Can't figure out loose steering.

[83StreetMachine]

What about the ball joints and front control arm bushings?

 

[Steve Bakken]

Newish ball joints. C.a. bushings are soft but not shot

 

[olds307 and 403]

This is good reading, I learned something today. Someone must have swapped the factory box out of my 88 CSC. It didn't have the factory O ring fittings. I swapped a 76 350 double groove pulley pump, it bolted right on, not leaks. The 94 sbc serpentine pump wouldn't fit with the longer O ring fittings. It was definitely a 600 box, terrible, vague junk.

 

[Scoot-71]

Let's be realistic here. Steven has already replaced the rag joint with no improvement and reported it all moves together. Throwing another upgrade at is not the problem. He also claimed 2 other g bodies drive normal. His is going stripe to stripe. This kind of slop can't be hard to find.


Steve. What are the alignment specs? If you stand outside the driver's window and saw the wheel left and right. Does the tire move right away? These cars will not feel like a new Corvette but stripe to stripe. Even with a worn front end, they are not that bad. Push the rear of the car sideways, how much does it move? Not counting the tire sidewall?

Ill chime in, I didnt read all the comments so this may have been addressed, if something is binding or the box is over tightened, it will give a sensation of being loose, one question to answer does the car have memory steer? Do you physically have to move the steering wheel to get the car to come back out of a light turn? When you make small corrections while driving, does the car keep going in that direction without input to the wheel??

 

[Steve Bakken]

Ill chime in, I didnt read all the comments so this may have been addressed, if something is binding or the box is over tightened, it will give a sensation of being loose, one question to answer does the car have memory steer? Do you physically have to move the steering wheel to get the car to come back out of a light turn? When you make small corrections while driving, does the car keep going in that direction without input to the wheel??

That was one of the reasons I had our mechanic check the alignment. I figured maybe there wasn't enough caster in it because It does not return to center on it's own,

 

[Scoot-71]

That was one of the reasons I had our mechanic check the alignment. I figured maybe there wasn't enough caster in it because It does not return to center on it's own,

I am an auto tech in a Ford dealership for over 30 years, in my opinion something is tight, gear boxes are a finicky b*tch when it comes to gear preload, I got a quick ratio 800 series box from a asphalt racer and I had to loosen the mesh as they or whoever had it to tight, which is why I think they got rid of it.
Loosen that mesh a little at a time and see what happens.

 

[Steve Bakken]

Already done all of that. Backed it way off. Test drove. Tightened it increments at a time, test driving after each adjustment until the mesh was so tight it started to dart when you turned the wheel. Seems like there's no sweet spot in between.

 

[Streetbu]

You have to remember, these cars will NOT feel like a modern vehicle with rack and pinion steering. Ever.

 

[69hurstolds]

You have to remember, these cars will NOT feel like a modern vehicle with rack and pinion steering. Ever.

I agree, but some of those rack/pinion steering systems are 20+ years old themselves. Hardly "modern" IMO. Still, better than the stock G-body styles.

However, I still believe that the steering issue in this thread can be overcome. It shouldn't be wandering all over the road, even if it is the old circulating ball type.

I'm wondering if there's some internal seal leakage allowing pressurized fluid to try to go to both sides of the piston and bleeding off some of what should be the high side during a turn? I know I'm digging outside the hole here, but from all the responses here I'm starting to think there's something wrong with the box hydraulics, even so much as the pump, or something's worn internally.

I do agree that rebuilt units are a crap shoot. They clean and reseal the outside of the units at least, but they hardly ever replace the hard parts. Which is usually why they're being traded for new ones in the first place. I know you've already swapped your unit for another one, but I just wonder if you're getting junk boxes or...???

 

[Wageslave]

Any chance of frame flex causing the issue? Possible past front end damage that could have weakened the frame in front of the cross member or broken frame mount bolts at the core support? Also, are the jounce bars still installed and tight?