Shake or Wobble at Downhill Stops

[Fillinjc]

Practically new Firestone tires. Pressure is 32 psi, down a couple pounds but I would think not bad enough to cause this. I got the coupe with the rubber ball wishbone setup but missing the rubber. A thick layer of grease in it's place. I did replace the rubber ball and made sure it was together correctly. I was hoping to drive longer this season but I guess it's time to tuck the coupe into it's winter corner of the garage and start the next list of refurbs. Front end top of the list.

Thanks again.
Jerry

[H. L. Chauvin]

Hi Jerry,

Your rubber ball set up with grease replacing a worn rubber ball says just a little more about the character of the previous owner ...... he may have been a fine gentleman, but Model A repairs were just not his thing ..... bless his heart, he did not ask a junk man to pick it up.

The front end is not that difficult to restore .... if you keep in touch & ask Forum questions it can be done one (1) part at a time ...... many compassionate people here willing to assist.

If your garage is unheated .......... and ........ if you just first thoroughly clean off all of the grease .................. in winter time, Model A front ends fit well in a heated Living Room or Den.

My early 1930 Coupe is dismantled ..... been having it 58 years .... I need to get busy also.

[Terry, NJ]

Jerry, the most likely way to find find the problem(s) is to jack up the front left wheel and shake it in all it's planes. Fore and aft, up and down, in and out with the right wheel pinned to the floor. Check the king pin and other points of movement. Round out, with a file, any possible out of roundness (.020-.030 max) of the ball connections. Check the pitman arm for looseness on the square shaft coming out of the steering box. Check the wheel bearings for looseness. One unlikely place to look is the spring shackle bushings. On my car, the spring shackle bushing were so worn the I had to replace the spring perches with the bushings, but it stopped the Death Wobble (in my album "My Coupe") Another place to look is the steering box adjustments (4). Too much slop in the steering gears will cause death wobble too. Or a combination of one, two, or more of these problems will cause D.W. also.
Terry

Originally Posted by Fillinjc

Practically new Firestone tires. Pressure is 32 psi, down a couple pounds but I would think not bad enough to cause this. I got the coupe with the rubber ball wishbone setup but missing the rubber. A thick layer of grease in it's place. I did replace the rubber ball and made sure it was together correctly. I was hoping to drive longer this season but I guess it's time to tuck the coupe into it's winter corner of the garage and start the next list of refurbs. Front end top of the list.

Thanks again.
Jerry