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  #1  
Old 08-10-2004, 12:54 PM
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65TerrorCuda 65TerrorCuda is offline
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Confused front suspension/steering issues

BTW I meant this to be in vintage, but now I can't delete it!

My 65 barracuda has sloppy steering, but only over 65 MPH, under that it is fine.
Also, I've attempted to set the torsion bars many times only to have them come out of adjustment after driving, and the car will sit unevenly.

Going between two cars on the freeway is downright frightening, and slight changes in the road seem to make it worse, as if the car wants to abruptly veer left or right on a crowned road.

I've replaced all ball joints, strut rod bushings, rod ends, and idler arm. Suspension bushings themselves are not new, but look very good. Alignment of course.

It has the 76 A body discs up front.

Haven't pulled apart the steering box or pitman arm, although I did play with the sector mesh adjustment which did help a little to reduce slop.

My worry is something I read in Mopar Action a while back; that possibly my torsion bar mounts are failing, or that the K-member has broke.
Any ideas appreciated!
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Old 08-11-2004, 06:15 AM
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moparmotorman moparmotorman is offline
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as to your t-bar mounts, you can just look, if they're bad the crossmember or k-frame area will be rusting/rotted out. if your t-bars are losing their adjustment, your adjusting bolts are probably worn out with not enough of an "interferance" fit to hold the adjustment. if frontend components are solid as you say, i would look to steering box or alignment. some alignment guys just "set the toe, and let it go". it needs a good complete alignment checking the caster & camber as well. preferably the computerized one where it shows whats in spec and whats not. also hope you have a decent set of radial tires, the bias plies can wander like mad on any type of rutted or grooved road. good luck
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Old 08-11-2004, 06:16 AM
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moparmotorman moparmotorman is offline
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i forgot, just suspension has new t-bar adjusters.
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Old 08-12-2004, 03:53 AM
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65TerrorCuda 65TerrorCuda is offline
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Default Can't just use lock tite? :)

Actually it veers even on very flat roads, but acts like it's on a heavily rutted one. On a rutted road, very scary.
Oh yeah it does have radials already.

Wow, I would have never thought of the torsion bar adjusters loosening.... I'll have to mark them to see if they move after getting set.. Thanks for the heads up on that one!

When I have gone hunting for steering slop, it seems to originate at the box itself. The shaft coupler has zero slop, but I can turn the steering wheel just a tad without getting any wheel/tire movement, perhaps 10-15 degrees. I can actually see lateral movement of the gearbox shafts at the pitman arm and input shaft, but only a tiny amount.
Does anyone make a rebuild kit for the steering box?

I may end up ripping the susp. apart again and doing all the bushings in polygraphite if all else fails.

Thanks motorman
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Old 08-12-2004, 02:10 PM
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My Charger front end was shot when I got it, and it still steered like a pig after changing out the stuff you did. In the end I realised the upper and especially the lower control arm bushings were perished and allowing the camber to change. Some mornings the wheels were laying in, other times they were out, or taking it in turns to alternate. I went with a fresh set of OEM ones and it solved it. I found when driving that the steering would never want to center - it would be a constant battle to keep it from going left or right, and it was very unpredictable under heavy braking. If it's the only thing you haven't changed, think about doing that. Even with sloppy steering, a well set up car should want to steer straight, even if you have to make larger corrections.
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Old 08-12-2004, 10:40 PM
64dartwagon 64dartwagon is offline
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Default driving a wet noodle

I to at one time had the wandering dodge. It was due to no bushings in the control arms "I think they had them at one time" replaced the bushings and tie rods ball joints basically a new front end. Drove it and still the wet noodle syndrome grrrr. Had a friend look at it and he asked who had aligned it due to the fact that neither side was in the correct position they had only aligned the toe of the front end and nothing else. They had the upper ball joint way to far forward and it made the car real twitchy. The wife almost crawled out of the car on the freeway. So if all that stuff is in the correct setup then i'd have to say if you have power steering it may not be bypassing the excess pressure at high speeds and causing an oversteer problem as in over assist. Good Luck
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Old 08-13-2004, 08:36 AM
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Geezer Geezer is offline
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Question alignment??

Improper caster and camber settings will cause this, even with a completely new system.
In some cases, the settings are different side to side, and will cause the problem[s].
Does the car wander to the same side most of the time??

I'd get the box issue resolved before I'd re- do the suspension again, and see where that takes you.
15* of wheel action before any steering action is waaay too much.
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Old 08-13-2004, 09:53 AM
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Re: Can't just use lock tite? :)

Quote:
Originally posted by 65TerrorCuda
Actually it veers even on very flat roads, but acts like it's on a heavily rutted one. On a rutted road, very scary.
Oh yeah it does have radials already.

Wow, I would have never thought of the torsion bar adjusters loosening.... I'll have to mark them to see if they move after getting set.. Thanks for the heads up on that one!

When I have gone hunting for steering slop, it seems to originate at the box itself. The shaft coupler has zero slop, but I can turn the steering wheel just a tad without getting any wheel/tire movement, perhaps 10-15 degrees. I can actually see lateral movement of the gearbox shafts at the pitman arm and input shaft, but only a tiny amount.
Does anyone make a rebuild kit for the steering box?

I may end up ripping the susp. apart again and doing all the bushings in polygraphite if all else fails.

Thanks motorman
Send you box to Firm Feel for a rebuild. They know what they are doing. Then for better handling you can rebuild the suspenion with poly bushings latter. Also make sure to add a little more than stock Caster for your car. More caster requires a little more effort to turn the car, but it will increase high speed stability.
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