# 1967 Lemans Loose steering



## gcstone (Jan 19, 2015)

I have had most the steering and suspension components replaced or new bushings installed including the gear box and I still have play at the wheel. With the wheel centered I can turn until the top center reaches the 10 or 2 position before I meet resistance and the front wheels begin to turn. Looking under the hood I can see where the steering shaft connects to the gear box shaft. The gear box shaft turns with the steering shaft but I see no movement in the pitman arm until the steering wheel hits the 10 or 2 position. Did I get a bad gear box or do I need to tighten the adjustment more? I am hesitant because I know you can over tighten the gear box and damage it.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

No expert, but manual steering or power? If power, when running does the same thing happen?

It may be a sloppy box and I have read you can adjust, but if you do it incorrectly, damage will result. Keep in mind that these older gear boxes are not like the new vehicles we are used to that are so touchy that when you move it a hair, the whole car veers in the direction you turned it. The idler arm is often one of the culprits that can give the same feeling, but I suppose you have new and a new drag/cross link. I am thinking many of the older cars I drove had play in the wheel as you described and steering wheels were larger which amplified the feeling. I don't know if the fast ratio steering boxes may have "seemed" tighter only because they reacted faster at the box in turning with less turn of the steering wheel.

Hopefully others will chime in with some advice.


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## gcstone (Jan 19, 2015)

It is manual steering. Yes I am aware that there will always be some play at the wheel, but this is more than what I believe to be the norm. I can live with it for now, as long as you are aware of it you can compensate for it. I am going to have a mechanic do the front disk brake conversion in a few months. If I cant figure this out by then I will have him look at it also.


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## brad900 (Mar 1, 2016)

Thats what mine does too. With manual steering having a high ratio( I think its around 5 turns lock to lock, like 20:1) it will take some turning of the wheel before it transfers to the pitman arm. Think of it as your rear end gear, it would take 20 rotations of your driveshaft to turn the wheel 1 time at that ratio. Thats why I bought a fast ratio p.s. box to install during my resto


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