anyone had this steering problem
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: northport alabama
anyone had this steering problem
drove my 80 to town the other day parked in a parking space turned the car off started it back up to move a little the steering wheel turned itself (fast) all the way to the left. i could not bring it back to center.so after a while of thinking i though it may be the ps control valve so i cut my ps belt so i could drive it home. i rebuilt the ps control valve works fine now but didnt find anything wrong. that worries me. can this happen while driving? has anyone had this happen? i drive this car a lot, 200 to300 miles a week or more
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
The control valve needs to be balanced once it has been rebuilt: front wheels off the ground; engine OFF & turn wheel lock-to-lock several times to purge air; center wheel and start car...if wheel turns on its own, slowly turn control valve balance nut (under the stainless cover on the outer end of the valve) until wheel starts to return the other direction. Mark position of adjustment nut, then turn back to make wheel start to turn the other way [again]. Check amount and direction of last nut adjustment and center the adjustment from the last turn. The steering wheel should not move one way or the other.
Chances are the control valve was getting sticky. If it is not free to move in one direction or another, the wheel will turn...thinking it is getting a force signal to do so. You should know after the balance test if something else is going on.
P.S. Make certain the hoses are routed correctly. If they are reversed, 'funny' things [not Ha, Ha type] can happen.
Chances are the control valve was getting sticky. If it is not free to move in one direction or another, the wheel will turn...thinking it is getting a force signal to do so. You should know after the balance test if something else is going on.
P.S. Make certain the hoses are routed correctly. If they are reversed, 'funny' things [not Ha, Ha type] can happen.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,353
Likes: 72
From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
OEM PS is not fail-safe
Probably rare, but this can absolutely happen while in motion 
, and had there been opposing traffic last time I wouldn't be posting about it. Might not have ever happened again, but upon getting home (had to cut the belt too) I immediately decided to convert to manual steering and be done with it, never looking back. If I ever go back with PS it won't be an OEM type system. Sorry if I appear the alarmist to the vast majority who have not had this experience themselves.
, and had there been opposing traffic last time I wouldn't be posting about it. Might not have ever happened again, but upon getting home (had to cut the belt too) I immediately decided to convert to manual steering and be done with it, never looking back. If I ever go back with PS it won't be an OEM type system. Sorry if I appear the alarmist to the vast majority who have not had this experience themselves.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,132
Likes: 14
From: A town SC
I have wondered about this.And frankly im not really comfortable knowing this actually can happen. My steering design will be changed soon,im not havin my car deside to go left or right whenever the hell it desides to.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
LOTS of 'bad' mechanical things can happen when driving a car. Brakes can go out (quit functioning), a steering link can break, carb can start leaking while driving and the engine can catch fire. None of that stops you from driving your car. The key to safety in any mechanical device is to check over the condition of critical components on a regular basis so that such a problem never occurs. If there are 40 year old components in your car that have never been rebuilt...your odds of a mechanical failure are pretty good.
Check and grease steering links; check P/S belt, fluid level, and control valve ballstud; rebuild any accessory component with over 100K miles on it (if it provides a significant safety risk). Ripping off accessories [that have been proven to be reliable if properly maintained] because of some remote possibility is questionable.
Check and grease steering links; check P/S belt, fluid level, and control valve ballstud; rebuild any accessory component with over 100K miles on it (if it provides a significant safety risk). Ripping off accessories [that have been proven to be reliable if properly maintained] because of some remote possibility is questionable.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 20
From: The only Corvettes in Highett Victoria
buhl,
Why not get rid of your dinosaur steering and get into the 21st. century with a Borgeson integral power steering box. Look up www.borgeson.com and check them out. You won't regret it.
Regards from Down Under
aussiejohn
Why not get rid of your dinosaur steering and get into the 21st. century with a Borgeson integral power steering box. Look up www.borgeson.com and check them out. You won't regret it.
Regards from Down Under
aussiejohn
