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

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67CBodyGuy

67CBodyGuy

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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?
 
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....
 
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.
 
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..

 
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 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!
 
67CBodyGuy said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
67CBodyGuy said:
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.
Click to expand...
There is a little mention of it in my 72 manual. Which manual are you looking in?
Screenshot 2024-09-30 at 11.37.29 AM.png


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.
 
The valve probably just got bumped a little when the box was removed. That's just about the only thing it can be. It ain't rocket science. Just adjust it. That'll fix it.
 
I putzed with the valve body today. Tapping it backwards (ie towards the back of the car) makes the problem worse, it increases the tendency to turn to the right. I tapped it forward, but it was already close to the maximum it could be in that direction. I might have moved it a smidge more. With both front wheels off the ground, starting the engine doesn't give any sort of steering wheel kick. but it did still seem to be very touchy as far as staying still and not wanting to auto-rotate the tires to the right. With the wheels on the ground it was better. Moving the car slowly forward and reverse, the wheel feels squirrely, like it wants to turn by itself, either left or right. I don't like it. Maybe the belt could be tighter. I'll look at that tommorrow.
 
Sounds like the spool valve might be binding... Might be a good idea to take it off & apart... See if there is a debris or anything that might cause the valve to bind...
 
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