VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 front end squirrely

this 1940 coupe i got seems to be squirrely on the front end when i travel down the street.

is there any way that it can be tighten up or is it just the way the older cars steered manually? i know that it might be in the steering box or can it be the poly bios narrowed tires? the tires does seem to have flat spots in the morning but they smooth out after a few miles.

bubbatom

You might want to take a look at the bushings in the pitman arm and also check the tie rod ends to make sure you don't have a broken spring or a worn out component. Also check your king pins, wheel bearings and steering sector adjustment. A little here and there makes a big difference.

Squirrely is a term that can mean many things. What exactly is the car doing? Is the car following tar cracks in the road? Is the steering loose (lot of play in the wheel)? Do the front wheels shake violently after hitting a bump? Those are only three that could be defined as "squirrely" but each have different causes.

To answer the other question, no that is not the way old cars were with the steering. In good condition they steer very well. Modern radials will also improve the steering.

IMHO, going to radial tires is the most dramatic improvement one can make on these ol' cars. Adds a LOT of safety, too. Radials go where they are pointed. Bias ply tires go wherever the road takes 'em (many times, suddenly).

If you disagree, fine. It is your choice. If you will borrow a set of wheels with radials and try 'em on your antique, you will be as amazed as I was (the first time)!

Hello Bubbatom,

As other responses have noted there are many potential wear points that could cause "squirrely" steering. Tires could be factor but if the mechanical parts are worn out different tires will not fix the problem.

You should consider a doing a check of every connection and moving part in the steering system. It will only take about an hour and 2 people to tell you a lot.

Park the car on a level hard surface and have your helper sit in the driver's seat. That person has the difficult job of moving the steering wheel back and forth until there is resistance in each direction. That means all of the play or slack is out of the system.

You have the easy job of lying on the creeper as you move around to watch and feel every joint and connection on both sides as the helper moves the wheel back and forth. Check both ends of the pitman arm, the idler arm, the tie rod ends, etc. Watch and feel the steering gear box. Be organized in your search so you don't miss anything. The other 2 checks you can make are air pressure and front wheel bearing adjustment.

Let us know what you observe and learn from this troubleshooting.

I agree with the above.....Radials will mask a certain amount of front end wear but with a tight front suspension and steering ane a new set of bias tires the car will "steer" well.

When I relaced my old tires with Diamondback radials the car drove 100% better.Radials are the way to go.

Reading about old chevys on another site speaks of King Pin problems causing all kinds of steering problems. Just a thought.

thanks guys, i'll look at those places you all mentioned.

sorry for the late gratitudes, but i've been out of town.

bubbatom