Please excuse my ignorants..help!!!

Please don't take me for a drama queen,but i am about at the end of my rope on this one.When i am driving down the hwy in my 39 ford pu going about 60-70 mph the whole truck feels like i am floating on air.I have installed new shocks and installed a oem front sway bar.I checked the steering box and the king pins,tie rods,and even installed a reverse posie front spring.Last week i even replaced the inner and outer berrings on both front wheels.I am running a stock strait axle with a disk brake conversion that was there when i bought the truck and i have power steering.Has i mention i am at the end of my rope and clueless .One fellA mention i should install a panhard on the front and concider a rear sway bar on the rear end(GM).I am open for any suggestions i am listening to what ya got to say....UPFRONT THANKS

 

Bias plys?

 

"Please excuse my ignorants.."

I'm sorry but that is funny.

 

fat, soft sidewall tires? push the front and rear ends sideways repetedly and watch the sidewalls flex.

 

what exactly happens...floating on air?
does the truck wander?

 

Floating on air sounds like an improvement over the ride of a stock '39 Ford PU.

 

I encountered this back in '83 when I bought a used car and it had two bias ply tires in front and two radial tires in back....

 

Yes i am running new Coker plys and yes it is wandering.It almost feels like i will roll over when going over a by p*** curve on the interstate

 

i AM RUNNING 14'S IN THE FRONT AND 15'S IN THE REAR ....ALL NEW BIAS PLY'S

 

The power steering plus the bias tires is my thought. May be needs some more toe in........

 

You did not mention tire pressure. Perhaps a steering damper set up is in your future.

What do your alignment specs look like? Toe in setting is pretty critical. Are your tires showing any unusual wear, ridging, cupping, wearing more on one side.

and the back is the best place for a rear swaybar.

 

i just did what you suggested and there does not seem to be any flex in the tires

 

I forgot to mention i also had the front end aligned last week at an shop that set up for the old cars..not sure of the spec's

 

Could you tell if the body was moving back and forth over the wheels (you may need someone else to look from the front while you push/pull).

Shackle angle on the front? If the spring is a little long and the shackles are upright, it might allow the axle to move back and forth. Try to pin the feeling down to the front or rear. It's not likely you have the same problem at both ends.

 

I just grabbed the front fender and shook it up and down has the same for the rear. The front seems to be a lot stiffer than the rear.For that matter the rear can be moved easy with a couple fingers and much more travel up and down

 

So your running your car at 60-70mph through exit ramps on bias tires????

 

Thanks for the help up till now.Please don't think i am flaking out,but i need to go pic up my child from cheer leading practice.I will get back to this thread has soon has i get her home...once again UPFRONT THANKS

 

and i'd think about more spring, you said you replaced the spring, but was it for a heavy car or a roadster using the same suspention??

 

First thing I thought too. Heh.

 

No Sir, i am actually moving about 25-35 mph when making those type of cueves

 

It is to often to easy to get flamed here for asking stupid questions....just thought i would say that upfront

 

What is your air pressure? I found my Plymouth was scary to drive if I had a normal tire pressure of 30-35lbs in them. I had them at 40-42 before they felt good. Heavy cars do not like small underinflated tires.

 

Got the posie from Speedway.Talked to the tech concerning my needs and he said this one was what i needed

 

Oh man I know. I've been lurking for ages before I joined, lol. But I just meant the grammar was funny, not the question.

 

Just checked ...40lbs on all four

 

has the suspension been lowered??? ... if so maybe you have the wrong shocks

 

I didn't realize there was an optional place for a rear bar.

Frank

 

Are you getting the front end light from air being trapped up under the hood, providing lift?

Pull the hood off and drive it, see if that changes anything.

 

I would go to the front end alignment guy and see what I had in the front end-Caster--camber and toe-They will make it touchy as hell if out a little.I would want a lot of positive caster in a straight axel set up and with power steering your most likely to sensative--If you have a GM ps pump there easy to reduce pressure in and can be done in a few minutes

 

C'mon guys. Poor spelling of the word 'ignorance' is pretty bad but go ahead and tell him he's gotta buy the valve to supply less pressure to his power steering.