VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 50 Deluxe test drive - steering

Hi guys -

Taking a new step forward now that my '32 is squared away. I test-drove a '50 Deluxe today because I'm looking for a more "modern" driver. *laugh* It has 68,000+/- on the odometer. It has potential, but it was drifting all over the place on the road and somewhat scary behind the wheel. I found the front shocks need to be replaced - that's definitely one thing I see is a contributor. The steering has about 3~4 inches of loose play. What else should I consider for possible issues - worn tie rod? Incorrect toe in? Worn out worm in the steering? Others?

Any/all pretty manageable as far as cost and effort to diagnose and repair/replace?

Bias ply tires don't help!

Tie rod ends, draglink ends, idler arm, and steering gear adjustment will affect free play at the steering wheel. Wheel alignment and bias ply tires will contribute to control or wander problems as well as worn suspension parts. Might be worth the expense of going to an alignment shop for an opinion and estimate.

The two most common areas to cause steering play in a 1949-1954 is the center steering arm and the steering gear its self. The center steering arm pivots on a king pin like arangement. The kit is available to rebuild it and not expensive.
The steeering gear would require a pitman shaft and bushing kit. Ebay is the best place to find it. The steering gears wore out due to lack of lubrication.
With the worn parts replaced you will find that a 1950 goes down the road like a dream , even with bias ply tires. The radial tires merely cover up the problem.

Also make sure all your grease fittings have grease. They can tend to dry out and leak. The owner's manual for these cars recommends lubing the front end every 1000miles. Sometimes simply adding grease to all your fittings on the kingpins, tie rods, pittman arm, etc is enough to tighten things up.

I put a rebuild kit in the idler/3 arm in my '50 this spring and it made a big difference. I also found that the tie rod ends on the pitman arm needed attention. I replaced one spring and one seat for the ball. I did an adjustment on my steering gear, make sure you follow the service manual. It is real easy to get it to tight.

Thanks, guys. These are all quite helpful. For the mentions on the kits, and replacements for the pitman arm and bushings...these can be found from the Filling Station, Chev's of The 40's, or elsewhere? I'll be heading to Hershey next month...perhaps manageable to find during the show?

I got my from Chev's of the 40's this spring. The Filling Station was out of stock at the time.

Hi guys -

I did my research, and found the following things that were recommended, along with prices:
- Front end rebuild kit $400
- Steering gear overhaul kit $104
- Pitman shaft on Ebay $124

Are all these manageable to tackle with a reasonable amount of mechanical knowledge and regular tools, or is there any particular outside skill or tool I may need to look for?

Make sure you invest in the 49-54 shop manual available at Chevs, National Chevy, Fillingstation, etc.. It's the best investment you'll make as the manual goes into great detail on everything. And yes, armed with the manual and some mechanical ability, YOU CAN DO IT! That's the real fun in working and owning an old Chevy!!

Happy wrenching!!