1970 Renegade 1 Ross steering rebuild issues

[Goffman34]

I've had this labor of love , for over 33 years. Bought it from the original owner. It's got the Buick 225 V6, rebuilt, T14 replaced, warn over drive , rebuilt. The 4:88, replaced with 4:56. Pretty much everything else replaced, or rebuilt, body off the frame. Recently repainted, stripped to bare metal. Now recently, replaced the King pins, wheel bearings again, and converted the drum brakes up front to disc. So then I had to replace the 15 inch rims , with 16 inch rims and tires, so the calipers would fit. All new tie-rods , and pitman arm, bell-crank, and drag link rebuilt. Rebuilt the Ross steering box. Its always drove real good, until the king-pins got a little sloppy. So now, it wants to wander a little bit. I've checked everything in the front end , all is good and tight. I've been told it could be coming from the rear end, as much as the front end. I got the front alinement pretty close, for now. I just wanted to make sure everything was tight , before I took it in to have it done by pro. I've also been told I might have to re-shim the front axle, since I went up in tire size. Does anyone know if my advice is correct, or run into any of these problems? Pulling my hair out, and I ain't got many left. LOL

 

[JPNinPA]

What size tires? Tires and lift height can throw things off enough to make you wander.
Did you do a dry steer test to see what has any movement. Look at the frame also. Some leaf spring front ends tend to crack the frame. Welding and adding a steering box stabilizer improves most of it.



Never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up - Jesse Jackson

 

[Goffman34]

Thank you for your thoughts, and comment. Your right, I did have to go up in rim and tire size, from 15 x 31 , to 16 x 31. So that could be part of the problem? And I still need to check everything up front, better, while someone wiggles the steering. Hope there is something obviously loose? Lol. I did ad a new 5000 Rancho front stabilizer, also. I've got to make sure everything's all tight, on my end, before I take it to a shop, to have it aligned. I may have to shim the front end, to gain some of my caster back , also? How much I'm not sure about that? I'm hoping the shop, would figure that out for me?

 

[JPNinPA]

A larger rim should not be an issue. Unless you changed the offset by more than an inch without a wider and taller tire. Larger tire like a 35 or larger would be. Their weight becomes an issue. To get a 35 you likely used a lift and the added height throws out yhe caster. Rim offset throws off the camber.

Other than loose worn components what gives you the wandering feeling is camber and caster.
These two set a scrub point on a tire. Scrub is the point that touches the ground and rotates about. The closer the scrub is to the center of the tire directly under the tire the more you will feel wandering.
Caster puts the scrub in front of the axel like the wheel on a shopping cart. Eight degrees is the standard offset


Never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up - Jesse Jackson