Steering Question

Did you hit a good bump? I would remove the front wheel and check the rubber/cloth steering coupler. It doesn't make sense that the wheel is turned now.

 

If everything is tight in the front end, check the toe-in. It should be 1/8" total or less, but more than zero. You can remove the wheel and straighten it, it only looks like a spline or two off, but I would definitely check the front end and alignment first for sure. 

I haven't hit any bumps.  I'll follow your advice and see what it looks like behind the front wheels.

Check the steering box, pitman arm nut, tie rods, ball joints, all of it for ripped boots and/or loose parts. I sounds like maybe a loose tie rod?

What Danny said.  steering wheels don't just reposition themselves for no reason. Sounds like something isn't tight.

 

Get Carey's reccomendation for a first class alignment shop that knows how to work on your car---even get him & Carey talking.  More than half the alignment shops I know have no clue about aligning these cars.  I found an older guy who knows how to do a perfect alignment and my car is as smmoth as silk and tracks absolutely straight---with the steering wheen centered.  Watch out for bozos!!! 

I checked the toe in and found it to be about 1 1/4 inch.... yikes...   I had the mechanic that fixed my clutch tighten the pit arm nut and I think thats when the steering wheel went off center and maybe the toe in alignment.    Frankly the car drives straight and true on the highway.   I lifted the front of the car (without taking the wheels off) and all looks and feels alright.   

Here....use this as a checklist for your front end (and a whole lot more):

 

https://www.speedsterowners.com...acceptance-checklist

Gordon - thanks...I printed and checked my car against this list back when it first came out.  I'll take it with me to my mechanic

 

Jack - do I need a specialist or could a very good overall mechanic be able to do it right?   I need to get this fixed before you come to visit....I can't have you driving this car if there is a potentially dangerous problem.....

Tire inflation?

      I second Crosby's observation about clueless alignment shops.

I approached three. Only one came out and admitted that he didn't have a workshop manual nor the experience. One said "A swing axle? Oh yeah, just like an old Ford banjo rear end"...duh! The third guy just exchanged furrowed brow perplexed expressions with his partner!

       So I purchased a 7' long aluminum measuring bar and ascertained that the front was correctly toed in. The rear wheels were more difficult to accurately measure.

      Before Carlisle I'm going to have that looked at by getting alignment shop suggestions from the members of a very active ACVW club/association here in Connecticut.

 

      They'll even allow me to show up for their monthly 'Coffee & Cars'... After all the 356 resemblance is only skin deep!

 

 

tire pressure is good

I'll check for a local VW club for feedback (good idea)

Carey is on Xmas Holiday so will not disturb

thanks

FWIW, If it has 1 1/4" toe, I would not drive it.  You will be plowing some serious rubber off the tires!  Adjusting the toe if fairly easy and you can get it closer than that with a tape measure.  With the tires pointing straight ahead, jack up the front of the car, spin each front wheel and use a tire marker or chalk to scribe a centerline on the tread surface of the tires.  With the tire spinning, touch the marker to the od of the tire, close to the center of the tread.  The mark does not have to be exactly on the centerline.  Mark both tires.

 

Now lower the car and with the tires still pointing straight ahead, measure between the lines at the front of the tires and again at the rear of the tires.  The distance at the front should be about 1/8 - 1/4" less than the rear.  If you need to adjust, use the tie rods.  Each tire needs to be toed in an equal amount.  You can check this with a long straightedge off the rear tires.  You can also stretch parallel strings off the rear, a chalk line popped on the garage floor works well.

 

Nothing is better than an alignment from an experienced front end man with the right equipment! My suggestions are just a way to get it close enough to drive.

 

As for the steering wheel misalignment, I would check the clamp where the steering shaft connects to the steering box.  Those splines will get rusty and worn over the years and if not tight it will slip a small amount.  The bolt in the clamp will limit the slip because it goes across a flat that is milled in the steering box shaft.

 

I hope this all makes sense and is of some help.  Merry Christmas!

If you have a shop do your alignment, try to find one that can do a 4 wheel alignment and have everything done at the same time.....   Its cheap insurance....

To set the toe you really don't need to go to a shop, or use chalk. I just use the grooves in the tire, and a helper to hook the tape measure. I do have a laser toe gauge but the tape measure will get you very close.

 

There isn't much if at all toe change in the front with suspension movement but it is always best to set all suspension adjustments with the car at ride height.

 

I use a string hooked on the back tire and pulled forward to make sure the wheels are centered, check both sides.

 

What puzzles me about this particular car is that something MUST be loose to cause a sudden change. Please check you wheel bearings also! 

 

If you aren't comfortable or confident please do take it to a shop, this definitely needs to be addressed, your life could depend on it!

Thanks all ....  I had the front up on a ramp when i measured the toe-in.  I must have made a mistake.  Carey suggests to check the ride height as she may have settled some and this always effects the toe-in.    The odd part is the car tracks perfectly.

Everyone has some good suggestions, but don't lose sight of something pertinent that he already said, way up above:

 

"I had the mechanic that fixed my clutch tighten the pit arm nut and I think thats when the steering wheel went off center and maybe the toe in alignment."

 

You think maybe this is significant?????????????????????????????????????

 

I don't think his alignment is out at all, but, even though the pitman arm is splined, something happened when his mechanic tried to help him out to insure that the pitman wouldn't fall off (as a bunch of us told him to do!)

 

Time to run it back to the Mechanic guy, loosen the pitman arm, see if the splines are still OK both on the arm and the shaft and either take steps to repair it or put it all back together, straighten the wheels and the steering wheel and torque the Pitman arm nut to 72-75 ft. lbs.

 

OH, and tell him to use a torque wrench on it, NOT an impact wrench!!

 

Wish we had your FT. Lauderdale weather up here.  BTW:  Look for my old, red, Austin Healey 3000 BN7 - I sold it to a guy who lives in your town 10 years back......

BTW, everyone......I just posted my new/used vehicle inspection checklist up under the "Resource" tab at the top of every page.  It's under "Knowledge Base".

 

gn

thanks for all the input... very much appreciated

Good point, Gordon.  As I mentioned above, the clamp between the steering shaft and the steering box is possibly loose and allowed the steering wheel to turn.  When the mechanic tightened the pitman arm nut, it is possible to back drive the steering box and force the input shaft to turn in the steering shaft/clamp.  These splines become rusty and worn and do not hold very well if the clamp is not tight.  I would check this since the problem occurred after tightening the pitman arm nut, especially if you have a locking steering column and the steering shaft can not turn when the steering box is back driven.

does anybody have any pictures of what I should look for?   I have zero mechanical experience and want to learn about this. I tried google with no luck.   I will also get this to a mechanic for good measure (probably after the holidays).  thanks

This is a picture from The Samba.  It is on a Volkswagen, but the same thing.  This is looking in behind the driver's side front tire.  The bolt thru the clamp that goes around the steering shaft needs to be tight.

 

For troubleshooting, you can loosen this clamp and see if you are able to re-center your steering wheel.  If so, then you know the problem, just make sure this clamp is tight before you drive the car.

Oops, should have marked the clamp.  Sorry!

toe in usualy makes for a stable car....some times,and can make it track straight...sometimes. make sure the box is tight on the beam,have everything gone over real well, then the rear also and have all 4 wheels aligined by somebody with atleast 1/2 a brain(working brain that is).that knows how to properly do a old bug/gehia/thingamajiggy.and check his spellen too.

looks like I'll be asking Santa for some Jack stands and get more intimate with the the underside of my car.  any suggestions/recommendations for this amateur are always welcome

FYI.  Most of the steering parts can be accessed easily withe the driver's front real removed.

I'll be taking the wheel off over the holiday and once I get a proper lug wrench.  I remeasured the toe in after a drive around the block and a more level surface.  Its about 1/2 inch.  I suspect that having it on a ramp as in the photo must have somehow caused effected the toe in when I last measured.

 

I also checked the clamps, bushings and tie rods which seemed OK.

 

 

 

 

 

I must say... everything seems nice and tidy... Carey does a nice job

"I suspect that having it on a ramp as in the photo must have somehow caused effected the toe in when I last measured."

 

Yeah, you want it on the ground. Roll it back and for a couple of times to make sure it's at ride height. Al

 

PS- You were mentioning in an earlier post about wanting to learn; a Bentley manual and the idiot book by John Muir are great resource material.

T. Blankinship:    You have got that right....

ALB: I'll ask Santa to amend my list with a couple of books.... thanks