Re: [AMC-list] slooow....

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

Glad to hear you got the steering fixed up! The rack sounds good, until you consider that a rack doesn't move far, and to get the turning radius where it should be you need to shorten the steering arms. Can't do that on the pre 64 American/Nash Rambler chassis! The steering arm bends around the drum as it is (and also bends around a rotor if switched to discs), tight fit between drum/rotor and wheel! So you can't shorten it and keep the geometry right. The only thing I can think of that might work as a replacement is the Vega steering box. It's small, and now reproduced because it was popular for early hot rodders who had similar steering box issues.

You REALLY need to order stiffer springs for the front. 12% over stock is what I used. That will make a noticeable difference, a sway bar doesn't -- only in the hardest of turns will you even know the bar is there. The rear could really use a panhard rod or watts link, but what I'd do instead is use a polyurethane front eye bushing and sliders to replace the shackles. Sliders don't have the side motion that shackles can have, especially with worn bushings. Those and a "half leaf" helper spring on the rear portion to stiffen it up and you have a roller skate (with the stiffer front springs).

---------
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2011 11:33:21 -0700
From: tom jennings<tomj@xxxxxxx>

well my rambler workings have crawled to a near, but not quite, halt. i'm
thinking of it as a long vacation.

i did finally get the "new" steering box assembled for the 63 American. was
an easy rebuild (though it took me 6 months). the only complication was, it
had been rebuilt some time in the past, and instead of pressing in a new
bronze bushing, someone bored out the casting and inserted a plain steel
bushing. did a good job, but it confounded bushing replacement. my solution
was to chuck the now-worn steel bush and bore it out to accept the stock
bronze bush.


it would be a tough thing to swap in any replacement. the box is very tiny,
about the size of a big fist -- seriously. given the odd geometry it would
be easier to put in import rack and pinion. that would be a better route, as
it's 6 turns lock to lock! that's 24:1.

--
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars"
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://www.amc-mag.com
(free download available!)

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