Customs Steering

What is recommend as to what steering dampner should i use 1948 ford coupe with stock front end except for disc brakes and radial tires

 

Unless you have something wrong with the suspension you don't need a damper of any kind. Check your king pins and bushings for slop if you are having "death wobbles" or it is wandering around. Radial tires are sensitive to air pressure, try lowering to around 25# and come up a pound at a time to see if it makes any difference.

 

Another thing to help with the wobbling is installing a set of gas tube shocks.

 

Socal has them, originally they were from a VW Bug.

 

Road walking I call it found the toe was toed out not in will try that the air pressure thing all the front end checks out good mostly new parts Thanks for all the replys guys

 

Also sensitive to cross winds new shocks in the rear may need front shocks unless there is other ideas out there

 

got a local shop that does alignment on old cars? as for original question, search Borgeson steering u-joint/vibration damper. if you do not have one, places like cgfordparts.com has a stabilizer bar/sway bar kit for you car.

 

I installed a dampner from J.C. Whitney. Think it was for an Econoline van. Takes some of the road shock out of the steering wheel

 

Forgot to add that mine is on a stockish '47 super deluxe (radials and Lincoln brakes). Front end in good shape, toe in about 1/16" but had the wobbles at 55 mph and above (and not from wheel balance). It had worn out friction shocks in the front and nothing in the rear. I had some old tube shock retrofit kits and put them on, no more rear bounce and no more speed wobbles. Don't use a real good shock they'll be too stiff, use the lower end shocks like Monroe Matics, Gabriel Guardian. Rear shock pic below was with a KYB shock, too good of a shock and too stiff, I replaced it with a Monroe Matic like the front.

 

Thanks for all the feedback.Drive the car about 200 miles today after setting the toe ,SOOOO much better.Checked the front shocks gas type and can hardly compress them by hand going to try the Monroe Matics never thought the shock might be to stiff before doing that going to try less tire pressure running 32 psi didn't have a gauge going to try 30 psi and see what happens and then 28 if it doesn't help shock time

 

Well another lesson learned if you want something right do it yourself.The car drove much better after setting the toe-in but didn't have a tire gauge so today i spent $14 buck in a good one checked the pressure after it set all nit and day not a dang one of them was under 38 lbs .iwonder was it was bouncing on the road set them all at 28 so monday another test run what do you want to bet it rides like a whole different car