Pulling to the left on 71 Newport

[Unix]

Hi guys,

Recently i noticed the car started pulling (not drifting) to the left, i have to hold the steering, and even counter steer a little to the right for it to go straight. This is something new - usually i could let go of the steering wheel and it would go dead straight. This is noticeable from low speeds and goes higher up.

When parking lot maneovering, i have a feeling the steering has some tight spots. Each year i grease the suspension and steering, but maybe something has frozen like an outer tie rod end or ball joint ?

I checked the alignment and it's good, tyre pressure good, tyres look good as well.

The suspension and steering parts were all changed 5 years ago (16k miles ago), but we all know the quality some parts carry...

Any ideas ?

Thanks

 

[413]

Swap front tires side to side and see if it changes the pull.

 

[halifaxhops]

Do brakes lately? one drum can be tight and dragging if over adjusted or the shoes swelled from say a brake fluid leak?

 

[david hill]

Here is my list on what to check. ball joints, imploded left front brake hose, Worn control arm bushings,(dry rotted lowers not uncommon), pitman arm and idler arm. A combination of the above will cause the symptoms you described. Tire swapping, brake adjustment have all ready been mentioned.

 

[71newport]

Mine was doing that several years ago. There is a slotted screw on the top of the power steering gear box that can be adjusted. Solved my problem immediately. There are probably some threads on here regarding the adjustment. Good luck.

 

[Unix]

Mine was doing that several years ago. There is a slotted screw on the top of the power steering gear box that can be adjusted. Solved my problem immediately. There are probably some threads on here regarding the adjustment. Good luck.

This has me quite intrigued. I was also thinking that possibly the steering box could have something to do with it. I do get the feeling that the power steering is fighting me on the wheel whan wanting to keep it straight - but this also could be wheel/suspension/ steering component feedback, as mentioned above...

 

[CBODY67]

It would be easy to check the tires first. All FOUR of them. Yes, some rear tire issues might appear to be front tire issues, just as rear suspension bushings can wear and cause similar things suspected to originate at the front of the car.

What tires are on the car. Even with low miles over many years, they can start to deteriorate internally, unseen. Which can result in some performance issues. Just curious.

Any looseness in the steering gear can make any pulling tendencies greater, I suspect. BUT that "top-side" adjustment is not the only adjustment which should be considered. There is also an adjustment on the input side of the gear, which might need tweaking too. Just it can take a large spanner wrench to do it. Check the FSM for details.

To start the diagnosis process, inflate all 4 tires to 32 or 35psi cold. To ensure they are all the same and have enough air in them . . . if not already there. But do verify. Additionally, tires can be swapped around as needed without further checks if they all start at the same pressure all around.

Do not forget that surface condition of the brake friction contacts might also be an issue. At one time, after I'd let my '67 Newport sit for several months, the first couple of brake applications would grab on one side. After the surface had been cleaned, all was fine again until the next time. It is a power drum brake car, so disassembly would be needed for that inspection.

Please keep us posted.

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

 

[bigmoparjeff]

Chrysler steering boxes can develop a self-steering condition. It's super-easy to check:

Jack up the front of the car so both front tires are off the ground. Start the engine. If the front wheels turn to one side or the other by themselves, the control valve on top of the steering box needs to be adjusted. There's a detailed (and easy) procedure in the service manual. If it's been a real long time since the box has been resealed, I'd recommend getting a control valve seal kit before trying to make the adjustment. They are less than $10 on Rock Auto.


Jeff

 

[Unix]

Small update. I visited the national safety vehicle inspection center.
They test the wheel drag on powered rollers, brake effectiveness and if equal on both sides. Everything perfect. So the next step was the shake and pull test of suspension and steering componets. All was tight , except one item - the pitman arm. There is a lot of play where the pitman joins the center link. From all the loosenes, the nut also came loose, and the whole thing was held on by the safety pin (i guess the engineers knew what they were doing ;) . Tightened it up, and waiting on a new pitman arm from PST -on backorder

With the linkage being very close to the drivers side control arm, i guess that's why it had a constant tendency to pull to the left...

 

[413]

Glad you did those tests. Glad you found a bad part. Sometimes it's just one thing wrong makes it drive bad.

It doesn't matter how close it is to the control arm. If anything in the steering is loose it will change the toe at the tires and make it drive wrong.