Model A Hard to Steer

[50Trucking]

I bought a 28 Tudor that had been sitting since 2004. I have been working on it and have brought it back except for the steering. I have replaced all the grease fittings with Zerk fittings and greased everything but the wheel is still hard to turn even when moving. What should I do to run down what is causing this and how do I fix it. I can't believe these light cars were this hard to steer.

[Jim/GA]

Look at the Thrust Bearings on the top of the spindles, under the "ball" on top. Your bearings may be seized, or they may not be shimmed in properly to take the load of the front wheels.

Find those bearings on the car, and with the weight of the car on the wheels, see if you can turn the outer housing of each bearing with your fingers. If you can, they are not taking any of the vehicle weight on them (need to be shimmed up).

It's a bit of work to pull the kingpins to check these bearings, but that's where I would look after everything else you have done.

[Kurt in NJ]

What lubricant did you use in the steering gear?

[Pete]

These cars don't steer easy compared to a modern non power steering car.
If you can, drive other model A's to get an idea what is normal.

A stock model A steering in good shape can be handled easily by a very old weak person.

If steering assist is still desired, there are many options available.

[Big hammer]

When I bought my A as a teenager the A steering was very stiff, it wouldn’t return to straight after turning by it self. I removed the gear box, cleaned out the junk inside, replaced the gaskets, filled with 600w black steam clylinder oil, replaced and then it would return to straight ahead after turning. It was a two tooth gear box that probably had grease installed at one time.

[nkaminar]

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The 7 tooth steering gearbox has a felt bearing at the top, just under the steering wheel. That may be part of the cause of hard steering. Try lubrication first and then replace it if that does not work. Take the pitman arm off to check whether the hard steering is coming from the box or the front end.

[50Trucking]

It had a grease fitting so I used regular grease

[Keith True]

Years ago gear oil was commonly pumped through grease fittings.I have a couple of Alemite gear oil pumps with ends to do just that.One is air operated,and the other is a hand pump.If you squirt some gear oil in that box and use it some the oil will break up the grease.The grease just squeezes out from between the gear teeth and stays away from them.You do have a Model A,and there is never just one thing causing hard steering.It will be a dozen things all adding up to it.It's just part of owning an A.

[nkaminar]

I hate to say this but the best thing for the steering box is to take it out of the car and take it apart for a thorough cleaning and replacement of any unserviceable parts. When putting it back together, replace the seal nut at the bottom (on a 7 tooth box) with one that has the tube that extends up beyond the level of the oil. That will keep the box from leaking. Replace the grease fitting with a pipe thread plug so that next person does not put grease in the box by mistake. Use 85W-140 G5 gear lube as that will keep the metal parts from wearing and extend the life of the box.

[WHN]

Originally Posted by Pete

These cars don't steer easy compared to a modern non power steering car.
If you can, drive other model A's to get an idea what is normal.

A stock model A steering in good shape can be handled easily by a very old weak person.

If steering assist is still desired, there are many options available.

I agree! A properly maintained Model A can be steered using one hand while driving down the road.

I would jack up your front end and completely check things out. See how it turns with the weight off the front wheels.

Good luck.

[50Trucking]

Thanks for info. Did not know about gear oil thru grease fitting. Will change and fill with gear oil.

[50Trucking]

What replacement steering box would you recommend that would not be a major modification?

[Tom Endy]

There is a better steering box lube than 600W. You also do not want to use grease if there is a grease fitting on the box.

An F100 steering box conversion is also a good choice. Contact Randy Gross, he does the conversions.

Another thing to check is the alignment of the front wheels. If they are out of alignment, it makes the car hard to steer.

https://www.santaanitaas.org/wp-cont...-boxes-PDF.pdf

Tom Endy

[Keith True]

Before you go spend a bunch of money on a steering box that you may not need I would check the rest of the steering components out first.The kingpins will stick from sitting around.If the kingpin bearings are not properly shimmed the spindles will ride on the axle,not the bearing.If the steering balls are egg shaped,and the plugs tightened against them in the straight ahead position you can almost twist the steering wheel off trying to turn it.Do you know if you have a 2 tooth steering box or a 7 tooth? The best steering box in the world won't do you much good if other things are wrong.

[rfitzpatrick]

I thought they all were hard to steer!!!

[Kurt in NJ]

Fill it with gear oil and see if it improves

[Synchro909]

I agree with those advising the steering box be removed, stripped, cleaned and reassembled with the tube up the middle. Refill with John Deere Cornhead Grease. Although it is called a grease, it does not behave like regular grease. It flows when the gear are moved and almost completely stops leaks. I use a syringe to put it in through the filler plug. I also recommend NOIT using G5 gear oil. The sector shaft bushes are bronze and the sulphide additives in gear oil (the ones that smell like rotten eggs) dissolves bronze and some other metals. Cornhead grease is safe in that regard.

[nkaminar]

All about G4 and G5 gear oils can be found here: https://www.widman.biz/uploads/Transaxle_oil.pdf

The article says that modern G4 and G5 gear oils have a “deactivated or buffered sulfur” additive that does not attack brass or other soft metals. The G5 has about twice this additive than the G4. The problem with G5 in a synchonized transmission is that the additive does too good of a job attaching to the brass syncho parts and with impact the protective layer breaks away, carrying some of the brass with it. If there is no impact, such as bronze bushings, the G5 should not cause any problem.

The protective layer is grey or black in color and will wear away instead of the underlying metal. This significantly reduces the wear of the metal parts.

[Gene F]

I have a 28 with the 7-tooth. Open it up (side cover or something....) clean that grease out of it. call Snyders of Brattons and tell them you want to put the little tube in it to stop it from leaking, and you need all the parts and goodies to make that happen. Tell them you need the 600W oil too. I think the thing takes 7 ounces. A sewing machine funnel is small and works well in that little fitting hole.

The only place to use the grease gun is the output shaft, and that gets hardly no grease every 500 miles or so. A stroke of the gun equal to a teaspoon full of grease is a plenty.

Then get under the car and grease the usual spots, drag link, tie-rod ends, king pins, etc.

It's your car so do as you please. I speak from experience. JMHO

[rotorwrench]

The EP additives are acidic so that they will affect the gear teeth in order to get the extra pressure coating that is deposited by that acidic action. The idea behind the buffering of additives is so that they will have more affect by generated heat from friction. This speeds up the EP deposition process. Few modern transmissions or rear axles have any soft metal bushings since they are an archaic bearing design that have been replaced by other bearing forms in the modern era. Many of the antique car transmissions and even Model T rear axles have soft metal bushings or bearing journals. The soft metal can be babbitt in older vehicles or it can be phosphors bronze materials. All of these are susceptible to degradation in the presence of high EP additives such as GL5 contains. Brass is mildly affected but it's not as soft as other bearing materials I mentioned previously. GL4 is low EP that replaced the former GL3 that was used in the early transmissions that had soft metals or roller type freewheeling units like the Borg Warner electric overdrives. The 7-tooth gearbox has a bushing in both shafts. The original configuration 2-tooth gearbox has bushings in the sector supports. GL4 is OK for use but GL5 may cause premature deterioration of the soft metal bushings over time.

A lot of folks use the John Deere Corn Head Grease in their steering boxes. It is a semi-fluidic type of grease that tends to stay inside the gearbox for a lot longer.