steering woes...... help!!!!
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 357
Likes: 0
steering woes...... help!!!!
I thought part of my steering problem was the hodge podge assortment of tires and wheels i had on. Well, i got my new tires and wheels and its no better. I hear everyone talk about bump steer, what exactly are we describing? My steering also has alot of play, will rebuilding do the trick or is there any adjustment? by the way i have a toyota box on a 49.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,299
Likes: 1,059
From: NM
Bump steer is just like it sounds, when one wheel goes up over a bump, the tie rod geometry isn't right and it steers the car to the side. If you have wandering, that's something different. Are your kingpins good? Tie rods? Pitman arm? If you're still stock, they are easy to disassemble and inspect, clean and grease. Parts are easy and cheap, too.
Nothing magical about Toyota boxes; they wear out just like any other, especially if off a 4x4 truck that some kid bounced off every dune in sight.
Nothing magical about Toyota boxes; they wear out just like any other, especially if off a 4x4 truck that some kid bounced off every dune in sight.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,795
Likes: 129
From: Windermere Valley,B.C. Ca
You have a sweet 49 f1 with a 460, tunnel ram, MSD, C6, 9 inch, headers, and I would presume you would like to drive it on the highway. With all due respect to the straight axle people, its old technology, period. Yea, you can fix it, to some extent, but when one wheel goes up the other has to go down. Sorry, not what you want to hear, but its time for IFS.
Roast em' if you got 'em
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 22,017
Likes: 9,972
From: Rio Rancho, NM
You will always have some bump steer with a straight axle, its just the nature of the beast. Take a look at your steering geometry with an eye to the drag link. I think about the best you can do is to have it roughly parallel with the ground.
If you are getting the dreaded death wobble, increasing the toe-in helps.
Bobby
If you are getting the dreaded death wobble, increasing the toe-in helps.
Bobby
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 15,882
Likes: 88
From: Durham NC
If you have a lot of play in the steering, lock the pitman arm in place with two C clamps on the frame, one on each side of the pitman arm. Now turn the steering wheel and see how much play is in the box. If it still has a lot of freeplay at the steering wheel, adjust or replace the box. If the box is tight, jack up the center of the axle so both wheels are off the ground. Grab each wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock and pull/push hard like trying to steer the truck. If you have more than the slightest freeplay, have someone watch carefully to see where it is moving (including drag link). Replace any/all worn parts. Finally grab the wheels at 6, 12 and move top of wheel in and out. If it moves more than a tiny amount replace kingpins and/or wheel bearings depending on where it's moving. If everything so far is tight, check spring eye bushings and pins for deterioration and/or wear.
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 357
Likes: 0
I did replace the king pins and tie rod. I had a buddy help me try and adjust it and i thinks the box is worn out. I ordered one and hopefully ill be on the road soon. Thanks for the info.
Trending Topics
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 692
Likes: 3
From: Gatesville, TX
I have a Toyota box on my 49 also. I replaced the tie rod and kingpins and rebuild both ends of the drag link. It steers fine with a very small amount of bump steer. Be sure you have at least 4 degrees of shim under the front springs. Before I put in the 4 deg shims, it wandered pretty bad above 50 mph. Now I can drive 75 and it is OK. At 80 it starts to wander a bit. Probably should have gone to 6 degrees, but I very seldom get over 70.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 751
Likes: 1
From: orange county, ca.
I have a Toyota box on my 49 also. I replaced the tie rod and kingpins and rebuild both ends of the drag link. It steers fine with a very small amount of bump steer. Be sure you have at least 4 degrees of shim under the front springs. Before I put in the 4 deg shims, it wandered pretty bad above 50 mph. Now I can drive 75 and it is OK. At 80 it starts to wander a bit. Probably should have gone to 6 degrees, but I very seldom get over 70.
Junior User
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
RE: drag link.
My '56 had miserable wander and a bunch of slop before a steering comand would take effect.
In the course of chasing out freeplay as AX describes above, I found it was all in the draglink.
The previous owner had put in a kit of new pieces on the drag link, but had not properly run the plug in on either end to seat the ball cups and compress the springs.
Instead of having a few thousandths of lash at the pitman arm and spindle arm *****, I had almost .250" at each.
It's a wonder the draglink didn't pop off.
Cheap fix: remove cotter pin which holds plug in place, screw plug in 'til spring fully compresses, then back off to first cotter pin alignment hole, replace cotter pin...and do the same on the opposite end. Grease and go.
BobV
My '56 had miserable wander and a bunch of slop before a steering comand would take effect.
In the course of chasing out freeplay as AX describes above, I found it was all in the draglink.
The previous owner had put in a kit of new pieces on the drag link, but had not properly run the plug in on either end to seat the ball cups and compress the springs.
Instead of having a few thousandths of lash at the pitman arm and spindle arm *****, I had almost .250" at each.
It's a wonder the draglink didn't pop off.Cheap fix: remove cotter pin which holds plug in place, screw plug in 'til spring fully compresses, then back off to first cotter pin alignment hole, replace cotter pin...and do the same on the opposite end. Grease and go.
BobV
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 15,882
Likes: 88
From: Durham NC
Also check the ***** the drag link attaches to for wear, they should not have any flat spots. If someone has taken the drag link apart be sure the parts have been put back in the right order. Mid Fifty has a good exploded view in their catalog.
Rather than confuse people with positive and negative caster, just understand that the top of the kingpin needs to tilt back towards the rear of the truck compared to the bottom. be sure you put the shims in so they lean the axle back at the top and that the spring centerbolt is long enough to go thru the shim(s) and still fully seat into the hole in the axle spring seat to keep the axle from shifting fore and aft. Mid Fifty also sells extended head centerbolts if needed.
Rather than confuse people with positive and negative caster, just understand that the top of the kingpin needs to tilt back towards the rear of the truck compared to the bottom. be sure you put the shims in so they lean the axle back at the top and that the spring centerbolt is long enough to go thru the shim(s) and still fully seat into the hole in the axle spring seat to keep the axle from shifting fore and aft. Mid Fifty also sells extended head centerbolts if needed.
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 357
Likes: 0
I appreciate all the tips. I have replaced the king pins and the drag link parts. I know i assembled it correctly. I took it to tom at albuquerque tire and we aligned it and tried to adjust the box and we didnt have any luck. other than the dragl link i think the box is my cuplret.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 412
Likes: 1
From: Fallon, Nevada
IFS? Not in my 4 x 4 truck.
You have a sweet 49 f1 with a 460, tunnel ram, MSD, C6, 9 inch, headers, and I would presume you would like to drive it on the highway. With all due respect to the straight axle people, its old technology, period. Yea, you can fix it, to some extent, but when one wheel goes up the other has to go down. Sorry, not what you want to hear, but its time for IFS.
The truth is that stock axles many times must be aligned by bending to get the camber right, and kingpins must be in good shape to maintain the alignment and eliminate play. Finally, no matter what steering box you use, it must be in good condition to eliminate play. If bump steer was a huge problem, the cure would be to install rack and pinion on the beam axle, not go to IFS, IMHO.
Alan
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,795
Likes: 129
From: Windermere Valley,B.C. Ca
Oh, ...........to the best of my very unreliable memory light duty 4 x 4’s have had IFS for about the last 20 years, except maybe for dodge. I wonder why? 
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 15,882
Likes: 88
From: Durham NC
Hmmm seems to me that arguing over who has bump steer and who doesn't isn't helping the original question. Fact is Beam axles do by nature exhibit bump steer, but it does not have to be severe or even noticable unless you are rock climbing, depends on geometry and alignment. IFS can also exhibit bump steer depending on design and alignment. Transplanting an IFS from a vehicle with a narrower track or shorter wheelbase (i.e. MII) can bring along strange handling characteristics due to ackerman incompatabilities, camber gain/loss and toe changes. Just because it worked in a totally different donor doesn't mean it will work after stretching, raising/lowering, change in wheel diameter and offset. The rear IS in our Solstice has pretty significant bump steer designed in, to induce understeer with heavy maneuvering to keep yahoos from killing themselves on the highway. We use pretty radical alignment specs to "trick" it out of the car on the autocross course.
It's not often, but I have to agree with Alan that the beam axle bumpsteer can be made insignificant without resorting to a suspension transplant that may or may not be any better or worse.
It's not often, but I have to agree with Alan that the beam axle bumpsteer can be made insignificant without resorting to a suspension transplant that may or may not be any better or worse.