new king pins installed. new shocks on the front, no shocks on the back. new tie rod ends. new drag link. steers like crap. is it just a alignment issue?
Here's a list of what we do to make one steer easy and go straight down the road. (1) New shackles and most important---NEW BOLTS AND BUSHINGS IN THE REAR SPRING EYE. If these are worn the whole axle moves back and forth which negates everything else. (2) Tie rod and drag link ends. (3) King pins and bushings. (4) Send steering gear box to Lare's in Minnesota. (5) Have tie rod straight, horizontal, and parallel to the axle. If not check steering arms. (6) Have drag link parallel to the ground. (7) Good shocks. (8) Sway bar. (9) Radial tires but not wide ones; 215/75/R15 or 215/85/R16 are a good starting point. (10) Keep the factory size steering wheel. (11) Camber can only be adjusted by bending the axle but follow the factory specs on caster and toe in. The more caster you can stand (steering effort) the straighter it goes. (12) Get some shocks on the rear since jumping up and down constantly changes caster. Lastly: have front wheels point straight ahead and check wheelbase measurement on both sides. Now put in gear, pull out throttle, sit on easy chair in bed and enjoy a cold beverage as it DRIVES ITSELF down the road. Remember, dragsters run over 300mph with a straight axle front end (and a TON of caster).
hey thanks. I really appreciate it. I have a line on a new rear diff which will have shock mounts - not like the original diff on the former grain truck. I was at a car show in Saskatoon sask near here and got lots of thumbs up already even though the old one ton is a million miles from finished. crappy day here. usually nice dry spring day on easter weekend when car show is held every year. this year there is snow everywhere and streets are wet. not conducive to cruising for the first time of the year.
Driveabilty What Evan said ! . The caster is very important and is set by small wedges between the front axle and the springs , they are instered from the rear and you need two , one on each side . Don't sweat the camber until everything else is done and 100 % . These old trucks really do steer like a modern car with little effort as long as the wheels are rolling , after a corner the steering wheel should snap back to center as you accellerate ~ the spokes will blur so don't break your fingers ! . Take your time on each thing and you'll be well rewarded . " If it steers like a truck , it's NOT a CHEVROLET ! " ~ original sales sloagan , no exaderation . (why isn't there a spell check here ?!)
I hope to get the rear diff installed in the next few weeks with new rear shocks. then maybe a couple of narrower tires for the front. then shims (thanks for the heads up on that guys) and maybe a professional alignment if I can find someone to do it.
