Front end wobble at low speed

[Unprr]

A quick question to the Greatest information page on the net.
I had my Model T out for a ride this evening, about 35 miles. All went well with the new radiator on a warm day. ( I did have a small loss of antifreeze, due to over filling it ). I know, I’m a dum $#@&$.
My problem was a wobble in the front end, at very slow speed. I had a similar wobble a few years ago, when I went over railroad tracks to fast. I just stopped and continued, with no problem.
Can I get feedback on what to look at.

Thanks again, as in the past.

George Schmidt
Elkhorn, Nebraska

[CudaMan]

Easy first thing to check for is loose front wheel bearings. Remember, the outer bearings are threaded onto the spindle with the threads cut such that turning them in the forward direction loosens them.

After that, start going through all of the bushings and linkages, looking for and eliminating looseness and slop. You should be able to get the free play at the rim of the steering wheel down to an inch or less.

[Unprr]

Thanks Mark. That will be my first task tomorrow.
Mark, if you remember me, you gave me a great ride in your truck, a few years ago.

George

[Norman Kling]

I had one an a 26 caused by the spindle arm being loose where it bolts to the spindle. All I needed to do was torque down the nut and put in a new cotter pin and it was fixed. The railroad track or a pothole or any other bump can start the problem and set up a harmonic vibration. If you stop the car and start out again it will usually stop until you hit a bump at just the right speed.
Norm

[RajoRacer]

Check your spindle bolts also - any play down in the front axle parts magnifies by the time it gets out to the tire !

[Arbs]

Watch out for wobble like this and this in the spindle and bad bearings that are shot, like this.

I'm not aware of your means and shop access, but I was able to replace my spindle bushings nicely in my little garage. If you go down that route, check out my post here.

[speedytinc]

When you get done al that checkin & a fixin, check the toe in.

[TXGOAT2]

About what year was your car built? Do you have wood wheels? Demountable rim wood wheels? Ford wire wheels?
Are you using high pressure tires or "balloon" tires?

How much free play do you have at the steering wheel rim with the car standing still and the wheels pointed straight ahead?

[Mark Nunn]

About what year was your car built? Do you have wood wheels? Demountable rim wood wheels? Ford wire wheels?
Are you using high pressure tires or "balloon" tires?

How much free play do you have at the steering wheel rim with the car standing still and the wheels pointed straight ahead?

George has a '26 Coupe with Model A wire wheels, if that is what he drove. I don't recall the specifics of his pickup.

[TWrenn]

Watch out for wobble like this and this in the spindle and bad bearings that are shot, like this.

I'm not aware of your means and shop access, but I was able to replace my spindle bushings nicely in my little garage. If you go down that route, check out my post here.

By far what Arbs showed in his links are usually the culprit. Yes, there's bunches of others, like sloppy bushings in the connecting joints, even your pitman arm connection. But spindle wear is the most common.

[TXGOAT2]

Some Model A wheels ('28-'29?) required special care in mounting the tires to assure that the tire was concentric with the rim once mounted and inflated.

Ford-supplied tires had a red line just outside the area where the sidewall contacted the rim to aid in centering the tire casing on the wheel.

A tire that is not centered correctly when mounted will tend to be both out of round and out of balance.

[rays22t]

I have a low mileage '22 chassis that ran fine on gravel but when I hit the tar it wobbled greatly. Turns out the right king forging was bent back a few degrees. After bending it back to match the left side it ran nicely down the blacktop! Ray

[ModelT46]

I have had wheel wobble on Model Ts and As when the cap holding the ball on the wishbone" was loose or the ball was worn.

[TXGOAT2]

Loose or worn parts anywhere in the steering system can cause shimmy, wobble, tramp, and wander, as well as steeting wheel kick, excess noise, and rapid tire wear.

Bent or out of round or out of balance wheels/tires can also cause assorted problems.

Even if everything is tight, poor alignment or out of round/out of balance wheels/tires can cause one or more of the above issues.


If you get all the worn or loose parts corrected and the alignment set correctly, the car will be very stable at any sane speed on most any surface, and if you maintain it regularly, it will stay that way for many thousands of miles.

Tire pressure is also important. Some tires need at least weekly pressure correction.

[Craig Leach]

Hi George,
Check your caster while you are at it. To little caster can magnify small issues like balance, run out & even road conditions.
Craig.

[South park zephyr]

I experienced a wobble recently while on an overnight tour. Fellow club member, Keith Sanders, suggested oiling the front shackles. They had been replaced earlier this year, and I had not oiled them since installation. A few drops of oil solved my problem.
I hope yours is an easy fix as well.
Keep us informed

Scott

[TXGOAT2]

All of the moving chassis parts that have oil cups require frequent oiling.

Lubricating the front and rear springs from time to time will improve ride and handling. If they bleed rust, they need lubrication.

Just about everything that moves on a Model T will benefit from some lubrication. That includes brake rods and cross shafts, steering linkage, spring shackles, springs, throttle and spark linkages, door and hood hinges and latches, clutch lever, starting crank bushing and front motor mount, and more.

The steering linkage needs frequent lubrication, as does the stock roller timer.

[John Codman]

Loose or worn parts anywhere in the steering system can cause shimmy, wobble, tramp, and wander, as well as steeting wheel kick, excess noise, and rapid tire wear.

Bent or out of round or out of balance wheels/tires can also cause assorted problems.

Even if everything is tight, poor alignment or out of round/out of balance wheels/tires can cause one or more of the above issues.


If you get all the worn or loose parts corrected and the alignment set correctly, the car will be very stable at any sane speed on most any surface, and if you maintain it regularly, it will stay that way for many thousands of miles.

Tire pressure is also important. Some tires need at least weekly pressure correction.

When I first drove my '27 I had to aim it rather then steer it. After going through the entire front end, I discovered that there were a lot of little problems and one big one. The big one was that somebody had secured the wishbone ball cap with cotterpins and not safety wire. One stud and nut was missing, and the other finger tight. (I have mentioned this in a post a few years ago). There were several other steering connections that were sloppy including the gears in the steering box. The bracket that supports the steering shaft at the frame was loose on the shaft. When I removed the shaft I was very surprised to find that it was the shaft and not the bushings that was worn. I bought a used steering column from a member and found that it was loose at the same bracket, but this time it was the bushings and not the shaft that was worn. I put the new-to-me shaft in my old support with the good bushings and all was well. It's now one of the nicest stering Ts that I have driven.