuered the new tie rods that I installed and one side is definitely longer than the other by about an inch. Would this be the cause of the problem? Is there something else to check? Everything is new from the steering gear box to the strut rod bushings to the ball joints. Thanks for any suggestions.

Jeff

[69gmachine 15]

Yes, the tie rods should be very nearly equal. If you have power steering, first make sure the center link is centered in the gearbox's travel. If manual you should be OK unless someone r&rd the pitman arm incorrectly. Use a tape measure and turn the long one in and the short one out until they are both the same length. You will need to re-check your toe and your steering wheel for center. You may need to take the wheel off to re-center it once you have the tie rods equal length.

Edited June 2, 2010 by 69gmachine

[RPM 1,190]

Ditto to 69gmachine. Only thing I would add is to make sure the steering box is centered also. If the center link is not centered when the center link is, the arm on the steering box needs to be indexed so both the box and center link are centered at the same time. Then do the tie rods, then do the steering wheel if it's off centered from the box.

[buening 63]

Isn't it standard procedure for a vehicle to have a tighter turning radius to the right compared to the left...at least for those on this side of the pond?

[Denver69 10]

Thanks so much for the guidance, I'll get under there and make the adjustments so the tie-rod lengths are about equal.

[RPM 1,190]

Since we on this side of the pond make our U turns to the left, I'd have to say no.

[Denver69 10]

I was just looking at the steering linkage again last night. I installed a new control valve, would the number of turns the control valve is intalled on the drag link also affect the steering radius right vs left? Is there a standard starting point for this adjustment (like you should turn the control valve on until you see just three threads or something like that)? And what about the adjustment of the strut rods, it seems like that would have to be dictated by alignment, is that true? Thanks again.

[KipDurran 18]

I am resurrecting this thread because I am having the exact same problem. My car turns much sharper to the left than to the right. From center, the steering wheel goes more than two revolutions but to the right it goes just about 1.5 turns.

 

69 F code

Disk brake swap from Chockostang.

New tie rods,idler arm, steering box.

New power ram.

Rebuilt control valve.

New upper and lower control arms.

 

It drives well. No leaks or funny noises.

I will admit that I have been driving it around for a while before I really took full notice of this. I need to really get under the car to take a look at things.

 

What should I look at besides what has been mentioned prior?

 

Some months ago I posed a question about the control valve installation on the drag link and the fact that with what Ford recommends in the manual results in a drag link that is not perfectly centered. Could this be it?

 

http://1969stang.com/forum/index.php?/topic/52581-centerlinkdraglink-adjustment/?view=findpost&p=154178&hl=%2Bdrag+%2Blink

 

When I get a chance I am going to put her up on stands and take some measurements of the tie rods, etc.

 

Thanks,

 

Steve

[barnett468 418]

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there is a steering stop on the end of the strut rod or top of the lower arm that the steering knuckle stops on . . see how close it comes to the stop . . maybe your pitman arm is incorrectly clocked.

[KipDurran 18]

Thanks, Barnett. That was one thing I was going to look at.

 

I will also pay attention to the pitman arm but correct me if I am wrong but that should be pretty hard to get wrong, even for me. It is tapered and has a large spline acting as a key, if I remember rightly. I know because it took me a while to figure out the proper orientation. Once oriented it went on easily.

[barnett468 418]

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yes it "should" only go on one way.

 

it is hard to explain but the majority of it should be parallel to the frame when the tires are straight ahead then the steering wheel is clocked to be straight up.

[JayEstes 173]

Here is another thought.  remote chance I would say, but I would check the spindles.  The spindles on 69's, 70's were changed slightly here and there. Some have the attachment closer or farther to the center of rotation.  If a spindle got swapped on one side, you could have them mismatched.  I would expect even a half inch of difference in the radius at which the tie-rod attaches could make a dramatic difference.  So, if for some reason a spindle was replaced, and they grabbed one from another ford model (cougar or something) there is a possibility it would hook up fine, but it could change the turning radius, one side to the other.

[RPM 1,190]

I've come to accept the fact that in 1969 Ford was building a loose tolerance car, not a watch. The manual steering on my car has been added to my list of "close enough" parts.

 

When I assembled the steering, I too found the wheel would rotate further in one direction. With the steering box centered and the pitman arm and idler arm parallel to the frame rails, the pitman arm stud is not aligned with the end hole of the center link. So I got to pick whether I wanted the steering box or center link centered. It seems there are many trade offs when building our cars, especially when non stock parts are used.

[Rsmach1 71]

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