After completing the power steering install on my 54 I took it out today for a good shakedown ride. Even with the new power steering gearbox replacing the old worn out
manual steering gear box, the truck still has a bit of a "wander" going straight down the road. The truck still has the stock axle and all the steering fittings that came with it
to me about 5 years ago. Since I also have new wheels and tires installed I scheduled a front end alignment for next Thursday. If they find any issues with any of the
steering fittings or caster, camber or toe-in, would this have much effect on the quality of the steering? Or......am I just too spoiled and use to the quality of the steering of
my new modern day car?

 

It's a good idea to replace the kingpins and bushings and all the ball caps in the drag link for both the pitman and steering arm. Replacing the hollow tie rod with a thicker and solid one won't hurt either. Stabilizers help as well.

 

Bob, if the components are tight, these solid axle front ends can use several degrees of caster. Search for "caster wedges". The last two old Fords I had did quite well with six degrees caster. Toe in, maybe 1/16?. Wide radials, maybe less. Before you let anyone do anything to the front end, make them show you the current settings and the amount of wear in which components. Ask the shop owner or manager just how many solid axle front ends the tech has done recently. Good luck.

 

I'll just second Ray's advice to seek-out a shop that knows what they are doing when it comes to solid axle vehicles. Fixing my drag link and adding caster greatly improved my truck's steering and handling. The first two shops that worked on my truck's tendency to wander all over the road missed what was really wrong with it. My thread entitled: "Wheels and Tires" (starting at about post #43), documents my successful quest for better handling.

Jim

 

If all components are in good condition, the wander you are describing is typically caused by not enough positive caster.

 

52 USCG Panel....I just finished reading through your "Wheels and Tires" thread. Very interesting information. I will be asking the shop that is going to do my alignment work about what they know about straight axle adjustments and caster shims. I have been wondering how you determine how much shim degree should be used and I think your thread has cleared that up. I checked my truck for caster shims today and I see none present. Probably a good reason for the steering wander problem. I am thinking that I should go with 6 degree shims. My truck has some rake to it (Nose down, tail up) and I have installed power steering with larger wider radial tires so it should not make any difference to me if the steering gets a little harder with more shim angle. I am hopeful that all the steering components are still within specs and only need adjustments. Any other input on this subject from you guys is always appreciated. Thanks everyone.

 

Your problem sounds a lot like caster. But also check your wheel bearings for any play. That is often overlooked, but just a little too loose can have you fighting to keep it in your lane. I bought a really nice '66 F100 cheap that was all over the road. All I did was spend 15 minutes adjusting the wheel bearings, and it was one of the best driving older Ford pickups I ever owned.

 

What power steering unit did you install ? My 51' had a popular conversion that used a GM steering box ( typical 700 series If I recall ) attached to an adapter plate that went between the rail of the frame, It also never drove that well. One day I noticed how much the frame twisted in the area of the adapter and steering box while I was checking for worn or loose tie rods. I could visibly see the twisting. Have someone turn the wheel back and forth with the motor not running just like you would when checking frontend parts and see if the frame is flexing allowing for change in the pitman arm angle

 

Hey Bob. I'm glad you found my old thread helpful. Some of our best experts stepped up to share their opinions on how to get the best handling results from our stock steering components. Good luck with your alignment appointment Thursday. It looks like you are just about ready to get your truck back on the road. That's exciting. Let the adventures begin!

Jim

 

Good thing you are going to alignment shop:
1) They will find out what is loose - hopefully nothing.
2) They will find out your left and right castor numbers.

From the rake you describe, I think they are going to find castor is well below original spec. Rake results in less castor, meaning you have to add more back in.
If your alignment guy is not old, and or has never worked on many of our type of trucks, castor shims will not mean much to him. Likely he will not even know of such a thing. He will know that he cannot adjust castor. I do not know of any alignment shops around here that can install the shims. The springs need to come entirely out from the ale and shackles, then pack then clamped tight, center pin/bolt removed, new pin/bolt with longer head installed to reach though the shim to axle perch, springs re-installed, shackles tightened back up, shocks re-installed. Sorry, but I think after alignment you head over to automotive shop of the type that does suspension work. And then, maybe you want realignment again, maybe not.
From now until Thursday all you have to do is find out where you want to buy 6 degree castor shims AND likely a center pin with longer head.

Try MidFifty in AZ. They call them Spring Alignment Shims. Try page 159 of catalog for shims and center pin/bolt. Catalog only shows 2 and 4 degree shims, you may need 6 degrees shim and will have to try others who sell these. For me, finding center pin/bolt was the hardest.
Your truck right now wants 6 degrees castor, so if you only have 2 degrees, you will need a 4 degree shim to give you 6 degrees. If you have zero degrees, then you need a 6 degree shim. As far as I know shims only come in 2 degree increments. Be sure you are getting the right width for your front springs, rear shims likely too wide.

One more thing to do or to remember: Castor makes the truck steering wheel want to return to center after doing a turn, like a u-turn. If your truck is not at least trying to come back to center, but just wants to stay in the turn when you let go of steering wheel, then this is more evidence of needing castor. Anyway, your alignment guy will tell you the castor numbers. If alignment guy tells you factory spec is less than 6 degrees, ignore the factory spec and go with 6 degrees. Factory spec is for trucks that were heavy burdened, going slow on bad roads with manual steering. You do not have that. Fast trucks on good roads with radials want more camber than factory spec.

https://static.midfifty.com/catalog/...00_Catalog.pdf

Oh, one more thing, I am thinking that your left and right numbers may be off by some. If more than 1.5 degrees difference, you may want to correct with different degree shims on each side. Leave passenger side with more castor if you drive a lot on old county roads with severe crown.

 

Bob, Check the link for various caster shims. It has not been mentioned here, but an alignment shop that specializes in trucks may be your best bet. At least they know how to remove a spring and correctly install it. Also, they will know the wedge goes in from the rear. If I were doing the job, I would make certain the spring shackles are tight, as well. Good luck, I know you're having fun.
Edit: a good truck shop will have shims or have a ready supplier.

 

Ray... I see several shims on Amazon. Does the width of whatever shim I get have to match the width of the spring?

Mid Fifty does only show the 2 and 4 degree shims and they have a longer head. I wonder it those bolts will work on a 6 degree shim?

I have been looking for a truck alignment shop in this area but I only see those shops in Ft. Myers. I will keep checking. I am hopeful the shop I am going to Thursday will know what they are doing. I will let you all know.

 

I have been living with the same problem for a while, fitted new power steering and it wandered, bump steered and felt stiff in places.

Well it came to a head and I found there was old hard grease in just one of the kingpins making it stick in places. This translated into quite bad handling as it jumped around on the road. I blamed caster too as it would take grease under a fair bit of pressure but must not have been getting all round the pin.

Anyway with a fair dose of heat and grease pressure I managed to blow the good stuff through and it's night and day different. Lock to lock one finger and more stable on the road by far, result!

Best bit for me though was fixing it for free, First time for that with this old girl.