Steering

[Hal Cogburn]

While the new convertible drives straight the "slop" in the steering wheel is more than I would like. I heard that the steering box can be adjusted some? Is is difficult for a novice? If not it is something I want to deal with so can they be rebuilt? Anyone local that does that?
I believe they can be purchased from the falcon dealers but in the $400 range.

Thanks

[Ranchero_65]

Hal , Look at the top of the sterring box and you will see a sloted stud with a lock nut . Lossen the nut and take a screw driver and turn the stud clockwise a little at the time and re tighten the nut . take it for a spin and if there is still to much slack do it again till you get it like you like . If the screw/stud is screwed in (real close to nut ) the the sterring box is about due a rebuild . HTH

[Luva65wagon]

Tightening that screw sets the tolerance between the screw and worm gears. You can often tighten it similar to how Ranchero mentioned, but rather just until it offers some resistance and then back it off about a quarter to a half turn. The issue you'll find doing it this way is that typically most of the wear these parts will see is from when you're driving straight down the road (the steering wheel is centered 95% of the time), so by doing it this way you "may" find it gets too tight (hard to turn) once you're past center. The best way to get around this is to do the adjustment I mentioned when the steering wheel is turned about one full turn past center. If you then find the slop is just unbearable while driving straight, the screw or worm drive are shot in their centered position and a rebuild is in order.

There are two functions on a car I place equally at the top of my list of things to HAVE RIGHT: Steering and Brakes. Don't cheap out on either of these... ever. (This safety announcment brought to you courtesy of Gerber Baby Foods)

Hope that helps.

[Hal Cogburn]

Tried it...the screw only went less than a turn before it stopped hard...I backed off a little and then tightened the nut. Will take it for a drive and see but I doubt it did much good....I get nervous on the steering and don't want to do something crazy.

This winter perhaps a new box is in order....does not look to hard to take out???? Then have to find what I have as Falconparts.com has a bunch of different ones....

Or is there someone locally that can rebuild these? When in Colville a fellow there thought there was a good outfit in Kent but he did not know their names...

Any thoughts
Hal

[Jerry Kirby]

I have a steeringbox from my '65 Falcon we removed when we put in the rack and pinion . It was working fine when the car was running. About 70,000 original miles on the odometer. If interested you can take a look. Let me know.

Jerry Kirby

[Hal Cogburn]

Yes...I would be interested...especially if it had minimal slop...beats the heck out of buying a new one if it works well.

When I was looking at falconparts.com there were a ton of different ones that fit...I'm not sure how a guy would check to see if yours is compatable with my car...I believe this was an original manual steering rig and it still is....

Perhaps you or someone else can advise how we might be able to check?

Thanks
Hal

[redfalken]

If you go for one from Falcon Enterprises, I would give Ron a call to confirm which one is correct for your bird. He's a nice guy, really knowledgeable and should be able to give you the answers.

It looks like the `64-`65 years have 39" steering shafts so you just need to figure out if you have a 1" or 1-1/8" sector shaft and if the ratio is 16:1 or 19:1.

[Jerry Kirby]

Hal,

I lied. I don't have the steering box any longer. I went out to check the adjustment screw, to see how far it was turned down and it wasn't there. I guess I should have checked my parts pile before I opened my big mouth. I think I gave it to Roger when he came out to get a half of the air cleaner I had. (Sorry Roger I still can't find the other half). I do have a complete power steering unit with a couple of tie rods attached. So if you want to add power steering to your ride I can help you. I might (can't say for sure, until I look) also have the pulley for it. I apologize for the mis-information. The only excuse I can offer is I am old and my memory is shot.

Jerry Kirby

[Hal Cogburn]

Jerry...no problem....I have some of the same issues (memory that is). I would like to have power steering (my hard top had it) but the engine only has one belt on the front...that runs everything...I guess given the right set up I could go with a different belt. The nice thing about manual steering is you can feel the road a little more...on the hardtop it was full time power...although very nice when parking.

I'm going to try and make it to the XXX Rootbeer all ford show in a couple of weeks...will try and pick your guy's brain on a lot of topics....

thanks
Hal

[Luva65wagon]

Jerry,

Not me man... just got two valve covers and the base of the air cleaner less the top... Still have those though. My box could use a replacement as well, but I've tightened it enough to be happy with it.

For what it's worth on these steering boxes, the worse they'll typically do is get really sloppy. They've got no real way to break off unless they're driven really sloppy and the teeth get so thin they break off. That would be REAL sloppy prior to that happening.... but better to be safe as I said earlier.

OK... now back to looking for serial numbers for that police report...

[Jeff W]

earlier.

OK... now back to looking for serial numbers for that police report...

Oh no! What's the story?

[Sedanman]

I may be off the mark, but awhile back when I frequented the ford six board there was a guy on the list who rebuilt the boxes for most of the falcon vendors, and he said there are two adjustments ( I think one is internal) and just doing the external may do damage you can't see. It may help in the short term, but in the long term do more harm than good.

I had mine rebuilt by red head steering in north seattle and I think it was $330. However, I made the mistake of using a box from a donor car in unknown condition and I don't think I got the best results. However, my alignment is way off due to some suspenson mods I've done to my car so I don't know for sure what's causing it to wander and pull. Just my $.02

T

[Luva65wagon]

Oh no! What's the story?

Go down to mom's over the Labor Day weekend to come home and discover I'd been the warm recipient of an unwanted visitor while I was away. Fortunately there were only three things (I've yet discovered) that were taken. So, lots of security changes later, I'm thinking even I couldn't break in. But what a waste of a week...

[Sedanman]

That's the shizes, Roger - sorry to hear that. Everything important still there?

Less important, but since you mentioned XXX show - if you're done with them, can you bring the box of old Road and Tracks with you? I'm hoping to have a working scanner again soon and can put some stuff together for the site and newsletter.

Hope you find what's lost-

T.

[Luva65wagon]

Thor,

If I make it I'll bring them. Or if I don't I can run them over. Sorry they never did make it to their intended location...

As for the stuff... Nothing too substantial missing. Could have been a whole lot worse.