after a small mishap with my Power steering gear box which is now gone forever http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=608990 I am needing to find 2 tie rod sleeves that will fit my 62' impala. Currently each sleeve is 9" long, I am needing to replace them with a 6-7" length on one side and a 11-12" on the other. I know I could use a later model Camaro part number to get a 4"version, but does anyone know what make or model I might use to get the 11" or 7" version?
I will admit that I am NOT an expert in Chevrolet steering, and all of my Mopars have centering splines on the steering wheel and the pittman arms to try to prevent what I think that you're describing, but anyway... Try to find the OLDEST junkyard that you can find locally and ask them if they have a Hollander's Interchange Manual. I used one almost every day when I worked at Mopar City and they are expensive, but worth their weight in gold. If you don't know how to use one... (I'm writing this from memory, so...) Open it up to the Steering and Suspension tab and look under the year make & model of your car to find the Hollander number for your part. It'll assign it a seemingly random number like "902", then go back to the Steering & Suspension listing that lists the items numerically and find "902" again... the list next to that number will list all of the vehicles that this part fits. (i.e. 55-64 Chevrolet, 55-63 Pontiac, 55-64 Oldsmobile (except station wagon)... or something like that. (Don't bust my b_lls if my made-up listing is incorrect, I'm just winging it without a Hollander's book in front of me!) The other method that I've used is to go into a parts store that still has the PAPER parts books. Look up the part number for the aftermarket part that you're looking for (i.e. "TRW #5287") and try to think of other vehicles that might have used the same part. Look up their listing and if it lists "TRW #5287" also, then you know what else fits. The parts book might also break down the listing by year & model too, such as "Tie rod end, 55-63 Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac Full Size P/N 5287, 64-69 Chevrolet Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac Full Size P/N 5288...." This method obviously takes a lot longer and will also try the patience of the parts counter-man, but if you ask nicely and say PLEASE and THANK YOU they usually let you look through the book all by yourself down at the end of the counter to do your research. When I rebuilt my front end and did a disc brake conversion on my (OT, sorry) 71 Road Runner, I learned that I could use the WAY cheaper spindles, rotors and calipers from a 73 Barracuda instead of the unobtanium priced "correct" setup for a 71 Road Runner. The ball joints, spindles, rotors, tie rod ends, etc. were all researched through the Hollander's book and TRW/MOOG parts books! Information is power!!! Good luck!
Could you take a picture of the steering box, showing the frame, mounting, etc? Also have you checked to see if the frame is bent? Sounds like the box is just sitting too far over away from the frame....mounting it in the right place would solve the problem?
squirrel, the box is tight to the frame, and this was not an issue with the old box. i am uploading a video and a few pics. and yes the steering box is centered.
here is a vidoe of the tie rods. http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x117/ykp53/?action=view¤t=VIDEO0014.mp4 a pic of the wheels when the box is centered.
I was hoping to see the view from the top. Where the steering box sits in the frame, where the pitman arm is, what angle it's at when the wheels are straight ahead. If you move the center link over two inches when the car is going straight, then the idler arm position on turns is probably going to be wonky, too.
i will try to get that shot tonight. the box is a direct bolt on of a leaky 605 box. the pitman arm when centered is straight back. it appears that the old box pitmans arm shaft was modifed so that the pitman arm could be installed at any deg. rather than the 4 positions the new box limits me to. its the missing splines on the pitman arms shaft that seem to be messing me up.
Put steering wheel in center of it's travel. Remove the pitman arm. Take the snap ring off the cover, pull the shaft and cover out, turn it so the missing splines line up straight forward, put it back together. Be careful with the O ring. Oil will go everywhere. Then see if it fixes the problem.
When I want to adjust the clocking of an old Ford pitman with the same problem, I can file the wide spline in the pitman arm into two narrow splines. Then it can fit in any position. Can you do the same thing with your Chevy arm?
alchemy is the winner..... I think... took the arm off and did what you said, now the box is centered the wheel is centered and i have the same turns left and right. Thanks... man that was simple.
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