Steering not linear
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,222
Likes: 643
From: Orange County Ca
Steering not linear
My long ago restored '69, sometimes steers weird.
'69 BB manual, with large front sway bar, no rear bar, Bilsteins, VB&B rear fiberglass spring, 360lb??? front springs, all new bushings (25k miles ago), etc. Rides a little rough in town, but great in the mountains.
Sometimes on harder turnes, or at speed, it steers smoothly to a point, then abruptly increases the turn. Kinda like bump steering, but on a smooth road/turn.
Everything appears to be tight and working correctly.
My best guess is that something is binding up, and then lets go.
Everything lubed where possible.
Any guesses??
'69 BB manual, with large front sway bar, no rear bar, Bilsteins, VB&B rear fiberglass spring, 360lb??? front springs, all new bushings (25k miles ago), etc. Rides a little rough in town, but great in the mountains.
Sometimes on harder turnes, or at speed, it steers smoothly to a point, then abruptly increases the turn. Kinda like bump steering, but on a smooth road/turn.
Everything appears to be tight and working correctly.
My best guess is that something is binding up, and then lets go.
Everything lubed where possible.
Any guesses??
1967 Pedal Car Champion
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 9,074
Likes: 4,208
From: US-PNW
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,222
Likes: 643
From: Orange County Ca
Stock oil pan.
Intermittant, but I think it is mostly on right turns.
Steering is fairly neutral. 1 1/8"??? front sway bar and none in the rear. Cooper 255/60/15's all around.
Intermittant, but I think it is mostly on right turns.
Steering is fairly neutral. 1 1/8"??? front sway bar and none in the rear. Cooper 255/60/15's all around.
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Race Director
Joined: Mar 2017
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From: Virginia
Is it possible that the steering assist ram is doing strange things? There's an active thread where another use has jacked up his steering by filling the power steering valve with grease.
Binding is still very likely, but perhaps run a test with the power steering belt removed (not a long test), and isolate the power steering system as a cause. The ram could be catching, too, if there are rust rings on the piston.
Binding is still very likely, but perhaps run a test with the power steering belt removed (not a long test), and isolate the power steering system as a cause. The ram could be catching, too, if there are rust rings on the piston.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,705
Likes: 272
From: New York
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 1,566
Likes: 574
From: Wisconsin
I lost one of the lower front control arm bushings and didn’t know it. The car drove fine. The only clue was a “rubbing” feel that I thought was something rubbing inside the steering column until I went underneath. The lower arm had shifted and the tie rod was rubbing the control arm in one spot of the travel.
If it had gotten worse, I could see it manifesting itself in exactly what you describe.
If it had gotten worse, I could see it manifesting itself in exactly what you describe.
Disabled by request 8 JUN 2025
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 329
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From: St. Augustine, FL
If you were to suspect that the positraction in your differential may be causing the problem (3 on a scale of 1-10) just drain your differential by sucking it out through the drain plug hole and refilling it with genuine GM positraction additive then top it off with the correct differential lubricant. (I prefer Lucas 90/140). Then find a parking lot where you can do 6-8 slow speed figure 8 turns, then take it out on the highway and see if it had any effect on your problem.