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Location: Arizona | This subject was touched on in another thread but to make it more on topic let me ask here in a new one.... How much free play does the "constant Control" steering have? My car doesn't wander at all, front end was rebuilt not very long ago, but I don't know about the condition of the rubber part between the steering shaft and the PS box input shaft. Everything seems normal when I drive it but when it's parked with the engine OFF and the wheels pointed straight ahead you can easily move the steering wheel thru perhaps a 2 - 3 inch arc back and forth, what I'd call free play. With the car running it doesn't really feel like free play but you know how light the steering on these things is, there is never much effort needed to move the wheel with the car running. But like I said, it tracks straight down the road, no wander, no constantly correcting with the steering wheel. I would contrast it with the 71 Plymouths I used to drive at work back when they were nearly new cars - those 71's with bias tires were all over the road, you couldn't take your eyes off the road for more than a few seconds or you'd be heading off it. Same thing with the later Aspens we had around 78. Seemed like no Chrysler back then could stay on the road without constant corrections. Perhaps it was the bias tires they used. Anyway, how much free play do these FL cars usually have with engine off and with engine on? |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
 
Location: bishop, ca | The FIRST thing that anyone needs to do, if his steering has any significant area of 'free-play' is to get the car up in the air and to
confirm any suspension-connections that are loose, or do not respond immediately to steering applications.
The idler arm and drag link connections can be worn out.
Everything in the front of the car works together, to some extent, to produce whatever steering and alignment response that the car exhibits,
including the age/condition of the tires and the tread pattern.
1.5 degrees of Positive caster is about as much as we can dial in, before the Camber starts to change/react.
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Location: Ontario, Canada | Jim, I agree with you. Very little to no free-play engine running or not with our cars! That is what I would consider as correct for constant control PS.
I still have to pull my Regal apart and get that darn gear rebuilt!,!
Greg
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Here's the comment, from the 6/57 Sports Cars illustrated article, which prompted this thread discussion;
many road testers commented about the very light ("dead-feeling") steering response.
But, you can have both no-dead-spot, and a direct-response "feel" to your car's steering system.
The only "free play" in my ride's steering is when the ignition is turned off!!
This article describes a jerking motion, against the steering wheel, to take up the 'slack', and to begin
a turning movement.
Totally correctable.
(LOL: completely unrelated, but this Coronet must have had a non-padded front seat, but the testers didn't
understand that fact....)
Edited by d500neil 2014-05-12 2:23 AM
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Expert
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Location: Arizona | They were testing a new car and said it had a couple inches of play at the center position. Sounds the same as mine when the engine is off. With the engine on it doesn't really feel like play, just slow steering (to me 4 turns lock to lock is slow, my bird is only 1.7 turns lock to lock.) |
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Location: Netherlands | After I had replaced the powersteering in my offtopic '73 Dart with a powersteering box from Borgenson the center-play in the steering had just about vanished, especially with the engine off.
The Dart steers a lot tighter, secure and more like a modern car.
Of course a proper alignment with as much caster as possible does a lot for a good roadfeel of a car.
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | The article was talking about free-play, across the top of the steering wheel, before the steering would react.
We've all probably experienced this, to varying extents...the wheel rotates X-inches/degrees with no steering response.
Just measured it, and my car's wheel free-rotates about 6" with the engine OFF.
With the ignition turned on, there is (essentially) NO free-play in the wheel's turning.
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Upstate NY | There is a rotating ball and worm gear at the top of the power steering unit that actuates the valve in the center of the piston to change the amount of pressure on the whichever side of the piston you are needing it to push on to pull or puts the rack. The rack turns the shaft that has the pitman arm on it to turn the steering linkage. it is normal to have some free play with no fluid pressure applied. |
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Location: Minor Hill, TN | Could the center linkage be going bad ? |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Virtually any and/or all of the steering system's many joints and connections may be worn or loose, which create(s) free-play in the
steering response.
Don't overlook ball joints' and tie rods' condition.
And, then, there's the 'small' things like Lucas Stop Leak (which provides more steering 'feel-resistance'), front end alignment with
positive-caster applied (for self-centering), good tire tread (for non-pulling) and a healthy P/S gearbox.
Straight, responsive steering is the result of a lot of factors.
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| First thing I'd do is check that crappy rubber piece that you mentioned between steering shaft and box. I've never seen one yet that isn't worn out and causing slop after 50 years. I replaced the whole joint with a newer one from a late 70's Dodge truck, and it made a big difference. But still, a person can't expect it to steer as good as a GM from that era, these PS equipped Mopars are notoriously lacking in road feel and require more attention and constant correction to drive.
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Location: Ontario, Canada | Resurrector - 2014-08-16 12:36 AM
First thing I'd do is check that crappy rubber piece that you mentioned between steering shaft and box. I've never seen one yet that isn't worn out and causing slop after 50 years. I replaced the whole joint with a newer one from a late 70's Dodge truck, and it made a big difference. But still, a person can't expect it to steer as good as a GM from that era, these PS equipped Mopars are notoriously lacking in road feel and require more attention and constant correction to drive.
Jeff, I agree with most of what you said. Check out my recent posts on my art gallery thread. There is no "road feel" with 58 and later constant control PS. I have first hand knowledge that Chrysler lost many sales to GM because of this. Sure I'm old but certainly recall that when one took his eyes off the road to tend to his girlfriends needs, the car instantly drifted to one side of the road or the other!! Bottom line, I would take my uncles GM on my dates every time!! This all seemed to end up MUCH better!
My "crappy rubber piece" was crappy but it wasn't soft or squishy. I reinstalled it anyway and took care that all the crappy bits were properly aligned. Worked great. I think the gear rebuild was what really did the trick.
Greg |
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Location: ZH, Switzerland | d500neil - 2014-05-12 12:41 AM
The article was talking about free-play, across the top of the steering wheel, before the steering would react.
We've all probably experienced this, to varying extents...the wheel rotates X-inches/degrees with no steering response.
Just measured it, and my car's wheel free-rotates about 6" with the engine OFF.
With the ignition turned on, there is (essentially) NO free-play in the wheel's turning.
Somewhere I read that the engine MUST be on to check the free play of the steering. I'll tell that to the guy (and - of course - to the next mechanic) at the traffic administration next time I'll have to bring it for the road check. My former mechanic tried to adjust the steering gear to reduce the free play. The result was that I had to buy a used steering gear from Big M to restore it.
Happy Motoring!
Dieter |
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Location: Minor Hill, TN | check the center link to see if its needs to be replaced |
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Free Play in the steering
