VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc Steering Gear Sloppy

Hi. I have a very sloppy steering gear. I need to "rebuild" the steering mechanism. Do I just need new bushings for the steering gear and Pitman arm? Or do I need to replace the (ball bearings and races) and arms and (all linkage)? Tie rods for example (all six)? I don't think my car has knee action shocks. It is a '41 Chevy. Coupe. Thanks,

You can use the bearings and races over as long as they are not pitted or the hardness worn off. The same for the tie rod ends, but be sure to check the steering arm balls for wear-if out of round they will need replacing. Check the springs for cracks or breaks and make sure the coils are not collapsed.

The only way you can tell what parts you need is to take the gear apart and inspect everything. The most common parts to wear out is the pitman shaft and brass bushings. It all depends on how long it was driven without lubrication. Also the pitman arm is in two pieces with 4 hard rubber bushings between the halves. If the bushings are bad it will cause a lot of play.
The tie rod ends should be tight with no up and down movement when squeezed with a big pliers (they are spring loaded). They will not cause play but are dangerous when worn and can come apart.
There are no balls and springs in the 1939-1948 steering linkage as mentioned.

Hey Gene, could you elaborate on the last sentence of your post. My 41 shop service manual on page 79 shows in Fig.43 the tie rod end with springs etc. and the ball on the steering arm which I referenced in my above post. While I am not familiar with the 39-41 era they appear much the same as my 32 and the adjusting procedure seems to be similar.

Chevs of the 40's has a Pitman shaft seal, Piman shaft bushing, gasket for steering gear housing and steering worm gear. Would it be smart to redo all these parts? OR order a "Steering Gear Overhaul Kit?" Thanks,

Please refer to the above post by Chev Nut.

Hi Dan,

Please read through some of our past posts on this topic. We have had major discussions on sloppy steering about every 6 months. Chevy Nut, Chevygene, or Gene is probably the most knowledgeable.

Please begin by taking a ride in your car and writing down a description of what you think your steering issues are: noises you hear when you hit a bump, does the wheel pull when the road is uneven or you are in a slight valley caused by road wear? What are your concerns when driving at 30 MPH or less, at 40, at 50? What is your expectation of what steering should feel like driving a 70 year old car? What is "sloppiness"? Is it possible you just need a front end alignment and your wheels balanced. Maybe you should be getting an opinion from an alignment shop as to the condition of your steering system?

Please do not mess with the steering box (a brand new box is not going to improve other steering issues)until you do the obvious and simplest things first: study your manual, read past posts by doing a Search of past posts on our web site, fill the steering box with lubricant, self leveling John Deere Corn Grease seems to work the best. Check carefully the condition of your tires. (age, out of round, flat spots, cracking in rubber, balance, vibration when you are driving. Replacing the rubber Putman Arm Bushings is always a necessity unless they have been replaced within the last 3-5 years and there is no sign of deterioration from oil leaking on them (take them a part to do a proper inspection).

Next check some of the common components to your system. Check the shocks, are they firm when you push hard down on the top of the fenders. If they are bouncy then they need fluid in them. Most of the time shocks without fluid need rebuilding because it is leaking out. You can get by without replacing them if the leak is not real bad, and you do not mind adding fluid as part of your driving routine (a real pain). We have covered knee action shocks in out past posts and maybe the job of replacing them. No simple task. You loose a lot of steering control with bad shocks, remember there are 4 of them on your car, and they all need to be in good condition.

Next check the king pins and wheel bearings. Squat down and try to rock your front tires. Try with both hands at the top and then with each hand on a side. Do you feel much movement. The movement is then rechecked with your car on a set of heavy duty truck jack stands. We have also talked about proper jack stands for working on your car. You want to set the stands up even with the firewall, and high enough that you can easily crawl under the car to inspect the suspension parts. Recheck the movement in each front wheel/tire. By rocking it. Try to identify where the movement is coming from. Is it the kingpins or wheel bearings. Are the bearings loose/worn or kingpins worn allowing the rocking. Spin the tire to hear your bearing noise. You may need to replace some of these parts. Bearings usually are not the problem if they are tight and have been kept lubricated.

Now move on to a visual inspection of the steering system with someone turning the steering wheel while you are under the car watching suspension parts move. A well maintained steering box should provide instant movement between the steering wheel and the pitman arm. Likewise, if the car is on the ground with all the weight on the steering system it can take 3 to 4 inches of steering wheel turning to get the wheels to change direction when the car is stopped, and maybe 1 to 2 inches at 40 MPH.

Next check the tightness of your tie rod ends. They should not be sloppy. Check the bushings on your A-arms, is there evidence of regular lubrication? Are all the A-arm to frame bolts tight?

Enough for now.

Good luck, Mike

Thanks, Mike. I will give it a try.

Mike the John Deere Corn Head grease you use,the one I have found is insalled with a gun?If this is correct how does it self-level..Or am i looking at the wrong product?Thanks

That is the right product. Open the top and you will see the grease is like cold cream facial cleanser. Great stuff for a steering box, and not prone to a lot of leakage out of older seals.

Good luck, Mike

Put a glob on a flat surface. Over time it spreads & flows. In other words it self levels unlike chassis grease. In your steering box it'll flow to lubricate everything unlike normal grease that will cavity out.