Iv been looking into this problem for about a year now since I got my 74/40 on the road. What it's doing is it will pull one way and switch back and forth at random and if someone else drives it they almost go off the road. This problem gets worse as tire size gets bigger/wider. A bit of back ground. I put a sag power steering 74 chevell box and a 70 Chevy truck pump, with a s10 column and I got the spud, intermeadite shaft, 1.5 inch drop pitman arm, drag link, upper tie rod end and mount plate all from btb. It's got a 4 inch lift and 4* axle shims. Iv also put 83 fj60 disks up front. All seals have been replaced and the 3 remaining tre are the smaller 40 ends but are new and have less than 5k on them.
Chronic Steering issues... (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter nitroid13
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- Thread starter
- #2
I have had 3 different size tires on it from a 235/75-15 to a 33/13.5-15. It drives great with the small 28" tires and the 33/13.5 I can't do more than 40 cuz it swurvs on the road so much. I now have a 295/75/16 on it now but still give me trouble. The only thing that hasn't changed is the knuckle barrings and wheel barrings and if have never been changed on the 83 fj60 donor then they have ~205k on them, but I did clean all the old grease and re packed all of the barrings. Also I'm using the shim packs as the were when I removed them
78fj40mg
TLCA #23510
Have you rebuilt the steering knuckles? That may be related to the wondering issue.
78fj40mg
TLCA #23510
The different tire sizes is a problem as well. Also change the knuckle bearings.
You say you have 4* castor shims, but did you actually check your castor to see what it is?
DomSmith
SILVER Star
Sounds like caster angle.
- Thread starter
- #7
Well at first I added the shims and it made it better. I also added a steering stableizer... The only thing to rebuild in the knuckles is the top and bottem barrings and when I re packed them they were tight and had very little ware on them same with wheel barrings. Also when I had it lined up at a shop he said my caster was -1* with the axle shims. I never used the tool that tells if you need to add or take out shims on top and bottem king pins
I don't know the specifics of your lift, but worn leaf spring bushings will make for an erratic ride with random tracking like you describe. My 71 drove like yours when I brought it home. All steering linkage joints were replaced, I replaced the 33 x 12.50s with 9.50s and stock width wheels , and replaced all leaf spring bushings. That took care of it for me and I think it was a combination of everything. It looks like you have checked everything else, so take a looks at your bushings, both front and rear.
On all roads? Mine with wide 14.50/35 will do that only when on blacktop 2 lane roads with dips or ruts worn in by big trucks. on good roads tracks great. With 33/12.50 won't at all. Think more toe in helps with this. It also has less caster than it should have.
