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Old 09-27-2022, 08:18 PM   #1
JayJay
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Default Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

On my new-to-me 31 Town Sedan the effort to turn to the left is considerably more than turning to the right. And once turned, I have to force the steering wheel to center using quite a bit of effort. Turning right seems pretty normal to me.

I'm planning to disconnect the radius arm and see if the issue is in the steering box. If that turns out to be the case, I'm thinking that this is likely a mesh issue and that a readjustment of the steering box is in order. Eventually I'm going to have to pull the steering box and see what's what in it, sometime in the past someone replaced the fill plug with a zerk fitting. But I have a tour coming up next week and I don't want to do a complete rebuild before then.

Any thoughts/experience in this? Or can anyone think of a steering linkage issue that might cause this? The car was restored late '70s and driven sporadically since then, and not at all for the last three or so years.

Thanks in advance. BTW, it's a Gemmer steering box if that makes any difference.

JayJay
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Old 09-27-2022, 09:43 PM   #2
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Default Re: Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

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Originally Posted by JayJay View Post
On my new-to-me 31 Town Sedan the effort to turn to the left is considerably more than turning to the right. And once turned, I have to force the steering wheel to center using quite a bit of effort. Turning right seems pretty normal to me.

I'm planning to disconnect the radius arm and see if the issue is in the steering box. If that turns out to be the case, I'm thinking that this is likely a mesh issue and that a readjustment of the steering box is in order. Eventually I'm going to have to pull the steering box and see what's what in it, sometime in the past someone replaced the fill plug with a zerk fitting. But I have a tour coming up next week and I don't want to do a complete rebuild before then.

Any thoughts/experience in this? Or can anyone think of a steering linkage issue that might cause this? The car was restored late '70s and driven sporadically since then, and not at all for the last three or so years.

Thanks in advance. BTW, it's a Gemmer steering box if that makes any difference.

JayJay
Is the steering box centered when the wheels are straight ahead?
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Old 09-27-2022, 09:44 PM   #3
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Default Re: Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

Going through a similar problem, stiff to the right easy to the left. After many tries at adjusting I pulled it out to rebuild, the plain bushings in the sector and the shaft where so tight that I used a big hammer to drive the shaft out. This was after I put OO grease in the box, that was a very bad idea as some on the forum’s have suggested. Leaking 600W oil is a better idea!
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Old 09-28-2022, 06:17 AM   #4
Kurt in NJ
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Default Re: Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

fill it with gear oil and see if it improves
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Old 09-28-2022, 10:03 AM   #5
GeneBob
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Default Re: Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

The thrust on the worm gear would be opposite for each direction. Maybe that is a place to start looking. Also, check what bbrocksr was referring to. Make sure you are in the middle of the travel of the steering box when the wheels are straight. You may be running off the end of your travel?
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Old 09-28-2022, 11:14 AM   #6
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Default Re: Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

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I would cancel your tour.

If your steering locks up, you will be in real trouble.

I had a similar problem in our 29. It ended up being a combination of several different things. We rebuilt steering box, completely dissembled front end, including king pins. Checked everything. Car now steers with two fingers.

Don’t take a chance with steering or brakes.

Enjoy.
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Old 09-28-2022, 12:11 PM   #7
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Default Re: Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

I had the same problem on a new car to me . In my case it was an easy fix and I did not have remove the column The eccentric rivet needed adjustment . The eccentric rivet adjusts the centre of scope between the worm and sector this must be even on both sides . If it is not even one lock has more clearance than the other the other can be stiff . Jack up the front and back off the housing bolts enough so the top housing can "skid" on the bottom using a right angled screwdriver turn the rivet to even the play you will soon know if you are turning the right way . I have done this from the top but it can be done from below . Give it a try I think this is your problem .The rivet adjust is often neglected when adjusting the box.

John in Autumnal weather Suffolk County England ..
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Old 09-28-2022, 02:16 PM   #8
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Default Re: Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

On a more modern car (60s, 70s) the culprit can usually be traced to a bad caster adjustment on one wheel. Since caster is not normally adjusted on a Model A it may be a case of displaced geometry of the steering linkage - perhaps a bent member. Let us know the fix when it is discovered.
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Old 09-28-2022, 06:48 PM   #9
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Default Re: Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

Thanks for all the input, folks. Looks like Friday and Saturday are "dive into the steering" days. I'll let you all know what I find out.


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Old 09-28-2022, 07:44 PM   #10
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Default Re: Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

The typical front axle damage is "pushed back" on the passenger side. You can almost examine this by holding a 4' straight edge (a 4' level works good) against the fat portions of the axle where the spring perches are - and see how far back the axle "curls" comparing one side to the other.

If I had to characterize the typical damage, the axle on the passenger side is "back" and slightly "up" compared to the drivers side.

Seemingly potholes occur more frequently and deeper on the passenger side.

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Old 09-29-2022, 07:20 AM   #11
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Default Re: Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

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Thanks for all the input, folks. Looks like Friday and Saturday are "dive into the steering" days. I'll let you all know what I find out.


JayJay
Let everyone know what you find and the fix !
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Old 09-30-2022, 06:52 PM   #12
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Default Re: Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

Well, the steering is fixed, the votes are in, and first place for "distance diagnosis" goes to (drum roll...) Kurt in NJ, who suggested filling the box with gear oil. That turned out to be the ticket.

I mentioned earlier that the steering box had a grease fitting in place of the normal plug. My expectation was that I'd remove that fitting and find the box filled with grease. Well, when I removed the fitting I was staring at pure, unadulterated brass worm gear. Hmm, that's odd. I felt around and wiped, and found no evidence of any gear oil seepage (I didn't pull the light switch housing, though). So I started filling. And filled. And filled some more. The capacity of the 2-tooth steering box is nominally 4 oz (1/2 cup), and I put every bit of that into it before it finally filled. I figured that even if that wasn't the issue with the binding then at least I'd do other adjustments with a full load of lube.

So I took it for a test drive to the store. Initially it was better, and the more I drove it (and kept intentionally turning left) the better it got. Got back to the shop, checked the level and added a couple more squirts to bring the level to the top. Took it on another drive and it's just fine now.

I'm going to call it quits for now. In thinking about it. I wonder how long that box has been dry. It was restored in late 70's and sold to the folks I just bought it from in 1984. So conceivably it could have been dry since its restoration - 40 years??!!. With that possibility, I'm going to pull the column and box sometime this winter, tear it down and check the worm and drive gears for wear. I'll also do a full steering box setup (including checking for middle-of-the-gear) then.

I noticed something else. My car is an early '31 (slant windshield Town Sedan, '30 firewall, engine number dates from February 1931). But the steering box in it was used April 1929 to mid-1930 according to the Restoration Guidelines and Judging Standards. Which leads me to question even more the rigor of the restoration. Not a huge deal, this car is my driver while I do a rigorous restoration on my '30 Town Sedan.

If I find anything significant when I tear down the steering box I'll update this thread.

But thanks again everyone for your help.


JayJay
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File Type: jpg 31 Town Sedan Steering Box.jpg (81.7 KB, 20 views)
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Old 10-01-2022, 08:28 AM   #13
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Default Re: Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

Enjoy your trip !
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Old 10-01-2022, 09:09 AM   #14
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Default Re: Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

Just for your information, The zerk or lubricator fitting was what Ford installed in the steering boxes or both seven tooth and two tooth steering gears for a long time before changing to a plug somewhere in October of 1929.

Fluid can be pushed through a zerk same as a grease soap but it's a small size port so it would take a while to fill them. Ford may have used a pump to fill the gear boxes at assembly branches but I don't know for certain. Ford dealers may or may not have had a pneumatic pump system plus there is no clean and neat way to know if the case it full or not unless it is empty where the service tech can count the number of pumps. Service personnel could easily overfill and make a mess of things so the zerk was deleted from the steering gear.

This is a link to Alemite history. https://www.skf.com/alemite/about/the-alemite-story
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Old 10-01-2022, 09:33 AM   #15
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Default Re: Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

Put a drip pan under the steering box untill you find out whether it leaks or not.
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Old 10-01-2022, 09:39 AM   #16
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Default Re: Steering effort unequal - thoughts?

Very interesting, rotorwrench. Thanks for that context. And since that steering box dates from mid to late 1929 then that fitting could be original (the grease fitting is the original configuration, not a modern zerk like had been installed in some of the locations elsewhere on the car). Interestingly, there was a spot of red grease within the grease fitting itself (as if it had been once used to apply grease) but none in the steering box.

One of those 90-year old mysteries, I guess. Without which having these cars would not be nearly as interesting.

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