Steering Wheel Slop

[arefftx]

I have about 5" to 7" of steering wheel slop on my 29 Roadster. Not sure whatis considered normal and if not where do I start making adjustments?l

[Mister Moose]

Have someone turn the wheel back and forth while you look at the pitman arm, drag link, steering box. Chances are several components are worn, 5-7 inches sounds like a lot for just adjustment.

[Patrick L.]

Yep, as said, check everything for looseness. There is a lot to look at.

What steering box do you have ? The 2 tooth is adjustable. But I doubt an adjustment can get rid of 5".

5" is a lot. I like to see it in the 3/4-1" range.

[arefftx]

Thanks for the suggestions, I have a 2 tooth!

[Patrick L.]

The best instructions for adjustment are in the Service Bulletins. There are 4 adjustments which need to be done in order.

[WHN]

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I would Jack up the front end. Put on Jack stands and check everything. I don’t think you will find it is just one or two things. You have way to much play.

How does it drive down the road?

Enjoy.

[Diastole]

What do you do with 3" of steering slop in a two-tooth steering box?

I have replaced all the tie rod and drag link springs and cups with the teflon mod.
The balls were mostly round, .0005-.0050 offround.
Replaced pitman arm with the short mod.
Secured pitman arm bolt is securely attaching it tot he sector arm.
Performed the three in-car adjustments per the service bulletin to the steering box in the correct order.

I started with 7" of play, now down to 3"-3.5".
What do I do now?
Live with it or pull the steering box and rebuild it?

[Rob Doe]

Check for loose wheel bearings, loose spindle bushings, loose steering arms. How tight did you set the plugs in the ends of the tie rod and drag link? Are the plugs flush with the end of the drag link and tie rod ends?

Set toe in to spec else the dreaded shimmy may reveal itself.

[katy]

Did you check the king pins for slop?
Are the U bolts that hold the front spring to the frame tight?

[Diastole]

King pings have zero lateral movement with rocking wheels at 12 and 6 o'clock.
The spindles in their bushings move vertically, up and down, <1/64"
All four u-bolts are tight. Front spring is new (replaced it before the previous owner passed)
All plugs are flush with tie rod and drag link ends. Compressed new springs the recommended 25%
Wheel bearings all new, when I installed the backing plates after I rebuilt them. (welded up the tracks, new adjusting shafts, new adjusting wedge, new shoes)

Will set the toe in prior to test drive using Les Andrews string method. Good suggestion. Thanks

[Herb Concord Ca]

Check that steering box is tight to frame.

[nkaminar]

Arefftx, There should be no slop in the steering wheel. Well, perhaps 1/4 inch max, but try for zero. That is with the wheels pointed straight ahead. Slack is normal when making a turn. 5 to 7 inches is way out of bounds. There should also be no tight spots when the wheel is turned.

[Marshall V. Daut]

A local special interest car company bought a 1931 Coupe a few years ago with the same problems the poster described. I was called to reduce the play at the steering wheel. No amount of adjusting or tightening solved the problem, although some slop was eliminated. After doing everything I could think of, I pulled the light switch rod up a couple inches - and there was the problem. Some moron had broken off the threads around the top of the steering shaft and had merely glued the steering wheel over the shaft. There was no nut securing the steering wheel to the shaft because there were no threads left for the nut! Had a driver pulled up on the steering wheel too hard, the steering wheel would have left the shaft. The only thing keeping the steering wheel on the shaft was the incorrect size woodruff key and the fact that the light switch rod was anchored at the bottom of the steering column by the half-moon keeper. Once the light switch rod was up a couple inches, I could turn the steering wheel on the shaft back and forth without the shaft also turning until a four-inch slack was taken up and the woodruff wedge caught the steering wheel and allowed the shaft to finally turn. The only cure available to us was to replace the steering shaft.
Have someone move the steering wheel back and forth while you watch the pitman arm. If it doesn't move commensurately with the steering wheel, there may be a problem beneath the steering wheel, such as a loose or missing steering wheel nut, incorrect or undersized woodruff wedge, or stripped threads along the top of the steering shaft. It sounds as though you've covered all other bases, as long as you made the two-tooth adjustments properly.
Marshall

[Bruce of MN]

I found my kingpin play by jacking up the axle on one side and trying to move the wheel at the bottom. My two tooth steering is as low slop as a modern car.