1961 Series 62 coupe

[Kem]

I've run out of ideas to cure a persistent tendency for the car to wander and need steering corrections. I have improved it lots by fitting a new 3 piece linkage and control arm bushes. Everything else seems tight and the bushes also seem OK. The steering box has been adjusted. Could it be the tyres? They are Coker whitewall and it may just be tramlining. The rear end also seems OK with no appreciable movement anywhere.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Sounds like an alignment issue.

[35-709]

Try a little positive caster --- especially if those tires are radials. 

[Dan LeBlanc]

Here is what my 40+ year veteran adjusted my former 61 Fleetwood too - he said this setup would be good with either bias or radials.  I ran it with both - with radials it handled like it was on rails and on bias ply, tramlining was greatly reduced coupled with 32psi in the tires:

Camber:
LH 0.07 degrees     RH -0.02 degrees

Caster:
LH 0.95 degrees     RH 1.08 degrees

Toe-in:  5/64"

[jagbuxx #12944]

Maybe check the “rag” joint, the coupler. I replaced mine when car was first restored then about 15 years later after it was soaked by continued steering fluid leaking onto it. It’s worth checking

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

You will definitely need to alter the wheel alignment from factory specs, as radials require a lot less toe-in than cross plies.

Bruce.

[Kem]

Thanks gents, that sounds like good advice and I will get the alignment and toe in sorted properly.

[Andrew Trout]

Here is what my 40+ year veteran adjusted my former 61 Fleetwood too - he said this setup would be good with either bias or radials.  I ran it with both - with radials it handled like it was on rails and on bias ply, tramlining was greatly reduced coupled with 32psi in the tires:

Camber:
LH 0.07 degrees     RH -0.02 degrees

Caster:
LH 0.95 degrees     RH 1.08 degrees

Toe-in:  5/64"

Is the difference between LH and RH due to the A/C?

[Dan LeBlanc]

It accounts for road crowning.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Here in Australia, which is a RHD country, I always reverse the factory specifications for wheel alignment.

And it is worse when being in a driver-only car, and driving a LHD vehicle, the suspension on the left side needs a slight tweeking, as the added weight of the driver and going around right corners, the car really sags to the left.

The good thing about the Eldorado with FWD, is that the Left Torsion Bar is easily adjustable to compensate.

Bruce.

[Kem]

Would movement in the "rag" joint that Frank mentioned be an issue? The steering column moves a little before the input to the steering box moves. There is a sliding motion in the coupler before a peg engages with a "U" shaped collar directly attached to the box input.  The rubber/fibre part looks OK.

[Cadman-iac]

Kem,
The U shaped notches are used as a failsafe basically for when the rivits or bolts, (both were used), egg out the holes they go through in the rubber.  They are normally supposed to be a tight fit, and the U notch is not actually contacted by the pins when everything is in good shape.
If you have some slipping of the rubber then you should consider replacing it.
  Hope this helps some.

Rick

PS: Any play in your steering between the steering wheel and the gearbox will make it wander some. Ideally you don't want any at all.

[Kem]

Thanks Rick, that does seem to be the problem.