Incorrect caster rings a bell with me, but your alignment shop should have handled it ok. 5*-6* positive is the usual for solid axle cars. How much play at the steering wheel? Isn't there already a factory panhard bar up front on that era Ford? Might check the shocks to see if they all have good damping properties. Had one come loose on my Shoebox coupe when the bottom nut came off and the car wallowed down the highway. 40# seems excessive for your tires. Don't sweat the ignorance factor, we've all been there a time or two....
I think i will take a little ride over to the shop where i had the front end don,maybe lay a few of the replies i got on here today....Hope not to piss the guy off.Has far has the panhard ,Speedway makes one for my front end...89.00 bucks.Has far has the shocks go,i am pretty sure i bought the right size.Do you think a more stiffer shock would help out
My earlier suggestion was to see if the body was moving side to side over the axles. Push and pull to the side with somone watching the tires under the fenders. Be sure of the problem before you spend any more money! If the problem is sideways axle movement, stiffer shocks won't help one bit...
my wife's '65 mustang used to do the same thing...at around 95. You just might be feeling the effects of less than desirable aerodynamics BUT it'd definitely be worth your time to swing by the alignment shop and ask there!
When i get to the shop in the morning i will try your ideal first thing.....What have i got to loose.Thanks for the reply Bryan
Your truck does have a GM style power steering BOX and not some kind of rack and pinion steering mounted to the frame--right?
It looks like 60-70 with those front fenders (no bumper to bust the air) could cause alot of lift. I'm not sure they gave aerodynamicsalot of thought back in the day or going 60-70 on a regular basis. Are you running the original motor? Might try puting 500# in the bed and see what happens. Prob. need a big block 460, drop/chop...that should keep it on the road...lol
Another thing to think about is that if you lower a vehicle in front and do not lower the rear by the same amount, it has the effect of changing the caster. If you've got 4 or 5 degrees caster with it sitting level, and then you lower the front a couple of inches, you could effectively put it at close to zero caster. Caster does two things, it helps the vehicle track straight, and it helps return the wheels to straight ahead position after a turn. A vehicle with zero or near zero caster (however that comes about) will be all over the road and a chore to drive. As for the theory of air getting under the hood and causing lift, I don't buy that theory. The inner fender panels on '38-'39 Ford trucks are designed to vent air out of the engine compartment very efficiently. Henry was probably thinking more in terms of venting heat out of the engine compartment than he was about aerodynamics, but it probably helps prevent that aerodynamic problem.
POWERSTEERING PUMP PRESSURE........drop the pressure as has been mentioned two or three times!!!....get the feel for the road back
If your front and rear(***uming a Ford transverse spring) springs are not mounted under tension like an original pre-42 Ford P***enger car or pickup should be, you will need a Panhard rod front and rear. Ford changed the spring mounting style in 42 on p***enger cars and added Panhards on both ends because of it. Lack of one will cause body/ch***is sway and affect steering too. This in addition to lack of caster and too little road feel from an overzealous steering pump could easily put you in "floating on air" category in curves as you describe.
Are you using a vega box or what? If it's a cross steer set up you must run a panhard. And has been mentioned, drop the pressure.
I'd check the angle on your front axle. Mine was off and at about 50 mph, it was down right scary.......
Waaaay too much air pressure. Bias plys like 26 to maybe 30 lbs no more. And a '39 Ford isn't a heavy car by any means as was suggested.
Switch to radials. I ran the bias tires on my 50 ply and it was hairy scary on the highway at 50-60 and when I bought new radials it drove like a dream at 50-70. Same with my 52 F1 and 53 Merc. Bias tires were designed to be rigid and run on gravel roads with ruts from what I have been told by the various old timers.
I'm a fan of radials, but bias-plies were supplied and run on America's well-paved highways well into the 60's. Did your 50 Plymouth have an intact sway bar? Common for them to break. My 50 Plymouth coupe had a broken sway bar when I got it, even with radials & new shocks it handled like the Mayflower in a following sea....
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