Re: Steering Ratios

Posted by Rusty O\'Toole On 2011/5/7 12:35:30

Check over the steering mechanism carefully for worn parts and often overlooked, loose bolts on the steering box and idler arm, also the pivot of the idler arm.

If everything is tight get an alignment done and a set of new shock absorbers all around.

Your steering will never be as tight as a new car but it should not be so loose as to be annoying. It should steer easily and accurately whether you have power steering or not.

If it is manual steering you may also need to adjust out play. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's adjustment procedure or you could ruin the steering box.

There are places that rebuild steering boxes for older model cars. By using the best bearings etc and fitting the tolerances as close as possible they can be a lot tighter than even a new old stock steering box. Don't know of any company that rebuilds Packard boxes but it might be worth looking into.