Re: IML: Need alignment after '67 steering gearbox swap?

Tim:

Hey, here is a subject I know a bit about. If you jack up the front of the car with both tires off of the ground and then start the car while watching the steering wheel, if the steering wheel jumps to the right then the pull is in the steering gear, and not an alignment issue....therefore, aligning the vehicle will not cure this problem. What you need to do if this is the case would be to either adjust the steering gear, or just send it back to the re-builder and tell them that it pulls. If you know what you are doing, you can adjust the steering gear on this car by moving the valve assembly on top of the steering gear. However, if you are not familiar with this technique, then you can do yourself more harm than good. I have adjusted hundreds of these to remove the pull without incident. What you need to do is to loosen the two bolts that hold down the valve assembly just slightly, but not enough so that you can physically move it by hand, but just enough so that you can slightly tap it with a small hammer to get it to move (either forward or back as necessary for right or left pull). If you can see that it has moved, then you have moved it TOO far. So, then repeat the starting the car and watching the steering wheel test to see if you have adjusted it far enough, or too far. Make further adjustments as necessary.

As far as the steering wheel being on straight, Chris in LA was on track as far as the steering wheel centering....and yes, then go get an alignment anyway. But, ask around and find a GOOD quality shop that specializes in alignment and works on old cars, maybe a 50 year old alignment guy would be a good idea. However, I would not get the car aligned until I had the steering wheel close to center, as they will only be able to adjust a small amount of steering wheel angle with the alignment.

If you want to email me about alignment or suspension issues, I am happy to help, or I can call you and help walk you through the process if you like.

Chad Smith

Former Alignment Shop manager/18 years working as an alignment & suspension specialist

----- Original Message -----

From: iml@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2004 11:48 AM

Subject: IML: Need alignment after '67 steering gearbox swap?

I'm hoping you mechanically knowledgable folks might do a "sanity check" for me...

I recently had my mechanic swap out my '67's leaky power steering gearbox with a rebuilt one. It works, but now the steering wheel crossbar is at a 45-degree angle to the right when the wheels are straight ahead. Also, the car pulls slightly to the right now. My mechanic (actually his assistant) tells me there was only one way for the gearbox to go on, so it's not a matter of making any adjustment to his installation -- instead, I should get the car aligned.

Does all of this sound reasonable? Should I get the car aligned, and can I expect that to help?

Some details:

-- I ordered the replacement gearbox from Murray Park, and specifically had him send me a '67 Imperial gearbox, since that's one of the few parts that the '67 and the '68 don't share.

-- I then had the gearbox rebuilt by Steer & Gear in Ohio.

-- I've used this mechanic for years, and I trust him, though his new assistant is the one who did all the work. This shop doesn't do alignments, by the way, so they're not just trying to hook me into more billable hours.

-- I've owned my Imp for 5 years and have never had it aligned.

Thanks for any advice!

Tim Klein
'67 Crown 4DHT

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