Sloppy Steering

[Christopher Hoffman <imperial67@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mark,

73,000 miles is not a low-mileage car when it comes to these things. Keep in
mind that seals and rubber things like bushings wear with both time and
mileage, and it is not unlikely to need to replace those things on a
30-year-old car that's been driven 73,000 miles. Also keep in mind that
these items undergo both the stresses of the suspension interacting with the
road and the heat of the underhood area.

The steering coupler (the large can-like thing halfway up the steering
column) is right above an exhaust manifold. And the steering gearbox is
almost constantly experiencing both mechanical motion and hydraulic pressure
while you drive. Things wear with use, and steering pretty much undergoes
constant use when you drive. Not to mention the fact that most people never
change their power steering fluid, ever, until the pump or gearbox is
replaced or rebuilt.

Check your entire system out thoroughly... the good news is that all of it
can be replaced or rebuilt. The important thing is to find a rebuilder who
understands these cars and knows that steering did not have a firm feel on a
1973 luxury car. I had the gearbox rebuilt on my '67 and it always felt too
firm and had poor self-centering behavior. After two years of hoping it'd
"break in" or I'd get used to it, I ended up paying for it all to be done
again, only this time by someone who knew old cars.

FYI, I needed to rebuild the 'box in NYB, too, and with only 16,000 miles on
it! (All that time not being driven took its own toll.)

Chris in LA
67 Crown
78 NYB Salon

Mark McDonald (tomswift@xxxxxxxxxxxxx) wrote:

> One thing I left out is, my car is a relatively low mileage vehicle--
> about 73k.  So I'm doubtful it would need a front end rebuild . . .