Steiring help please?

Is that how it sits immediately after lowering it off the jack?

Did it roll forward to that position?

Did it roll backward to that position?

You have two issues: camber and tracking.

The bent track rod is causing the wheels to toe out. Remove it and straighten it. Loosen all the threaded parts that allow it to be adjusted. Have a look at the other side, loosen all the parts that allow for adjustment.

Set the tire pressures and set the wheels down on newspapers. They will allow the wheels to slide a little. Get the wheels parallel and put the track rods back on. proper adjustment can come later.

If when the wheels are parallel and you move the car back and forward you still have wacky camber angles (leaning in or out at the top) then you do have serious problems with the suspension - worn out or bent components.

You are the one with the car in front of you. You need to get in there and really look at what is going on.

What I'm getting at: seriously toed in wheels will pull themselves under the car when it rolls forward. seriously toed out wheels (like yours) will pull themselves under the car (lots of positive camber) when it rolls back.

Without setting the toe in at least close to right you have no hope of setting anything else up.

One question you havn't answered... If you jack up each wheel under the lower arm, so it is just off the ground.. If you grab the wheel mand try and pull it in and out at the top and bottom.. Does it have lots of free play or does it seem well located?

Lots of free play = worn out components. Well located but at a wacky angle means something is bent.

Mart.

 

Looks like somebody wrapped a chain around the suspension and pulled the car,bending the draglink and also all your bushings are shot. As suggested earlier,remove the draglink and that will take alot of the pressure off the tires and wheels.

 

Ok I did the tire check and it does wobble side to side and up and down. Look's like king pin and wheel barring?

 

And it sits like that all the time I pulled it out of the driveway and turned it around and backed it in the driveway.

 

Does'nt the drag link steer the car?

 

Studebakers do not have ball joints. They have a trunion type suspension with bearings. Some of the joints have rubber instead of metal bearings. To rebuild the suspension you need to take it apart and replace the worn parts. Don't forget new shock absorbers front and rear. When all the parts are within limits (not worn) get an alignment.

This is the only way to make it work right.

You can start by jacking it up and checking for wear and play. It sounds like you already did that.

You could also look for a Studebaker web site, they will know all about how to fix it, where to get parts etc. Also you should get a repair manual.

If you do not want to do all that the best thing would be to leave it alone or sell it to someone else. No use tearing everything up and having it on blocks in the yard forever.

 

Just sold it on ebay. A guy needs the motor for a rare studebaker he has. So not going to work on it.

But got my eye on a 1955 chevy 1.5 ton dump truck for 1,400 that drives with a 350 motor and 4 speed trans.

 

The drag link is the track rod and does steer the car.

You have a severe toe out condition. When you drive the car forward, it pulls the bottom of the tires out, giving the negative camber as shown in the first pics on the ramp. When you got the car out and reversed it back to the position shown in the last pics (on the ground) the toe out (toe in in reverse) has pulled the bottom of the tires under and given the positive camber shown.

The trackrod/drag link to the drivers side wheel is badly bent, and straightening it will help the alignment a lot. Can't see the other one so well. They should both be straight. there may be some bend to them but you need to make the call if it is a factory shape or a bend put in by someone towing it and pulling it with a chain around the steering.

Toe it right first and then see what happens. Parallel is good enough as a start point, but you should be shooting for 1/8" toe in.

Mart.

 

I see you've sold it.

Problem solved.

Mart.

 

Yes it is.

 

That's a neat truck, but I don't know what you'll do with it unless you need to haul dirt around your yard...they don't go very fast!

Yes, I want one...

 

Ya I heard they dont go verry fast. 45 mph tops. so thinking about getting a motorcycle.

 

I gotta start reading threads backwards. Thanks.

Scotty