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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Wheel Shimmy

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Discussion Topic: Wheel Shimmy

39Fordfan

09-19-2010 @ 10:11 PM

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Posts: 191
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While driving at between 15 and 25 miles an hour I hit a bump or man hole cover and the front wheels begin to wobble together. I've had someone standing on the road side by the bump and they can see the front wheels wobbling when I drive past.

Luckily, it doesn't happen at higher speeds.

Getting underneath the front end and doing a visual inspection doesn't yield anything. Nothing is loose or has any unusual wear or extra play when shaken. A couple of lugs tightened a bit, but nothing was loose. I know a bit of shimmy on these cars was normal, but this seems excessive.

Any ideas or suggestions? Is there a way to adjust the steering box to tighten this up? If so how do you do it? Or is there something else that I am missing here? Thanks!

37RAGTOPMAN

09-20-2010 @ 4:24 AM

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I assume this is on a 1939 pass car,
Jack the car up and check the king pins,
if loose will cause a wheel shimmy,esp when hitting a bump or pot hole,
Did this happen all of a sudden ????
also check for play in the steering box,
ajust a required, should have about 1 - 1 1/2 inch of free play,
also how are the shocks,if not working, will also cause problems,
lets hear how you made out,
37 RAGTOPMAN an KEEP on FORDIN,,,,,

This message was edited by 37RAGTOPMAN on 9-20-10 @ 4:24 AM

TomO

09-20-2010 @ 8:51 AM

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37RAGTOPMAN is on the right track, kingpins are the prime suspect.

Jack up one front wheel at a time, first grab the wheel at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions and try to move it by tilting the wheel. If you feel any movement, have someone look at the kingpin area to see if they see any movement in this area. If there is no movement at the kingpin area, adjust the wheel bearings. If there is movement, replace the king pins.

Next try to move the wheel from left to right. If you have movement this way, the tie rod ends and /or the drag link ends are worn and should be replaced.

Tom

supereal

09-20-2010 @ 9:18 AM

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Shimmy is not normal in any vehicle, and can be very dangerous, to say the least. While, as said, loose steering components such as the king pins, tie rod ends, pitman arm, and drag link can be at fault, be sure to see that the steering box is tight to the frame. We often find them loose. Check the wheels to see if any are bent, and examine the tires for any obvious bulges, etc, including the rears, as they can set up a shimmy, too. Have all wheels and tires at least static balanced. That is commonly the source of speed related shimmy. If you have old bias ply tires, flat spotting can do it. The old Ford front axle is a tough unit, but loose spring shackles and misadjusted toe in can account for your problem. The toe in should be between 1/16 inch and zero. Finally, check to see that none of the brake drums are dragging. Most drums are not fully round, and any that touch the shoes can cause shimmy. Most shimmy is set off by a bump in the road, and I've seen it so bad the car had to come to a full halt to stop it.

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