Self-centering (or lack thereof) in park and camber / caster / toe settings

[67CBodyGuy]

Let's say that you've just completely replaced the front end (in my case the front stub) and rebuilt everything, new bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, etc. You've bolted all these nice new or cleaned up parts to the frame. Reinstalled the previously-correctly-working steering gear. Re-mounted the engine/transmission. Reconnected the steering column. You've adjusted the torsion bars to set the ride height, you've adjusted the tie-rod sleeves and eye-balled the tires so they look parallel and are pointing straight. You've tightened the upper control arm bolts at their center positions.

You'll do a proper alignment later. You just want to move the car around the driveway / garage for now. And this is a power steering setup. All original 1967.

The wheels are pointing straight ahead, you start the engine, and the steering wheel start to turn and goes full / hard right. You can stop it if you hold the wheel, takes practically no effort to stop it, but if you don't, it always wants to turn full right, not very fast. And you're not moving, this is while in park.

Is this a steering gear valve body adjustment issue, or a camber/caster/toe issue?

 

[67Dart273]

I would say steering gear

 

[1WildRT]

Raise the front wheels off the ground, loosen the two bolts that hold the valve block to the top of the steering box... They should be snug but not tight... Start the car.. Tap the valve block with a small hammer, forward or rearward... As soon as it moves you'll see the effect & you'll know what direction it needs to go.... When you get it close enough that the wheel stays where you put it shut the engine off then re-start it while watching the wheel... If it remains still snug the bolts, your done... If the wheel "kicks" you need to make a slight adjustment till it doesn't "kick" on start up....

 

[72bluNblu]

All of the suspension geometry settings (caster, camber, toe) would require the car to be rolling to induce a pull. With the car stationary the static alignment settings can't do anything to cause the steering wheel to turn.

So, that's a power steering issue. It starts the moment the engine starts, which is also the moment the power steering pump sends pressure to the steering box.

That specific symptom is almost always a mis-centered valve block on the steering box like described in #3.

 

[abodyjoe]

thats usually the steering box. have to loosen the valve on top and adjust as needed..

this is the basic idea.. don't have to remove the entire box though..

 

[67CBodyGuy]

I wonder why in the FSM where they list various problems and solutions, they don't mention this? They do talk about setting the distance from the top of the steering coupler to a small index hole on the steering shaft, it's supposed to be 13/16", I loosen the steering column and pull back on the steering wheel but I can't get that distance, maybe 1/4 inch short. But this distance is somehow important in the operation of the steering gear.

Could mis-alignment of the steering column put forces on the worm gear output shaft that is causing this?

I agree that this is looking like it's the steering gear, but I thought that if you don't touch or take apart that valve body then there'd be no reason why it would get out of whack if it was working. I did unscrew the big nut-ring on the coupler end to change a seal and a big o-ring but I didn't take the worm gear out.

I've looked at a couple of Chrysler master tech video's on the steering gear, very helpful.

 

[LO23M8B]

You guys are smarter than the average bear. (Yogie Bear) I saw this thread and went to answer as I figured nobody would know this one. Wrong. The people on here are just Great!

 

[72bluNblu]

I wonder why in the FSM where they list various problems and solutions, they don't mention this? They do talk about setting the distance from the top of the steering coupler to a small index hole on the steering shaft, it's supposed to be 13/16", I loosen the steering column and pull back on the steering wheel but I can't get that distance, maybe 1/4 inch short. But this distance is somehow important in the operation of the steering gear.

Could mis-alignment of the steering column put forces on the worm gear output shaft that is causing this?

I agree that this is looking like it's the steering gear, but I thought that if you don't touch or take apart that valve body then there'd be no reason why it would get out of whack if it was working. I did unscrew the big nut-ring on the coupler end to change a seal and a big o-ring but I didn't take the worm gear out.

I've looked at a couple of Chrysler master tech video's on the steering gear, very helpful.

You removed and reinstalled the steering box right? Might have just bumped the valve in the process. It doesn’t take much.

I wouldn’t think changing the o-ring would do it, but maybe the steering worm gear shifted a smidge when you did that.

 

[j_anderson]

I wonder why in the FSM where they list various problems and solutions, they don't mention this? They do talk about setting the distance from the top of the steering coupler to a small index hole on the steering shaft, it's supposed to be 13/16", I loosen the steering column and pull back on the steering wheel but I can't get that distance, maybe 1/4 inch short. But this distance is somehow important in the operation of the steering gear.

Could mis-alignment of the steering column put forces on the worm gear output shaft that is causing this?

I agree that this is looking like it's the steering gear, but I thought that if you don't touch or take apart that valve body then there'd be no reason why it would get out of whack if it was working. I did unscrew the big nut-ring on the coupler end to change a seal and a big o-ring but I didn't take the worm gear out.

I've looked at a couple of Chrysler master tech video's on the steering gear, very helpful.

There is a little mention of it in my 72 manual. Which manual are you looking in?

Valve body out of adjustment.
If vehicle leads to the left, move the steering valve housing up on the steering housing. If vehicle leads to the right, move the steering valve housing down on the steering housing.