Anti NASCAR: right turns only

[zachmac]

Need a quick sanity check. First time car has moved under own power today since rebuild! Rebuilt all suspension while at it. Set toe today but forgot to check center of steering rack travel versus wheels at lock to lock. Sure enough when I tried to drive it I can turn right so sharply the inside of the left wheel rubs on the control arm and basically I can hardly turn left at all. So, I assume I just start shortening the left tie rod while simultaneously lengthening the right one until my travel on both wheels is approximately equal (while maintaining overall toe in)? Basically try to set them pointed straight at center of rack travel.

[RRoller123]

With the car front end jacked up, turn the steering wheel lock to lock while noting the position of any one of the steering wheel mounting screws. A few cycles back and forth, counting the number of turns (it will end up being partial turns) each way, and it can be determined which screw is at TDC when the steering is centered. (Not the steering wheel, but the rack to rack center of the steering) The steering wheel should be mounted on the adapter such that it now points straight ahead. Unscrew and reorient it if it is not.

Mine was off by one or two mounting holes and I couldn't get enough adjustment in the tie rods to bring the alignment in. Not sure how it happened, but PO's do odd things.

After the orientation of the steering wheel is complete, and the steering is truly centered, a simple string alignment will get the toe-in very close, and it will be apparent because the amount of thread engagement on the tie rods will end up being roughly the same on both sides. If it is off, one side will be far more engaged than the other, even if the steering wheel is pointing straight ahead.

Pete

[zachmac]

RRoller, thanks for the reply but the steering wheel isn't the problem. At one lock the wheels are barely pointed left. At the other lock I am turning so sharply right that the left wheel inner surface is hitting the control arm. That can only be fixed by changing the relative length of the tie rods. BTW, my experience is that the control rods RARELY end up equal length.

[RRoller123]

Something may be is major wrong in the geometry then, as what you describe shouldn't be happening..? It is an odd circumstance for sure.

[v6spider]

Need to find the absolute center of the steering wheel.. Once you know the absolute center by counting the turns lock to lock and dividing by two, you can center the wheel and check your toe.. Sounds like the right tie rod is too long.. And the left tie rod is too short. Yes they won't be exact once toe is set correct but they should be within an 1/8"..

Hope this helps,

Rob

[lglade]

Double check the center link (part #5--the part that runs between the steering gear and steering idler); both ends need to be connected to the aft hole in their respective pitman arms with the tie rods connected at the forward positions. If you mistakenly switched connections on one side, it will do something like you described--asymmetrical steering with tire rubbing on the tie rod.

[garion]

With your steering wheel centered, look at the pitman arm off the steering box (#3 in the above diagram).. It should be pointing straight towards the front of the car.

[zachmac]

Thanks for all the replies. Seems to be some confusion however in the answers.

1) The steering wheel position has nothing to do with this. If I wanted to I could bolt the wheel on upside down at center. Two totally independent things. Yes it is helpful to find the center of the steering box travel.

2) 1/8 inch difference toe in is the distance between the front of the tires versus the rear. Unless the distance from the pitman arm to the steering arm on the drivers side hub and the idler arm to the steering arm on the passenger side hub are exactly the same when the wheels are pointed straight ahead and the rack and idler are centered, the tie rod lengths when adjusted won't be within 1/8" of each other to achieve this.

3) My drag link is in the correct holes on the pitman and idler arm.

I think this is simply a case of shortening the driver's side tie rod while simultaneously lengthening the passenger side until I get even travel off center left to right. Hopefully? I hope to try again this evening.

BTW, how many turns lock to lock should I have? I totally disassembled the steering rack to put in new bushings (it still leaks!) and I want to make sure I got it back together right; but given the tabs on the pitman arm restrict the travel at the stops I am pretty sure that isn't the issue.

[RRoller123]

Steering wheel turns full lock-to-lock are a little over 2-3/4 on my 80FI.

Pete

[v6spider]

...I think this is simply a case of shortening the driver's side tie rod while simultaneously lengthening the passenger side until I get even travel off center left to right. Hopefully? I hope to try again this evening..

Yes, that would be correct!

Cheers!
Rob

[v6spider]

...I think this is simply a case of shortening the driver's side tie rod while simultaneously lengthening the passenger side until I get even travel off center left to right. Hopefully? I hope to try again this evening..

Yes, that would be correct seeing how your car has the stock steering setup that is behind axle center ..
I was initially thinking of my car which has steering rack ahead of axle center.

Cheers!
Rob

[zachmac]

Steering wheel turns full lock-to-lock are a little over 2-3/4 on my 80FI.

Pete

Well it turns out I'm an idiot! Let's make this fun, I'll describe added facts and we'll see who guesses what I screwed up.

Next clue: my car as it sits only has 1 and 1/4 turns of steering lock to lock. My friends car has 2 3/4 turns, exactly the same as RRoller123 reported.

Next clue: one look at my friends steering box and I knew what I did wrong.

Guesses? Remember, I am officially a dumb ass and I recently took the box off the car and took it apart.

[AriK]

The steering wheel was not at TDC when you re-installed the steering components. Or the box was not at TDC.

[zachmac]

AriK is correct that I didn't center the box when setting up the toe but that only explains the uneven turning left to right. It doesn't explain why I am limited to only 1 1/4 turns versus the stock 2 3/4 turns lock to lock.

Next two clues:
3) the box rotated through its full rotation on the bench.
4) I can fix this by removing the box from the car and then simply putting it back

Got it yet?

[spider2081]

If your steering box turned all the way to the stops on the bench then it should do the same in the car with the pitman arm disconnected on the car, correct?? I would disconnect the pitman arm from the left front spindle and see you you have full steering wheel travel. The pitman are stops function by hitting the heads of the steering box mounting bolts. Any chance you added washers under their heads or used bolts that have deeper heads that limit the travel??