Anyone on here really know power steering systems? I installed a factory PS system in my ‘63 Impala. I rebuilt all the components new lines, bleed everything and the wheels wouldn’t turn all the way to the right. I thought it was the steering box so I removed everything and put the manual system back in. That worked normally so I removed the steering boxes and compared the turns no issues. I then replaced the control valve. Had the same issue. I replaced the cylinder and still the same . All the components are new,lines . I also have a ‘60 impala with factory power steering and it takes like a bunch of turns to get to the locks. This ‘63 only turns like 3 times until I hit the locks. I tried calling a repair shop but can’t get in until November. I’m just stuck and dont know what to do.
I have a 63 Impala with factory steering in my shop right now. I can help you compare or send pics. Are you saying it does or doesn't have full left or right? When you say it turns 3x to lock, do the wheels go to full lock or they get stuck half way after 3 turns?
Dang, you are getting slapped with each step on your car! First, a 60 Impala and 63 can easily have different parts and systems. It is a reasonable expectation that they would be similar, but not exactly the same. Second, most cars are about 3 turns lock-to-lock (fully one direction to fully the other). Also most power steering systems are the same or fewer turns. The more sporting, the fewer. The heavier and larger, they will require more turns for mechanical advantage. So, yours turns more in one direction than the other. If everything is in good condition, not bent and as originally set up, this shouldn't happen. So swapping parts was done to confirm it's the P/S parts, Good. Everything that stayed the same is innocent! I'd consider the parts changed to be guilty. Without knowing what parts were changed, I'd guess the power steering box is not centered when installed. Center the front wheels straight ahead. Connect the steering box to the column, but NOT the linkage. Turn the wheel, noting the number of turns lock-to-lock. Place the steering wheel in the middle or half the number of turns. Connect the linkage to the box without moving the linkage. This may require removing the steering arm from the box and turning it so it aligns and reinstall. EDIT: This was****uming a power steering box, not a power****ist ram. Follow the advise of the HAMBers following this post!
I called the Lares Corp who is the maker of all the components for help. They suggested I remove the slave cylinder off the frame and balance the control valve. I told him wasn’t it balanced at the factory? He said yes but it might be 100%. Okay so what I did was remove the cylinder off the frame and let it hang. I did not perform the balance of the control valve yet. So with the slave cylinder off the frame it turns normally about 3 turns lock to lock. How many turns are you getting lock to lock with your properly working ‘63?
With wheels centered, it takes 2.5 turn to lock to the left. Same amount of turns to go fully locked to the right from center. So basically 5 turns lock to lock. I'll go snap some pics of the cylinder piston length...let me go out there
With wheels CENTERED, the piston length is 7" With wheels locked to the LEFT, piston is 3" Wheels to locked to the RIGHT, piston is 10"
Looks like your running out of piston stroke. "IF" I remember correctly when your turned to lock you should have maybe an inch of piston showing going left if true, your running out of piston travel to the right. Here is what I'd do, disconnect the slave cylinder from the frame, then make sure you have equal travel both ways. If you do this rules out the steering gear. If not then you have something going on there, gear not centered, wrong pitman arm etc. If you have equal travel then you know it's in the slave cylinder. Then I'd measure total travel of the slave cylinder. Once you know it's total travel length then cut that number in half. Then mock up the slave to the frame and see how it compares to the frame mount you have now. I bet you find out that that's the problem. Let's say that's the problem, now you need to figure out why the difference. Wrong frame mount?, is the frame mount mounted wrong? Is the difference in the drag link where the slave cylinder connects to it? This is where I'd start.... .
I have played with a few of these****isted ram systems, and I would go with Lostone's suggestion above. If you can get equal travel with the ram disconnected, your problem may lay in the frame fixed mounting point location. I have seen this type in Fords of the era where the frame mount had broken off, and repaired. What does the frame mount end look like? Does it look like it has been repaired or modified?
According to the GM heritage center 64 Chev vehicle info kit lock to lock to lock for a manual box is 5.80 turns and for a power box it is 5.06. Now comes the rub, there are several boxes that will bolt on to that chassis and have different ratios that could be sold as a fits a 64 steering box but may not be a correct 64 steering box. Years of doing front end work tell me that some times the owner of the car isn't seeing the real problem in cases like this. When you drive the car down the road or across an empty flat parking lot with hands off the steering wheel does the wheel sit square or is it off a bit? When you say you are "centering the wheel" are you figuring out how many turns lock to lock and then turning the wheel back EXACTLY HALF of that total or are you turning it back and squaring up the wheel and calling that centered? On just about every car I did an alignment on I drove it on my test course close to the shop to make sure it tracked straight and that the wheel was centered driving down the street hands off for a hundred feet or so. If it wasn't dead centered I took it back and centered it and test drove it again. One of the few times I didn't test drive it because the customer was waiting and it was close to quitting time and that shop shut down at 5 pm done or not I pulled it off the rack and turned it over to the customer and it bit me in the***** because he came back the next day and said the car pulled to one side. I had him get in the passenger seat and test drove it and went to my little course and drove it hands off and it drove straight as an arrow but he said "no when you straighten the wheel it pulls to the right" I had not centered the steering wheel as I normally did and told him that if he had a few minutes I'd fix it. I put it back on the rack, made the adjustment to center the wheel and did a test drive and he was a happy camper. A lot of cars won't go full against the bump stop in both directions and actually have a larger turning diameter in one directon than the other. My 48 pickup is one of those with over a foot difference left to right. I'm not sure what all I am reading on this info from the GM heritage center info kit for 64 1964-Chevrolet.pdf But the page below is the page that is listed as Chassis 5 in the pfd. First thing though is to exactly count turns lock to lock and back it up exactly half not looking at how the wheel sits at the time and seeing if the pitman arm is centered straight back or off at an angle.
@Mr48chev The shop next to ours had a rack with a big sign 5 Wheel Alignment. The fifth wheel was the one the nut sat behind!
Hey guys the PS steering box and center drag link were from a ‘60 impala so the seller says. I bought the complete system that was supposedly from a ‘60. I thought that ‘58-64 were compatible. I replaced all the old ‘60 with new ‘63 components. Again the only parts left are the steering box and center drag link. PS center drag links are hard to find. I found one on eBay and the guy said it’s for 1958-1964 impala . I asked him what year he got it from and he just said 58-64. So with that said I can only think it’s either an incorrect steering box or center link or maybe both. I had the PS steering box and non PS removed earlier and compared them they had different ratios like they should. NON PS is 6.3 turns lock to lock. The other one is less. I did check the PS one to see if it works and it does but I suspect the ratio. I confirmed this when I turned the steering with the car off. Turn from center all the way left is about 1 3/4. The right is 2 full turns. So that shows with the car off there is something wrong. I don’t understand why I’m not able to turn right all the way with the car on but with the car off it turns more than the left.
Hey brother would you happen to have a part number for your steering box? Mine was supposedly from a ‘60 .
I'll go out there in a bit and check. I have a friend in the San Dimas area that sells nothing but impala parts. Or maybe you know of him. Brent Reese aka MrImpala
I dont know anyone out here . I’m all alone. So I need some that is smarter than I am. What would happen if I swap out the gear box to the original manual one? How can I even out the current steering box to make both sides turn equally with the wheels centered?
The steering box on the 63 in my shop is a Saginaw with the numbers 5666728 stamped on the top plate. Hard to get a picture of the stamp but it's definitely 5666728
I’m such a********. The cylinder frame bracket was installed backwards. I switched it around and tomorrow will let you guys know the outcome. Dumb,dumb mistake
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