03-05-2020, 05:01 PM | #1 |
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1952 f1 wobble
So I bought this 1952 years ago and have making improvements since,and enjoying it. I recently have a low speed wobble when I hit a road seam and lifts truck up , I have this wobble
I thought I knocked the tire off,but I slow down and goes away,it seems at low speeds,I know I have play in the steering box but I ordered some new kingpins first. I looked at passenger tire and it has wear on the outside edge,I also looked at the springs and the passenger has more springs on that side ,which I seen by the ubolts didn,t have as much thread engagement. Was this some kind of alignment thing,back in the day?Any suggestions?? |
03-05-2020, 05:56 PM | #2 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
The king pins, tie-rod ends and the drag-link could cause your problem. You are right, the steering box play could make things worse.
The number of leaves in the front springs probably means someone replaced one side with what-ever they could find at the time. It is common, if there is a little difference in the heights of the two front springs, to place the one with more height on the driver's side. Terry |
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03-05-2020, 05:58 PM | #3 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
Just about anything in the suspension can lead to tire wobble. Kingpins, front wheel bearings, tires/rims, tie rod ends, steering box, etc. Need to work your way through the components and see what is loose or worn. I would start by jacking the front axle up enough to get the front tires off the ground and start checking.
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03-05-2020, 06:51 PM | #4 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
How old are the tires?
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03-05-2020, 07:34 PM | #5 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
I have read maybe the extra leaf is a caster wedge,I read about! I am going to check my toe first,I do have it lifted off tires,all seems good,not anything screaming loose,the tires,I don,t know how old!! Also,the owner has rims relying on the taper of the lugs to center rim,no support in the middle hub??? Is this normal??
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03-05-2020, 09:59 PM | #6 | |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
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Quote:
The lugs are used to center the rim. Terry |
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03-05-2020, 10:07 PM | #7 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
My dad has a '49 F-1. Truck ran great and had original front springs that had cracked leaves. Replaced them with quality springs and the truck shimmied like a mofo if you hit a bump at speed. Death wobble 10X. Checked king pins, alignment, steering box play, did not check wheel bearings. Never thought of that. Put a steering dampener on it, shimmy went away.
Something with the new springs threw something off. |
03-05-2020, 10:23 PM | #8 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
Did you count the number of leaves in each spring? I think 9 leaves for your '51 F1 is normal. You said they may be different.
Terry |
03-06-2020, 08:52 AM | #9 | |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
Quote:
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03-06-2020, 10:31 AM | #10 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
I had some 6-ply super duty bias ply tires on my '52 F1 and any number of bumps would set off bad shimmy. Switched to regular Firestone 650/16's and all the shimmy issues disappeared. The 6-ply tires were just to heavy (not to mention harsh, with flat spots, etc.)
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03-06-2020, 02:04 PM | #11 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
It could be something as simple as tire pressure...........
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03-06-2020, 02:59 PM | #12 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
A bent/wobbly wheel or tire will send my F1 into death wobble. Spin the wheels while jacked up and take a look at the runout, see what kind of play in the kingpins while it's got the weight off of the tires
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03-06-2020, 03:27 PM | #13 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
When it happens, it scared the daylights out of you. Feels like the wheel is going to fold underneath.
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03-06-2020, 05:56 PM | #14 | |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
Quote:
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03-06-2020, 06:18 PM | #15 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
Here is a photo if that helps any.
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03-06-2020, 06:20 PM | #16 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
Steering stabilizer may stop the wobble, but these trucks were not designed to wobble. As long as you are checking on things put the truck up on Jack Stands, try wiggling the wheel. Front to rear as well as top and bottom. Good to have someone else to assist in this procedure.
While you have the wheels off the ground also check the bushings on the end of the leaf springs and shackles. I had a noise I couldn't identify for a long time and found the bushings an all four leaf springs were trash. If you settle for a band aide it still isn't fixed. Enjoy the adventure... Chap |
03-07-2020, 02:41 AM | #17 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
If you have a tire with only three date numbers it’s time to get rid of it.
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03-07-2020, 02:56 AM | #18 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
When the steering damper on my 1951 F1 lost all the oil it shimmied so bad below 25 that I had to get a new one, been great ever since.
A bump on the tread on the side did the same thing on a model t. Both cars had good tight front ends too. |
03-08-2020, 12:04 PM | #19 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
Well I have the wear on passenger tire,I have toe out,I used the string method!! What is the proper way to adjust for this?
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03-08-2020, 12:17 PM | #20 |
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Re: 1952 f1 wobble
You adjust the tie rod to adjust toe in/out. You can adjust the drag link to adjust steering wheel centering. If the issues appear to be on one side, it might be worth having it checked on an alignment machine. There could possibly be an axle problem which requires bending the axle to correct.
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