That feeling of some play was not what I remember. Or not how I would have described it. Descriptions of what I felt can vary though. A lack of sensation in the middle rack area may be a better description by me.

All I am absolutely sure of is it was not typical of most the import cars we generally use. I also thought it a design intent. That car had less than 20K miles and no evidence of ever being hit. Now if you find you are correcting the steering a lot like the truck wants to drift off without some sense of play being corrected may be something else.

Geometrically you draw a line down through the two ball joints. Jacking up that side under an a arm. Then you remove the wheel and let the jack down until the distance to the surface is matched. As if the wheel was still present. Extend that line to the surface and make a chalk mark on the surface parallel with the vehicle. Jack it back up a little to get the wheel back on. That line should be approximate the center of the tire. You have pretty much a new front end and new wheels. A real mix of components.

I do not know if the front end kit supplier specifies certain offset for wheels with his kit or not. . Or how much differance in offset from the ideal is allowed. For example if I put a ford front end under the old Buick. I would use the same offset of wheels as the original ford had. If this was going to create fender issues. I would narrow or increase the width of the unit. I suspect the current wheels on my Buick are taking the tire centre point of tire contact a little too much off . I have not checked it but suspect it.

I am aware of this area but have never extensively read up about it. Primarily because I have been thinking about putting a new front end under that car. The steering box is not worn but I think the rack setup would be more to my liking. What I never totally understood is with very large 15 inch tires. I have very easy steering with no power assist. The car is heavy and should feel like manipulating a truck with no power steering but does not. It really does not need power steering.

The newest rebuilt rack itself may be suspect of course. My belief has always been that you cannot really rebuild an old steering box or rack. Without changing some expensive parts out that have worn with use. Changing seals and perhaps some bushings. Then adjusting for wear is just a comprimise at best. One gears wear there will be slop.


Gear to gear even if one is a flat rack gear especially when subject to road transferred variable loadings have to wear. The respective original gear fit is close by design for this application. You may be able to examine it for play in place.


When I drive a car with rack controlled steering I feel no play. Also if there is not enough castor that helps the car track better gives some effects. Power steering may allow increasing it a little. You also may not have enough now. Steering geometry is a little pandoras box. When you change a lot of things. At the end of the rainbow certain conditions have to be met. Their are design parameters you pretty much have to stay within. Just some of my thoughts in the steering area.


Keeping an open mind is important. You are doing well on a substantial project so far.

Well, thanks for all the careful thinking. I do have a mish mash, with a relatively narrow track provided by the fatman mustang 2 setup I am running an inch of spacers on the front, but what I am feeling I believe I know to be free play in the rack which should not be in a brand new rack. My VW is definitely not like that.

Realistically I'll probably mainly drive it in town so it'll likely not be a problem.

It was aligned with all the castor which was available, about 4 degrees. With the removal and lowering of the rear I imagine that is 5 or 6 now.

In my lifes experience you get the occasional car that steers beautiful. Most steer within a range of average whatever that is. A test I like is to see how the steering responds when one wheel hits a wet surface and the other is on dry pavement. If everything is well in the steering geometry. You should not have to correct the steering. Better yet is to do the same test with light snow in one area of the lane and the the other sides area dry.

Been following your post. Great pics!! Love the truck.:)

Thanks!

Today I was up at the Studebaker international meet. It was held at the county fairgrounds near South Bend. I got there about 1030 am and unloaded the truck. As I unloaded I discovered next to my trailer they were unloading an outlandish rat rod based on a 37 Studebaker. It was a take on a CE but with no top. I heard the distinctive sound of an inline six and was told it has a supercharger on a Stude flathead six. The engine had previously been in a Hawk body which he took to bonneville and set a record with.;)

Then I took the car over to the display area and parked it next to a lovely 36 coupe restorod. Various folks came along and chatted. Those who commented liked the idea of the mb diesel. After a while a fellow came in driving a 61 champ pickup towing a trailer with a studebaker on it. The sound was clearly diesel (sounded just like mine). I asked the fellow near me about it and he said matter of factly, oh yes he has a mercedes diesel in that one.

I went over and introduced myself to the diesel guy. He is older than I am or about the same. He has been driving it for a while. I asked where he came from and he said New York. He towed the car and trailer all the way. And it has an automatic.;)

Another fellow did have a diesel Studebaker but it was a 2 ton with a gm 371 or 471 diesel. lovely truck.

Another fellow named Malcomb had a 2 ton truck with a studebaker up on the bed and a utility trailer behind containing a lovely blue 37 coupe express sporting a very nice 20 year old restoration. The 2 ton is powered by a stude v8 and has a truck five speed with a brownie (?) behind for splitting. OH yeah the v8 has a blower on it.;)

I heard what sounded like Brit and Aussie accents and one German I believe.

All in all a great day!

Just got home. I think I'll go make some popcorn!;)

Sounds like a great day! Glad that you and the CE are having fun. Was Jeff Rice there with the black CE? He's the guy who does welded-up intake manifolds for Studebaker V8s. Anyhow, it had a SBC but the last time I talked with him he was building a Studebaker for it and I wondered if he made it there from Georgia. He's the guy who has done most of the work on the Avanti LSR car.

Dan

Hi Dan. I thought Jeff's CE is yellow. I did not see any black CEs there. I know Jeff from the Studebaker forum. He has helped me figure out several things. A great guy with lots of knowledge.

A trip back in my old, fading memory. You're right - his CE IS yellow - it's his '53 that's black. Between the 2 of us we might get SOMETHING right......

So either way, did he make it? And yes, he KNOWS some stuff! The re-engineering he's done on the Avanti is really special. Besides, his craftsmanship is top-notch.

Dan

I didn't see him or any of his known cars (to me).;)

I'd like to shake his hand one day though.;)

Just so you know what he looks like if you happen to bump into him, here's a pic of Jeff and I bending a roll bar tube for the Avanti. I'm the one who will be more stable in a wind storm. Of course, I'm doing the dumb job (pumping the pump) while Jeff is doing the hard part and lining up the tube.

Dan

Sorry, can't tell. Are you on the right or left? (Both of you look stable enough);)

At 5'5" I'll be more stable in a wind storm. And as always, I'm on the left. I'm also closer to the camera so our size difference isn't as marked as in real life - Jeff's about 6' or so.

Dan

Thanks for the clarification Dan!

I've been getting grumpy because the state has been so slow getting me the title for the CE. It came in the mail today.

Yoooo hooooo!

I got the plate today. I enjoy driving the stude around and parking it on the street. Most people won't do that with a street rod.