Re: steering effort

[George Graves <gmgraves@domain.elided>]

on 6/18/02 7:31 AM, alfa-digest at owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided wrote:

> 
> Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 08:06:05 EDT
> From: GModelle@domain.elided
> Subject: Re: steering effort
> 
> Esteemed Digesti,
> Yesterday I had the opportunity to drive a 74 GTV, recently restored. The
> car's steering was much easier than my spider's and I was wondering if anyone
> on the list had experience with what could cause resistance in the steering
> mechanicals. The spider has been lowered, W & D springs, HD sway bars, konis
> with 195-70 tires, properly pressured.  I suspect the tie-rods are on their
> way south, but tie-rod binding doesn't seem to make much sense. The steering
> box has been oiled; all other aspects of the suspension are stock.
> 
> Secondly, I have purchased a used steering box from a later spider that has
> an adjustment nut on the top. Equivalent lash adjustment must be accomplished
> with shims, I'm assuming, on the original box, as on it there is no visible
> means of mechanical adjustment. Is the steering ratio different for the
> spiders and the GTV's? My girlfriend says the spider drives like a truck.
> 
> Thanks, one and all.
> 
> Modelle in Somers Point

I don't know about spiders, but my GTV-6 had extremely heavy steering for
the first year that I owned it. Recently, I decided to replace the skinny
'wooden' steering-wheel that my car came with with the 'fatter' leather
GTV-6 steering-wheel that I bought from a dismantler (Alfa Parts Exchange).
The original wheel was on VERY tightly, in fact, My mechanic said that he
had never seen one so tight. When the new leather wheel (exactly the same
diameter as the 'wood' wheel it replaced) was finally in place, I instantly
noticed that the required steering effort had dropped from impossibly heavy
to what I would consider normal non-assisted steering. My mechanic thinks
that when a former owner/mechanic had tightened the nut on the steering
column he had pulled the column up against the column bearings putting
lateral force on them and causing them to bind. By not tightening the new
wheel at all (just snugging-up the center nut) the lateral force on the
bearings was relieved, freeing the column. So you might look there. Alfa
steering gear is pretty similarly designed across models

George Graves
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