Just Carbs
Well-Known Member
Some of this applies to our Chryslers, and more than a few of us here have these much-loved work horse vans, so.
Most Dodge van owners will tell you that the Dodge van was born under a wondering star, and has a wondering sole. Because, well, they generally do. As in all over the road. Like mine was. I couldn't even take my eyes off the road long enough to tune the radio. Let alone look at the ladies. I like looking at the ladies. And texting, (what's that)? Forget about even reading one.
Several things contributed to the problem. But the much-touted flexing frame mount for the box ain't one of them. Unless you have the much-touted flexing rust syndrome.
First,
The idler arms are severely over worked, and most are bad right out of the box. When you get new idler arms, clamp the swivel barrel in a vice and if it has "any" up and down movement send it back. I sent 8 idler arms from several different brands back, from $15 to $75. Expect to return a few before you hit gold, that's just the way it is. Unless you get premium NOS stuff. Premium NOS stuff is always perfect, right? Not the NOS Mopar one I got from Ebay.
Now,
The steering box has 2 adjustments. The big worm shaft bearing pre-load at the input shaft and the much talked about and popular little sector shaft adjustment on top of the box. Both of mine were (90k miles) set loose. It's necessary to adjust "both" to remove all the steering play. The factory service manual gives very nice instructions on how to do this.
And the very first thing it says to do is, you got it, REMOVE THE STEERING BOX to perform the "proper" adjustments. But wait, that's not necessary to adjust the worm bearing pre-load "exactly" as the book says to and I had no trouble performing the adjustment in the van. But it is necessary to remove the box to adjust the sector shaft. But wait, I didn't remove it for that either.
Because, you can remove the steering box input shaft coupler "and" pitman arm and follow the book instructions. But wait, I didn't do that either.
For the sector shaft I found the dead center steering high spot and "barely" snugged the sector shaft screw down and then felt for over center return to center high spot and steering play with the car raised and running.
Mine van has less than an inch travel at the steering wheel rim at 80mph now and has snappy around town return to center response.
Well, van now goes down the interstate straight as an arrow. That's on a road with no crow or wind, it does that is. So, let's talk wind and crown.
And on to the alignment.
The magic recipe turned out to be zero camber, 1/4-degree positive tow and "ONE-DEGREE" positive caster. Yes, just the ONE-DEGREE positive caster.
Any more caster and the wind blew it around like the big ballon that it is, "and" it also followed the crown with great dedication, both left and right side. The result was increased effort to maintain the van in a straight-line during wind and crowned roads and steer around curves. But not the frequency of correction at the steering wheel. Excess caster causes the vehicle to resist direction change by way of inertia. But it increases the vehicle susceptibility to wind and crown. If the vehicle is set up right, the kingpin included angle or kingpin inclination (or whatever you know it as) will perform the return to center functions coming out of the parking lot without a lot of positive caster. And wide tires increase the included angle effect on return to center "and" road centering effect on the interstate.
I'm not a big fan of excess positive caster. Yes, I know it increases "road feel", but I don't need or want to "feel" the road. I am perfectly capable of and prefer driving by what I see happening in front of me than wrestling with unnecessary wheel resistance for a thousand miles at a stretch.
The rest of the van steering parts are also tight. Tires are Nexen Extra Load (they're ok) 50psi max 235/75-15 running 40 rear, 35 front.
The little 3/4 ton rated 4600-pound conversion van now zooms down the interstate at 80 like a fine Chrysler sedan. I think I'll keep it, just because. But I ain't selling my 64 New Yorker 413 hot rod.
Most Dodge van owners will tell you that the Dodge van was born under a wondering star, and has a wondering sole. Because, well, they generally do. As in all over the road. Like mine was. I couldn't even take my eyes off the road long enough to tune the radio. Let alone look at the ladies. I like looking at the ladies. And texting, (what's that)? Forget about even reading one.
Several things contributed to the problem. But the much-touted flexing frame mount for the box ain't one of them. Unless you have the much-touted flexing rust syndrome.
First,
The idler arms are severely over worked, and most are bad right out of the box. When you get new idler arms, clamp the swivel barrel in a vice and if it has "any" up and down movement send it back. I sent 8 idler arms from several different brands back, from $15 to $75. Expect to return a few before you hit gold, that's just the way it is. Unless you get premium NOS stuff. Premium NOS stuff is always perfect, right? Not the NOS Mopar one I got from Ebay.
Now,
The steering box has 2 adjustments. The big worm shaft bearing pre-load at the input shaft and the much talked about and popular little sector shaft adjustment on top of the box. Both of mine were (90k miles) set loose. It's necessary to adjust "both" to remove all the steering play. The factory service manual gives very nice instructions on how to do this.
And the very first thing it says to do is, you got it, REMOVE THE STEERING BOX to perform the "proper" adjustments. But wait, that's not necessary to adjust the worm bearing pre-load "exactly" as the book says to and I had no trouble performing the adjustment in the van. But it is necessary to remove the box to adjust the sector shaft. But wait, I didn't remove it for that either.
Because, you can remove the steering box input shaft coupler "and" pitman arm and follow the book instructions. But wait, I didn't do that either.
For the sector shaft I found the dead center steering high spot and "barely" snugged the sector shaft screw down and then felt for over center return to center high spot and steering play with the car raised and running.
Mine van has less than an inch travel at the steering wheel rim at 80mph now and has snappy around town return to center response.
Well, van now goes down the interstate straight as an arrow. That's on a road with no crow or wind, it does that is. So, let's talk wind and crown.
And on to the alignment.
The magic recipe turned out to be zero camber, 1/4-degree positive tow and "ONE-DEGREE" positive caster. Yes, just the ONE-DEGREE positive caster.
Any more caster and the wind blew it around like the big ballon that it is, "and" it also followed the crown with great dedication, both left and right side. The result was increased effort to maintain the van in a straight-line during wind and crowned roads and steer around curves. But not the frequency of correction at the steering wheel. Excess caster causes the vehicle to resist direction change by way of inertia. But it increases the vehicle susceptibility to wind and crown. If the vehicle is set up right, the kingpin included angle or kingpin inclination (or whatever you know it as) will perform the return to center functions coming out of the parking lot without a lot of positive caster. And wide tires increase the included angle effect on return to center "and" road centering effect on the interstate.
I'm not a big fan of excess positive caster. Yes, I know it increases "road feel", but I don't need or want to "feel" the road. I am perfectly capable of and prefer driving by what I see happening in front of me than wrestling with unnecessary wheel resistance for a thousand miles at a stretch.
The rest of the van steering parts are also tight. Tires are Nexen Extra Load (they're ok) 50psi max 235/75-15 running 40 rear, 35 front.
The little 3/4 ton rated 4600-pound conversion van now zooms down the interstate at 80 like a fine Chrysler sedan. I think I'll keep it, just because. But I ain't selling my 64 New Yorker 413 hot rod.
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