Hey all, I have a 1950 3100, monoleafs, 4 wheel disc brakes, updated larger tie rod, and ends, front and rear sway bars, and wider than stock tires. It has the stock steering box, and column. It drives well at 65 to 70mph top speeds, but has a fair amount of bump steer. All front end components are new, except king pins and steering box. There is some slop in the box, and minimal play in the king pins. I am thinking of possibly changing steering type. Any thoughts? I have seen Toyota 4wd, Chevy 800 series, and rack and pinion. Any experience or feedback on these? Also, why couldn't these same types be done in a manual version, as it will be hard for me to use a p/s pump, alternator, and a/c, on a 261 inline 6? The other possibility would be to repair/ replace the stock steering box, and modify the shaft for either an aftermarket column, or to just shorten the column a bit. Sorry for the wide open post, but I really don't like the bump steer, and there are just too many options to make me feel comfortable that one is superior. Thanks...............Mike
It seems like back in the late 60s or early 70s that I came across a guy that put a zerk fitting on his steering box and pumped it full of grease. It dont cost much if your are going to try something else. Has anyone else seen this? A service station man (anybody rember them) showed me how to tighten down on the marbles which helped my first chevy. It was 40 years ago and I dont rember the specifics but there is not much to the outside of the boxes. Bet Nate knows!
Problems If you have bump steering , there's a problem that you're not yet found or addressed . I wonder if the caster shims are gone missing or you have mix 'n match parts so th drag link isn't 100 % horizontal . Grease in the steering box ruins it ~ no exceptions ! if it leaks profusely (like my '49) use thicker oil , STP etc. but never , EVER grease unless you want to die ~ catastrophic steering box failure is more than a nut buster , it's DEADLY in most cases .
Nate, after I installed the monoleafs, I aligned the front myself, so I know the caster is good. I can't remember exactly what I set the toe at, but I do remember several different suggestions, and that the larger width tires may require different spec that stock. Any thoughts on that? As for the drag link, installing the monoleafs does put it at an unparallel angle. I have have experimented with that too much, as I have not been driving it. I have considered trying to update the drag link ends, and flipping on of them to try to level it. That is where the options for different steering setups comes in. If there is a better alternative, I may switch to that. Thanks....Mike
I'm betting it's the drag link then . Wider tires or no , use the least amount of Toe - In you can get away with , I typically use 1/16" ~ 3/16" and it's fine . Wobbly king pins means it might follow cracks etc. .
Hmmmm, It does tend to follow crack, and it has bump steer. Those toe settings sound about right. I have minimally adjusted the box, but it has some slop that I have not played with much. If I end up keeping the stock setup, I may look into the box further, as well as the king pins. Hard to believe given the age that they wouldn't be worn out. I'm on disability right now, so pretty limited on what I can do, hence the research......Mike
