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Lynn Kirkpatrick
Jedi Hopeful
Offline
Driving down the straight and wide in my '68 BGT, Basil, (no offense Basil) the steering wheel was always rotated a bit when going straight. I realize crown in the road will require a little correction but this was on a 4-lane highway. I had to replace the leaky steering rack boots, so I thought that would be a good time to center the wheel.
I taped a string nice and tight to the centers of the knock-offs. Then I turned the steering wheel left and right until I had the same distance between the string and the rim. Turning from the left or right I ended up with the wheel in the same position, so there is little or no play in the steering. I counted the number of turns to back the rods out of the rod ends on each side. Then after the new boots were on I threaded the rods back into the tie rods the same number of turns. Then I adjusted each side the same amount (to maintain the toe in, whatever it was) until the wheel was centered. After tightening everything I rocked the steering wheel left and right and recentered it. I had the same distance on each side. Then I rotated the front wheels, restrung the strings and everything measured true, so the wheels are pretty true. Now when I drive straight down the road the steering wheel still isn't centered.
So just because I can, I measured the wheelbase on each side. Driver = 91-1/8" Pass = 90-15/16". That tells me that Basil is trying to make a continuous right turn.
(Here's the rookie question.) How crazy would it be to try to loosen the bolts holding the rear axle to the spring and tap one end of the axle forward/backward to even up the wheelbase? That's the cheapskate talking. Logic saws take it to a frame shop to check everything out.
Your thoughts please.
I taped a string nice and tight to the centers of the knock-offs. Then I turned the steering wheel left and right until I had the same distance between the string and the rim. Turning from the left or right I ended up with the wheel in the same position, so there is little or no play in the steering. I counted the number of turns to back the rods out of the rod ends on each side. Then after the new boots were on I threaded the rods back into the tie rods the same number of turns. Then I adjusted each side the same amount (to maintain the toe in, whatever it was) until the wheel was centered. After tightening everything I rocked the steering wheel left and right and recentered it. I had the same distance on each side. Then I rotated the front wheels, restrung the strings and everything measured true, so the wheels are pretty true. Now when I drive straight down the road the steering wheel still isn't centered.
So just because I can, I measured the wheelbase on each side. Driver = 91-1/8" Pass = 90-15/16". That tells me that Basil is trying to make a continuous right turn.
(Here's the rookie question.) How crazy would it be to try to loosen the bolts holding the rear axle to the spring and tap one end of the axle forward/backward to even up the wheelbase? That's the cheapskate talking. Logic saws take it to a frame shop to check everything out.
Your thoughts please.
