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I recently had new tires and wheel alignment done on my 1958 Corvette. I had NOT driven the car any distance before the mentioned work was done. Now that I took it for a test drive with the wife and two furry babies, I noticed quite a bit of side to side correction I had to perform to keep the car going straight inside my lane of traffic. My wife kept on telling me I drove like I was drunk........................LOL
I have the 1953-62 Corvette Service Guide from the days I restored my NCRS 1957 vette. It is pretty thorough on how/what may be causing my problem. I just want to see if anyone has had the same thing take place and what the solution was.
I'm curious to know how much travel should the steering wheel have when the car is turned off and sitting on the ground?? Another words, if I go to the garage right now and turn the steering wheel to the right, how much travel should I experience with the steering wheel.
I'm still working on stretching the top. Have made progress but still NOT there. The front hood gap is going to stay this way for some time. It's a LOT better than before.
Any suggestions are highly appreciated and thank you in advance,
LG,
Mike
I recently had new tires and wheel alignment done on my 1958 Corvette. I had NOT driven the car any distance before the mentioned work was done. Now that I took it for a test drive with the wife and two furry babies, I noticed quite a bit of side to side correction I had to perform to keep the car going straight inside my lane of traffic. My wife kept on telling me I drove like I was drunk........................LOL
I have the 1953-62 Corvette Service Guide from the days I restored my NCRS 1957 vette. It is pretty thorough on how/what may be causing my problem. I just want to see if anyone has had the same thing take place and what the solution was.
I'm curious to know how much travel should the steering wheel have when the car is turned off and sitting on the ground?? Another words, if I go to the garage right now and turn the steering wheel to the right, how much travel should I experience with the steering wheel.
I'm still working on stretching the top. Have made progress but still NOT there. The front hood gap is going to stay this way for some time. It's a LOT better than before.
Any suggestions are highly appreciated and thank you in advance,
LG,
Mike
Tires are like shoes. A new pair of shoes sometimes doesn't walk the same way. New tires can change steering wheel feel. Combined with an alignment new tires can change the way a car behaves on a crowned road, causing it to fall to the right. What you have now may not be wrong, just different. Tweak the adjustment suggested above and see if it helps.
Sounds like your steering box may need adjustment. This is often overlooked by many and an easy fix. I would start there.
Greg-
I generally caution against messing with the lash adjustment which is set at rebuild. I've rarely seen that do more than make the straight ahead position tight or worse bind. A worn out box will not respond positively to adjustment, it usually makes things worse. The OP likely has an average box and his new tires and alignment have altered the contact patch such that he feels a difference.
Op doesn't mention whether he has new radial or bias plies. Could that be part of the problem? I have radials on my 59 and the car drives straight as an arrow. Problem enters when I go to park. That extra contact patch seems overwhelming to my "armstrong" power steering. LOL.
Thanks for the quick response. I guess I'm the OP.............been called much worse, especially during my working years.......................LOL
Yesterday was the first day I put any miles on this jewel. I have NO IDEA what it used to drive like but I do NOT remember being all over the road driving a couple of miles from my house, when getting it all registered at my AAA Insurance Office.
I replaced the twelve year old tires (which looked brand new) with the same size, different brand. They are all 205/75R 15". Hence, putting the best tire on the spare was a mistake because the cover will NOT fit. Found out, via this site, the solution for that.............and it is using a VW tire.
I would NEVER use anything other than RADIAL tires.........................
The current battery on the car is also 12 years old. During the 2010 frame off restoration. I will most likely be replacing the battery as well...................
FIRST NATIONAL SOLID AXLE WESTERN MEET IN VENTURA, CA IN 2009. THE CASCADE GREEN 1957 ON THE END IS MY RESTORATION!
Jimmy, the front end alignment guy has been doing work for this tire shop for over 40 years. I trust he knows what he is doing. He spent at least if not more than 1 1/2 hours aligning the front end. He did tell me that the TOE IN was way off.
I KNOW NOTHING about front ends..................I do remember messing with the steering box on my high school '58 corvette a lot. Never messed with any other adjustment and I can't even remember how it ran after I messed with it. I really DO NOT want to mess with the steering box uless that is the ONLY solution. It sure would be the easiest.
As far as the steering box on the '57 Corvette I restored, I had Calgano in Northern California rebuild the entire unit.
I'm going to do some research on the TOE IN scenarion. I may go back to Jimmy and tell him to drive it and see what he says.................
I may go back to Jimmy and tell him to drive it and see what he says.................
A second opinion is always wise when you are not sure what you feel in the wheel. The old Chevy manual box has some slop in it, not much but it doesn't take much to show up in the wheel as a lot. Jimmy would know the condition of your front end parts as he couldn't perform an alignment with worn parts. My guess is you have been riding on tires that took a set with an off alignment and you became used to it. With new tires and a proper alignment you may never have experienced the way the car is supposed to be. If Jimmy is good, the car should be good.
Service departments liked to return a car to a complaining customer when no trouble could be found with the seats adjusted slightly different. Not enough to make the owner notice. But enough to make the car feel a little different, as though it had been fixed. If Jimmy says AOK, try adjusting your seat.
I just took a closer look at the steering wheel. I removed the horn button and discovered that the mark on the steering shaft is NOT in the 12 o'clock position. The steering wheel is NOT centered as well. Seems to me that my issue is going to be a matter of inproper adjustments.
I will not do anything until I have the tire shop take a look at it.
I just took a closer look at the steering wheel. I removed the horn button and discovered that the mark on the steering shaft is NOT in the 12 o'clock position. The steering wheel is NOT centered as well. Seems to me that my issue is going to be a matter of inproper adjustments.
I will not do anything until I have the tire shop take a look at it.
LG,
Mike
Having been in the alignment business for 20 years (back when I was working), if the steering wheel is not centered I wouldn't consider it a very "good" alignment job.
I stand to be corrected, drove the car as straight as possible into the garage and took another look at the steering wheel and steering shaft mark. The steering wheel is centered but the steering shaft mark is at 10:00 o'clock.
I know Jimmy (wheel alignment GURU) did NOT mess with the steering wheel at all and did NOT go off the CENTER MARK on the steering shaft. He went off the steering wheel being centered.
Am I correct in assuming that the steering wheel is supposed to be centered with the steering shaft mark resting at the 12:00 o'clock position, or is the steering shaft mark just used as the starting point for the alighnment and once everything is adjusted, the steering wheel is then mounted center.
The steering shaft mark "should be" the steering box center mark. However, if the steering box has a set of new gears from South America, all bets are off on it being the true center.
The original steering box shaft mark indicates it's high point. The mark tells you that that is where the steering should be the "tightest", and there should be no "gear lash" (slop) in the gears. And that mark should be where all other alignment settings should start from.
To determine where the steering is the "tightest", I would raise the front tires off the ground, then while rotating the steering wheel, feel where the steering is tightest (there may be a very slight binding as the steering goes through this area of the gears, depending on the adjustment of the box) . You can try to do this without raising the front tires, but it is more difficult to determine where the exact high center point is.
The ST-12 1953-1962 Corvette Service Guide has a section on steering and it's adjustments. It is recommended reading.
As a side note, never lift the front of the car, using a floor jack under the center "3rd arm" forging. Those forgings have been known to break, and replacements are not easy to come by.
Plasticman
Last edited by Plasticman; Aug 8, 2022 at 11:28 AM.
My '60 was like that until I found the toe-in to be a little toed out. Added some toe in and everything is fine.
agree a toed out condition will cause multiple corrections and hard to keep it in the lane. Would also check steering wheel play should not be any except a tiny bit when the wheel is on center but off center none
GREAT info 'plasticman'. Very informative and YES, I do have the book you mentioned. Used it when restoring my 1957 corvette. I had Joe Calgano in Northern Calif. rebuild my steering box and I never had any issues with it.
I talked to the shop owner and have an appointment with Jimmy later on in the week. I will stop by and talk to them in a little while. I explained the situation and the owner confirmed that Jimmy does NOT mess wiht the steering wheel. He asked me if I can center the steering wheel on the mark set at the 12:00 o'clock position. I would be willing to do that if that is what is needed. I rather talk to Jimmy and see what he has to say.
I can tell you that Jimmy has a pretty sophisticated wheel alignment setup. Maybe too advance for the old C1 setup...........................LOL
So, if I understand this correctly, the steering wheel should be centered with the steering shaft mark set at the 12:00 o'clock since Jimmy is using the steering wheel assuming it is centered. OR, Jimmy should DISREGARD the placement of the steering wheel and ONLY rely on starting his adjustment using the steering shaft MARK at the 12:00 o'clock position.
Thanks a million for your input. I have the book and I gain just enough info from it to make me dangerous. There is nothing like acquiring knowledge from experience.
I would find (or have Jimmy find) the high point (center) in the steering first, and verify that it coincides with the mark on the end of the steering shaft. If it does, then remove and reinstall the steering wheel to have the wheel aligned with the mark on the end of the shaft. If the high point coincides with the steering wheel's current offset position, then something changed in the box (probably S.A. gears). I would probably remark the end of the steering shaft to reflect that new high point, only if I was absolutely positive of that change.
That high point is very important, since it is the only point in the steering box, that the steering will be "tight". If the car is aligned without being on that high point, you will have a play in the steering, when trying to go "straight".
My concern is that someone installed the steering wheel misaligned, be that on purpose (due to a change in the steering box gears), or not knowing any better).
Note that if the steering box is worn or miss-adjusted, it is possible that no "high point" can be felt. If that be the case, then it is time to find someone who can follow the ST-12 section 9 adjustment instructions, to the letter.
Hi 'railroadman'. I did NOT take offense and figured it did stand for 'original poster'.
Your moniker reminds me of Ft. Eustis, VA, 1967. I spent 9 months there serving in the US ARMY. I was part of "TBROSADE" ( Transportation Battalion Railroad Operating Steam and Diesel Engine. At the time it was the ONLY steam diesel train (35 miles) in the continental USA. I believe they did have some in Alaska.
There I was, a COMBAT engineer by "MOS" assigned to the railroad along with two other guys from my "AIT" company in Missouri.
Great advise 'plasticman'. I talked to the owner about the steering shaft mark. I don't think he fully understood what I was saying. We both than talked to Jimmy. Jimmy sounded like he knew exactly what I was saying and did NOT know about the mark on the steering shaft. Jimmy told me he prefers that I take off the steering wheel and install it centered on the steering shaft mark.
The owner told me they don't mess with the cars steering wheels and assume that the steering wheel is centered properly when they do the alignment.
Like you said, the fact the steering wheel is mounted at the TEN position instead of 12 o'clock could either be the NEW high point mark or just where the steering wheel looked best to be centered.
I really don't care where the MARK ends up as long as the STEERING WANDER is gone and the car drives straight. I can always center the steering wheel after the wheel alignment is done at the tire shop. I guess I will end up knowing for sure what ends up happening on Thursday after Jimmy gets another crack at it.
I will be giving Jimmy a copy from the book that deals with the steeing wheel adjustment tomorrow so he can have it before Thursday.
Well, Jimmy adjusted things with having the steering wheel centered on the steering shaft in the 12:00 O'clock position. The car steers better but it is NOT perfect. Jimmy said that the car will pull right because he could not adjust the camber. Or at least that is what I understood. Something about the part being worn out and no adjustment was available. Also, my steering box is LEAKING. I knew I had a leak towards the front. That was my next project, to address the oil leaks. I have NOT spent the time on top of the motor tracing the source. I pretty much tightened everything underneath which was mainly transmission and oit pan bolt needing attention. I suspect the valve covers may need attention.
Jimmy suggested adjusting the steering box. I will be doing that once I stop the steering box from leaking.
Doing some research on the steering box. It appears that too many pepple who worked on these steering boxes are NOT aware that the four bolts on the cover go all the way through and need to have the threads sealed, including the lash adjusting bolt. I'm banking that this is exactly what the person who worked on my steering box did. I will soon find out for sure when I identify where the leak is coming from.
I had a real scare today. I started the '58 and had it idleing high when I turned it off. Walked away, turned around an NOTICED GASOLINE leaking under the car. It was pretty good leak and it was definitely GASOLINE. I left it alone for a few hours while I worked on my hotrod.
After a few hours. I raised the front end and placed ramps under the tires in order to
inspect the source of the leak. Could NOT find anything. Started the car and even used my 'mechanic's little helper' to assist in locating any slight sign of a gas leak. NOT a thing. Everything checked OK.
The ONLY thing I can think of is that one of the carburetors must have over spilled gasoline when I turned the engine off.
Had the tire shop install the VW tire on the spare rim. It worked out perfect. Thanks again for the suggestion received on this forum................
Steering wheel
