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I have a '68 and I replaced my manual power steering with a Borgeson Power Steering upgrade last year when I replaced all the front suspension. I took the car in for a front end alignment but it still seemed to wander down the road. It was especially noticeable at highway speeds and can get almost scary at times. The box also does not re-center itself when i turn the wheel. If i take my hands off then the wheel will just stay turned and I have to manually turn it back to center. I recently added 1/8" spacers to the rear of the upper control arms on the left and right side in order to add more 'Toe in". This seemed to work minimally but it still wanders down the road.
Should I try adding even more toe-in or what are other options?
Steering wheel returnability is dependent on the caster angle
Sounds like he did change caster, just mistakenly called it toe-in.
There are some pretty sharp guys on here that should be able to give the proper caster specs.
Also, OP, you might consider the pump pressure being too high. I've heard about other folks making the Borg conversion and having to dial down the pressure to get rid of twitchyness.
Seems to me they subbed in a restrictor from a Chevy Astro van power steering pump?
Actually Toe and Caster are two different things. Toe deals with whether the front of the tires point in or out....almost like pigeon toed. Caster is the angle of the suspension in relation to the center line of the vertical point of the tire. So, do I need to adjust the Caster or the Toe? And, is Caster adjustable on these cars?
Actually Toe and Caster are two different things. Toe deals with whether the front of the tires point in or out....almost like pigeon toed. Caster is the angle of the suspension in relation to the center line of the vertical point of the tire. So, do I need to adjust the Caster or the Toe? And, is Caster adjustable on these cars?
I added a good graphic I found to explain them.
The shims on the upper control arms are used for caster.
You need more positive caster to get the "locked-in" feel at speed. This places the upper ball joint behind the lower. There is a limit to how much you can dial-in with a stock suspension, especially if it has drooped. There are corrective upper control arm shafts that dial in extra caster. I run SPC adjustable arms on my 80, which is another option.
Wandering can also be caused by rear end problems, especially worn trailing arm bushings and strut rod bushings.
Please post the sheet! There are some great threads on here showing what your alignment "should" be for your style of driving.
I just pulled an 1/8” off the front and moved it to the back. Last time I just added one to the back but never removed any from the front. If its too much then I will add an 1/8” back to the front. I have been keeping track of what I have been adding and deleting.
I did rear that adjusting caster will change the toe and camber but it said it was minimal. I hope thats true. If it feels funny then I will get it aligned again.
I just pulled an 1/8” off the front and moved it to the back. Last time I just added one to the back but never removed any from the front. If its too much then I will add an 1/8” back to the front. I have been keeping track of what I have been adding and deleting.
I did rear that adjusting caster will change the toe and camber but it said it was minimal. I hope thats true. If it feels funny then I will get it aligned again.
If you are not measuring yourself, and don't have a printout of the last alignment, you could be doing more harm than good.
@cagotzmann has posted his DIY alignment method several times. Here's one such thread:
So I got my numbers from the alignment shop and here is what I have:
FRONT:
CASTER: LEFT 2-3/4 positive RIGHT 3.0 positive
CAMBER: LEFT 0 RIGHT 1/4 degree negative
TOE: 1/16" in
REAR:
CAMBER: 1/2 degree negative
TOE: 1/16" in
**Since then I have added (2) 1/8" spacers to the rear bolts on the front suspension upper control arm and removed (1) 1/8" spacer from the front. It seems to be getting better but still wanders down the road.
The shims in the upper control arms adjust both camber and caster. You cannot adjust camber without impacting caster. Also, your alignment specs mean nothing at this point as you have added and removed shims. Also, if you adjust ride height, alignment will change. Your best bet is to set the car up and ensure no worn components and when all is how you want it, get it aligned.
I do have a few other questions. Did it wander before the Borgeson upgrade? What other things did you change when you added the PS upgrade? Did you replace all other steering components that wear including tie rods and the idler arm (this one can cause significant handling issues)? Are your control arm ball joints tight and front wheel bearings adjusted correctly?
Borgeson power steering wanders down the road
