Steering: Lots of play in steering

[jeryst]

My 56 Power Hawk has a LOT of play in the steering.
Manual steering. Car has 80k original miles.

I'm going to get the chance to put the car up on a friends
rack, and before I do, I was just wondering about a few
things.

1. Are there any common problems that would cause this?
2. What should I look for?
3. Is there an easy fix?

[Buzzard]

The center steering Bellcrank pin and bushings is the usual culprit. Most never get lubed so check for up and down movement as there shouldn't be any. The pin is an easy fix. Also check all tie rod ends for play.
Studebaker International:
800536Rebuiltbellcrank.1951-66 carall models &1967-85 Avanti.Completely assembled with new pin & bearings.Superior bearings replace original bushings onsome models. ....................... $125.00 ex
Good luck.
Bill

[RadioRoy]

Don't immediately attack the steering box adjustment, like most newbies do.

Bill is correct, the major culprit in lost motion is the center bell crank where the two tie rods come together. Have an assistant rock the steering wheel and watch/feel for any vertical movement in the center bell crank.

Also, make sure that the steering box to frame bolts are tight.

[studegary]

The first thing to check is the cinch bolt at the center pivot.

[brngarage]

Also check the cinch bolt on the pitman arm.

[garyash]

One more vote for cinch bolt. Check the manual for torque spec. You will need a big torque wrench to get it right.

[GrumpyOne]

About fifteen years ago, I did the center pin rebuild but instead of two bearings, I used four and yes, they all receive grease. I doubt that anyone would ever have to replace anything there again but the crappy Ross box, well that's a whole other story!

[Springstreet]

My 77 Avanti steering column wobbles and has too much play. Some say it is 3 loose bolts behind the steering wheel and others say the bearing at the end of the column is known to wear out. The older Avantis have different steering columns than Hawks, but I wonder if your looseness problem might worsened by the column itself.

[Hawkowner]

Check to make certain that the steering gear is centered when the wheel are pointed straight ahead there is a high point in the center of the rack. if the tie rods are not adjusted properly or if you have an adjustable reach rod that is miss adjusted straight ahead on wheels may not match up with the high point on the steering gear. If the slack is adjusted with the gear off of the high point there will be a tight spot when the wheel is turned across the high spot on the rack.
Hawkowner.

[jeryst]

Thanks for all the great information. We were finally able to get it up on the lift.
Everything in the front end checks out so I believe it is in the steering box.
When you move the wheels by hand, the shaft coming out of the steering box moves
up and down almost a half inch. I was told that will translate to a lot of play in the
steering wheel. The steering box bolts are tight.

Comments and suggestions are welcomed.

[leaurent]

Ajuster la vis

[GrumpyOne]

Thanks for all the great information. We were finally able to get it up on the lift.
Everything in the front end checks out so I believe it is in the steering box.
When you move the wheels by hand, the shaft coming out of the steering box moves
up and down almost a half inch. I was told that will translate to a lot of play in the
steering wheel. The steering box bolts are tight.

Comments and suggestions are welcomed.

The pitman arm shaft bushings are shot. Yes, that will cause mega play...

[whitehawk759]

I had sloppy steering even after i had replaced all of the above mentioned parts. I also, as it pointed out to me by an experienced Studebaker guy, about a quarter of an inch play in the bell crank. Re-torqued the ball crank and Wow, a great reduction in the sloppy part. As also mentioned DON,T go directly to steering gear adjusting. I had to go back and re-adjust the steering gear adjustments. Good Luck!

[jeryst]

Took it to a guy that works on classics. He has his own Stude as well.
Steering box is bad.

Can power steering be put into this car using period parts?
If so, what would be needed and what will fit?
If not, can I get the steering box rebuilt or better to just find a replacement?
What years/models will work as replacements?

Thanks for all the help.

[RadioRoy]

You can put factory power steering in the car. It is a bolt-in job, but you must have all the parts first. If your car has an overdrive, you will be looking for the shifting parts for some time, as most Speedsters have automatic transmissions.

The best donor car is a Speedster. BUT... if the car steers easily enough without power steering, then the best bet (less work, less money, less aggravation) is to fix what is broken instead of redesigning the car.

Replacement manual steering boxes from 53-56 C/K models should fit. You should be able to get the parts to fix the steering box from the Studebaker vendors AFTER determining what parts have failed.

The steering column is about three feet long and is part of the steering box, so you will have to remove the steering wheel, lift the car and slide the box out from the bottom.

If you are smart, you will read the shop manual and the chassis parts catalog to understand the process before attempting it.