WTH!?!? Question about steering stops ...

[sbca96]

Did some time under the Avanti today, trying to find out WHY the rim hits
the upper control arm on right turns, but NOT on left turns. At first I was
quite shocked to see that there didnt seem to be steering stops on the
car at all! But, after scraping and searching, I found they are on the back
of the king pins, not the front like I suspected (hoped). What makes no
sense to me, is WHY the suspension turns further to the right, then to the
left (and it DOES). Since the steering stops are on the back, what keeps
the rim from contacting the upper a-arm pivot (and the sway bar) is the
opposite side stop block. I messed with the steering quite a bit, and found
that the tire will hit the swaybar on the drivers side, but will give over 1/2
inch of room on the passenger side! Thats a big difference! I was looking
at putting a spacer block on the pass side stop block, to keep the drivers
side from hitting, but then I thought I would check with you guys to see if
anyone had figured out an adjustable stop block for the Stude front end. I
would prefer that its in the front, & works for the side its on, not opposite
like the factory did it.

Thanks!

Tom

[Mike]

I suspect your tie rods aren't set to the same lengths. The tie rod moves the most sideways, per degree of rotation of the steering bell crank, when it is at 90 degrees to the bell crank. It's moved less amounts for other angles, down to theoretically zero movement if it were in line with the bell crank.
You can get "toe" correct with tie rods at different lengths; but, the bell crank won't be straight back with the wheels straight ahead.
The two tie rods will move through different angles with the bell crank; and steer the two wheels different amounts.
Since lock in one direction is limited by the stop on the opposite wheel, you could get the condition you describe.
Tie rods should be the same length. You can remove them, and adjust each to half the total. It's easy to measure from the grease nipples. The adjusting sleeve bolts won't gouge the oil pan if you install the tie rods with the adjusters outboard, at the wheels.
Also, the link from the steering box to the bell crank should be adjusted to the length in the manual. That's so the steering box will be centered. The worm pitch changes from center to lock. This gives different steering rates for parking and driving straight ahead.
Mike M.

[sbca96]

quote:Originally posted by Mike

I suspect your tie rods aren't set to the same lengths. The tie rod moves the most sideways, per degree of rotation of the steering bell crank, when it is at 90 degrees to the bell crank.....

Thank you for the input, we are certainly in agreement here, but I was
hoping to overcome this oversight by Studebaker, by adding a stop that
could be in the front of the kingpin, so that I can set the clearance
on each side - where the problem is. From the feeling in the steering
I think that my car is toed out, which means after the alignment, the
"problem" will be worse. I have a set of tierods on my Hawk parts car
and have considered swapping them over to the Avanti. Its a 60 Hawk,
and has "new" tierod ends (the long tube, with two short ends, not the
later - long end, short tube, short end).

From input on the other forum, I am not the only one that has dealt
with this issue. Anyone rig something up?

Tom