VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Trucks and Vans Very hard steerings fine

I just this week bought a 35 half ton pickup. Everything is fine except the steering which is very stiff. The truck has gone through an amateur but otherwise fair restoration. Everything is either new, rebuilt, or otherwise appears to be in good condition. What I don't know is how long the vehicle sat. Apparently the man who did the restoration died at least a few years ago and it sat until I bought it. Today I jacked up the front end and greased every fitting I could find. Some of them were very dry and I would have wagered a small am't they had never been greased. While still in the air I rolled the steering wheel from one extreme to the other. Even in the air it was extremely difficult to steer. I took it for a short ride of about 5 miles on a bumpy back road hoping that would loosen things up but I noticed no difference. I understand it would take a long time for things to loosen up.

Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Bill

I believe the steering box should be filled with heavy oil (like Mobil 600W) and not grease.

Also, make sure that all the linkages are well lubricated. I was amazed how the steering of my 1928 truck got easier after I lubricated the linkage. My truck sat for over 40 years and the grease in the linkages dried out. I dug the old gunk out by taking the grease fittings off and twirling a drill bit with my fingers to dig out the old grease. Then, I pumped new grease in until it oozed out.

Another thing to check is the alignment of the front wheels. The repair manual will have information about this.

Cheers, Dean

I am thinking that someone adjusted the steering box too tight in an attempt to reduce the free play. Another possibility is lack of lubrication or corrosion of the upper and lower bearings.

While I had considered a lack of lubrication on the upper and lower bearings I had not considered that someone may have over adjusted the steering box. I will look into that as soon as the repair manual I ordered arrives. There is approximately 2 1/2 inches of play in the steering wheel. Thanks for that suggestion.

Check the bushings in the pitman shaft for wear. That is the most often reason for steering wheel play. It can also be internal wear to the pitman gear and worm. Bad bearings can also be a cause.

I would pull the drag link off and see if it is still at the box or in the front end. Do you have a helper that can turn the wheel while you are under the car? Most of the time you can hunt down the tight spot.

I would suspect the king pins are "froze". Did the king oin fittings take grease?

I dont think I have been around a truck with tight enough king pins that they would have a chance to freeze. There are plenty of spots in the system that could be tight or frozen. Just work from one end to the other.

These old trucks are not the same as the newer ones so they require a little more effort to steer,when I did some upgrades to my 37 I used a 41-6 box so it is much better but still is a old truck.

I would do as Sam suggested by disconnecting the drag link at the steering box. With 2-1/2" of play I suspect the box may be the problem. If not then remove the tie rod also and manually check each wheel. Hopefully that will help to pinpoint the problem. With the drag link or/and tie rod off also check the ball on the pitman and steering arms to see if they might have flat spots.

Bill all you need to pull the drag link is to pull a cotter pin and use a big screw diver to back out the adjuster. I would put the front end back in the air and start moving stuff by hand.

Today I disconnected the pitman arm. The steering wheel is still extremely stiff. I can grab the tires and easily turn them in either direction. That narrows things down a bit. So it's either in the steering gear box or the shaft bearings. I'm guessing the steering gear box.

I have a MoTor repair manual that covers the years 1935 through 1949. It shows about 18 different gear boxes and doesn't say which one is for my truck. I'd rather not remove the entire steering shaft but will if I have to. I should be able to get to the insides while it remains bolted to the frame.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Bill, I was looking at the 35 shop manual today to see what the alignment specs are for the Semi truck. I will be at my dads shop again tomorrow and will try to snap some pictures of the steering section for you.

rbl2
The bush at the top of the column or the bush on the pitman shaft could be a cause.

You should be able to remove the cover plate (put a tray underneath) and with the pitman arm off the shaft should the come out the top.

Tony

Whatever it is the causes have certainly been narrowed down. I was of the mind to simply try adjusting it but after some reflection it would seem to be a smarter move to go ahead and remove the shaft and replace any possible bad parts. Is there a Gary Wallace for 35 pu parts?

Bill here are the pages for the 35 shop manual on steering. I must have missed it but I did not see instructions on pulling the box apart. Follow the link to blow them up to make reading them easier.

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