Loose Steering

[nazpastordon]

Hey guys, I thought maybe you could help me. I have a 54 Belair, and the steering is a little loose. I notice it a lot on the highway. It's not bad, it could just use an adjustment. Heres my problem- I don't know how to adjust the steering. Any suggestions or wisdom you could give me? Thanks - Don

 

[donsrods]

First you need to determine what component is sloppy. I would drive the cars front tires up against an immovable object like a curb and have someone turn the wheel back and forth (just enough to take up the play) while you watch what is going on. Somewhere you will see something that is not moving like the rest of the parts. It could also be slop in the steering box itself. Sometimes there is an adjusting nut that you can turn to take up the play, but other times it just needs rebuilt.

There are a lot of components in there that can be worn, like tie rod ends, idler arms, etc. Oh, and loose wheel bearings can contribute too.

Don