Technical Side steer issues: left to right turn ratio

hi all, setting up my 1934 ford pickup with side steer and have come across an issue.

I am using a 56 f100 steering box with a 57 arm and have an aftermarket arm bolted to the stub.
The issue I have is from wheels straight forward, left full lock is 2 turns, right full lock is 1 1/4 turns. I have centred the steering box ( when centred the arm is bang on vertical )

I believe the issue to be that the draglink is not perpendicular to the aftermarket steering arm in the stub when looking from above and when the arm goes through its arc for turning right it can pull allot quicker.

Have any other hambers experienced this?

Is it something you just have to live with ( you can bend your steering box arm or place your draglink on the other side of the steering box arm but in my case it will never be perpendicular, and if it was the wheel would foul on the draglink and have ****** all steering radius to the left.

Cheers Julian

 

You need to center the steering box first then install the arm. In my case, running an F1 steering box, I had to remove the keyed spline inside the arm so it could be installed in any position, this got it really close and I adjusted it from there using the drag link to center the steering wheel.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

I had the same issue with my Mustang (side-steer) box; so I welded spacers, 3/8s to the back side of the mount to drop the box and split the difference, now left and right are equal.

 

The stock 34 arm on the spindle is a little forward of the axle centreline when the wheels are straight. So your drag link is probably a little too long, shorten it up or move the pitman arm as suggested.

 

Dumprat is on your case. Lookee here:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...d-updated-1-11-16.970252/page-4#post-10989245
Down a ways on that post by Dennis Lacy is clearest explanation of the steering arm needed that I have seen. I think all aftermarket arms are geometrically out to lunch, but this will give you the idea for bending/fabricating/welding whatever to get it right. Easiest route is get your '34 spindles back on the job, also lowering the truck an extra bit...

 

Best way of doing it. The key is there for the ***embly line only. Removing it won't warm a thing.

 

If you have a 56 box with a 57 arm it will have a pinch bolt through the arm. If this is so you cannot change the position of the arm. The arm in my 32 ( 56 box ) sounds like yours is, straight down at centre, works fine and has equal turns lock to lock. Your problem may be the spindle arm.

 

Adjust the drag link

 

Remember bending the curve out of the later arm so it was straight like the '53-'56 arm; just can't recall if we did it for appearance or geometry.