VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 Steering box 1950 Chevy Coupe

The steering on my 1950 Chevy coupe is getting loose. I replaced the Pitman arm but it is still loose. Does anyone know where I can get a rebuilt steering box? I note there are rebuild kits available...how much skill is needed to rebuild the box?

I assume you meant you replaced the pit man shaft, not the arm. Replacing the shaft and bushings and a correct adjustment usualle takes care of the excessive play.
Also the idler arm may be loose and slooping up and down causing play.

Have you checked the bearing in the idler (aka third) arm? When the bearing wears the arm flops up an down creating a slack feeling in the steering. It is a very common problem. There are rebuild kits for it and also many people can rebuild them. Have someone turn the steering wheel side to side while you look at the third arm (located rear center of the front cross member). If it moves up and down then the bearing needs to be replaced.

Note that there are no bearings in the idler arm. There is a pin (shaft) and bushings like the king pins.(kit available from the Filling Station).

That being said the 1953-1962 Corvette does have the same idler arm with bearings.
The bushings work OK if kept lubricated.

Gene,
As usual you are correct. I have both a '51 Styleline and '56 Corvette. I am familiar with the bearing as I replaced it when doing the chassis for the Vette. Haven't had to replace the bushings on the '51 yet. Actually as the bearing company reps tell me they are all bearings. Roller, tapered, ball, sleeve are all bearing types. We commonly call sleeve bearings, bushings.

Folks do, however, use the Vette idler arm, in place of the stock passenger car arm, with little modification.

'49 to '54 share the basic same front end as the Vette, going up to '62.

They are getting "pricy", when found.

If I could find a rebuild kit for a Corvette(shaft and bearings) could I modify the pass. idler arm for them?

Here is an EBay listing, showing the idler arm.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1953-1954-1...ries&hash=item258cb2f720&vxp=mtr

On the Chevy Talk site, folks have fit / installed this early Vette third arm on their 49 to 54's.

I have not done this swap, but think if the third arm parts were a direct swap to the stock 49 to 54 arm, guys would have been doing it. I have no first hand experience on this.

Here is a thread, talking about adding a Vette bearing 3rd arm to a 49/50 Chevy.
http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/310740/

Here is a picture of my idler arm (3rd arm) after I installed a new pin and bushings. Looking at the Corvette arm it looks like the connection for the drag link uses a tapered tie rod end compared to the original one using the ball on the arm and the end on the drag link using the cups and spring. I don't doubt that the Corvette arm with bearings can be made to work but I personally don't think it would make much of a difference. With my arm freshened up and the tie rod ends adjusted, all greased up my car steers and drives very well.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/A3BnNkCitGHTmvReGgyg2fJeLbhofZjGaCURZ1T0kpA=w367-h207-p-no

The bushing type original arm will last for 100,000 miles if kept properly lubricated....most of us are lucky to put on 2,000 miles a year unless there a a far away meet or tour.

I am in the process of trying to repair the loose steering on my 1950 Chevy. I had the bushings and pin replaced in idler arm assembly, that will go back on this week. I noticed that with just the pitman arm attached to the steering box that there was some play left to right when the steering wheel was in the straight ahead position. I loosened up the nut holding the lash adjuster on the side and slowly tightened up the adjusting screw until this play was gone and then tightened up the nut that holds the adjuster in place. I won't know for a week or two when I get my new tires on and take it for a drive if this fixed my loose steering, I will keep you posted.