1966 Mustang front alignment problem

dani9678 · 10-25-2003

I have a 1966 Mustang V8. The problem I am having is that I cannot turn my wheels as far left as I can turn them right. So what I did was find the center of my steering gearbox by disconnecting the drag link and I turned it as far left as I could and counted the turns as I turned it right. It took 5 revolutions. So I turned it back 2 1/2 turns to center it and then reconnected the drag link. After connecting the drag link the wheels were now turned right instead of straight ahead. So I loosend the sleeves on both sides and began to turn the right one out until the wheel was straight ahead and then I went to the driver side and screwed the sleeve in until it was straight but it bottomed out before I could get it fully straight. My broblem is that the driver side sleeve is screwed in as far as it will go and the passenger side sleeve still has plenty of travel left. I figured that they both sould have equal travel. I can't seem to figure out why the left side is bottomed out. I even measured the tierod ends just to see if they were of different lengths but they were the same length. I bought this car about 7 months ago and have only driven it 3 times. I have been replaceing the floorpans and framerails on the rear. Is there any way you can help me with this. I am baffled.

Thanks in advance.

Matt
Jacksonville, FL

P.S. If you have yahoo messenger my ID is mattd32208

Twister · 10-25-2003

I sugjest that you put the car on a frame rack and see if it is square...I think that it has been hit

dani9678 · 10-26-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by Twister
I sugjest that you put the car on a frame rack and see if it is square...I think that it has been hit

My car has drums all around. I measured the distance between the framerails and they are 28 inches apart from inside to inside just in front of the shock towers and appears to be the same towards the firewall. So the frame seems ok. Any body have any other ideas of what could be causing this?

Cracker289 · 10-28-2003

Maybe your steering box has the wrong arm on it, one without the correct angle, so that at it's "center" position it actually holds the center link farther to the right than it should? Just a guess.

krankieone · 10-28-2003

To check if it is really straight measure the chasis diagonally from left front to right rear and right front to left rear.As well as front to back both sides and side to side front and rear.I would imagine the factory manual would have the corect measurements and the allowable tolerances.

bobnsons · 10-29-2003

GAWD it's been over 10 years since I re-did mine. I don't think it's the frame. To be that far off you'd see the frame alignment problems. Or another way to check the frame part would be to look at the alignment shims and see if they are forcing an un-natural angle.

Think about this. Disconnect the drag link (pitman arm) from the steering box and leave it connected to the center link. Screw both of the wheels in till both tie rods bottom out. Screw them out equally till the wheels are straight. Center the steering box again. Then attach the drag link to the steering box.

From what I remember that is what I did a long time ago.

ramnaraina · 08-31-2008

Howzit, I know the cause of your problem. Your steering box most likely was overhauled prior to your purchase and the the worm assembley was not centered prior to assembly. Goto stangersite.com, it shows you how to do this. I recently replaced the bearings my boxes.

Amar. Ramnarain (South Africa, Chatsworth)
ramnaraina@dut.ac.za
1968 Conv, 1968 Coupe, 1967 Coupe