I rebuilt the steering column on my 27 T , but the steering is still a little loose. Is it ok to sand the small steering cups on the drag link to get a tighter fit?
You could. I would only file the caps. It would be better to get a set of shims from the venders or you could make your own.
I've done what you're suggesting using a belt sander on the caps. Went slow. Kept testing the fit. Appeared to work quite well but not much was needed.
You can install shims.
Washers will work too.
I bought the formed shims from Lang's. Worked great. PK
Are the shims effective if the ball is slightly worn?
That's what shims are made to be used with.
You can make penny shims by laying the penny in a socket and using a ball peen hammer to make it concave enough to fit the circumference of the ball.
You can do the same thing with a washer of the tight size.
That's the way I do it anyway.
Sorry, that was a silly question. What I meant to ask was if the shims are effective if the ball is worn slightly oblong. The ball in this case measures .963 max. and .932 min.
Maybe the steering would get tight toward full lock? What's the experience out there?
With a worn ball you'll have better result with an Apco spring loaded accessory cap. They were very common back in the day and can be bought new from the vendors.
I do two things. If the pitman arm is worn oblong too much, I get another one. They are fairly common. Next I file the drag link AND the cap until I get a nice fit. That way I don't need shims or pennies. To each his own.
Steve
Where do you get those shims and how much do they cost?
Many years ago my car had accessory springs to take up the slack in the tie rod end bolts. It was undriveable if I drove over railroad tracks, the whole car shook around so much it looked like two Model T's and it had to be brought to a complete halt before the front end would stop shaking. I replaced a worn tie rod bolt and was able to remove the slack adjusters. Now I'm finally rebuilding the front axle and replacing the spindle bolts and bushings as well as the tie rod bolt bushings.
The question is if .030" is considered to be worn too oblong. I don't remember the steering wobbling too much but the car's been down 5 years with a broken transmission, so I don't remember too well.
Roger, the APCO accessory sounds like a good idea. A new steering arm is only 5 dollars more though. What is the general opinion of the new arms? Are they well made and durable?
I sanded my caps lightly on a benchtop disc sander with good results. I took a little off at a time and kept checking the fit until the slop was gone.
If things loosen up again, I have a set of Apco spring loaded caps that I will install.
I machine the ends of the draglink until I have a .060 gap between the cap and draglink when assembled. This will allow adjustability for future wear.
Dave, then it sounds like I don't have that much wear in the draglink ball, it's only .030 worn.
I use leather about 1/16 thick, and soak in oil first. It has enough give to compensate for slightly worn ball.
Norm
If you get another pitman arm,be sure the ball is one piece with the arm or that it is welded on. I know of one car on which the ball was threaded and it came loose on a tour in Yosemite. Fortunately they were able to stop before it went off the road! The threaded ball is definatly not the way to go.
Norm
Eric,
I think Steve got those shim's from the Federal Government and they cost about 8 cents each.
Put on a new arm and do it right, then no more worries
Eric, that gap of .060 is between the cap and draglink faces, not the ball socket.
Chuck, I'll sell you a pair of shims just like Steve's for only $5, post paid. And I guarantee them to be pre-1982 NOS.
OK Dave, so the free play on the ball would be "zero" when the cap is assembled, right?
OK Dave, so the free play on the ball would be "zero" when the cap is assembled, right?
Please excuse the double post.
Free play needs to be as close to zero as possible.
I set the tightness of the ball joints so I can rotate the draglink with a slight hint of resistance.
If you must file anything, do as Larry Smith said, file BOTH the drag link AND the cap. On my '25 coupe, the cap had been filed down so much that it wore the ball to an extreme egg shape. Don't forget that when you just file down one side of a sphere shaped hole, you also change the I.D. as you do so. Filing both sides keeps them relatively even. Just my .02$. Dave
Without any scientific research of any kind, just theory/instinct, I'd rather shim than file.