thing front end shaking

[mentalQtip]

Ok. Got all of the lights working(cleaning grounds and contacts) Drove it down the street and gave it some gas and the front end started shaking kinda hard. Little scary. I believe I have the bearings at least in the ballpark of right(push pull on the wheels) so what should I be checking for now?
You guys have been great help and I am grateful.

Joseph

[Marc]

We know you've got some funky mismatched wrong-size tires...may as well start by rotating them around, I'd suspect a bent rim, out-of-balance wheel, or defective tire first. Moving their positions about should provide symptom elaboration that'll help you zero in on the trouble.
On the other hand, if the symptom's the same no matter how the tires are arranged they're probably NOT the problem.

[mentalQtip]

Marc. I now have 195/14s on the front and 205/14s on the rear. Would the fact that the steering wheel moves over two inches before the wheels turn make a difference?

Joseph

[Marc]

Certainly if there's that much slop in the steering any out-of-balance wheel or bent rim is going to be free to cause more mischief.

http://bobhooversblog.blogspot.com/2006 ... t-ten.html

...scroll down ~1/3 of the page to "SLOPPY STEERING", read it all before you touch anything.

[mentalQtip]

will do. Thanks

[Lew]

Might be the steering Damper. A bad steering damper can cause violent shaking. They are like shocks, they too need replacing!

Here's a Damper for your Thing!

[Ol'fogasaurus]

There are so many places that can cause what you are describing.

That also sounds like king pins or maybe link pins; check your tie-rod ends also. Also check your Pittman for being on tight, I broke two Pittman arms/steering boxes in one day (off-road of course but they do loosen up and you can knock out the splines). How much free-play in the steering wheel? You have a fabric connector which I have seen loosen up or go bad and the steering box could be worn.

For tie-rod ends and king pins, jack the wheel off the ground then grab the top and bottom of the tire and try to wiggle it. If it does wiggle, check to see where it is coming from. Grab the sides of the tire to check tie-rod ends.

Also check the grub screws and jam nuts to make sure that they are tight.

Lee

[Marc]

Things don't have king or link pins, they're ball-joint. The upper BJs are similar to regular Bug parts but heavier-duty, with a larger stud (requires a unique camber eccentric with a bigger center hole), while the lowers are unique to Things - they point down instead of up like Bugs', which along with the unique Thing spindles yields greater ground clearance.
VWs didn't even have steering dampers until 1959; when the wheels are true and balanced they really aren't necessary. Point is, if you have a symptom that a new steering damper cures, the underlying problem is still present, and although you may no longer feel them in the steering wheel there are still forces at work beating on the tierod ends, etc....

[Ol'fogasaurus]

That is a big Aw $*&t on my part , I am doing a Thing trailing arms and spindles onto bug BJ beam conversion right now and should have known. It sounded so much like bad king pins that I went without thinking.

Still, wheel bearings need to be checked also; sounds like a complete inspection of everything in or on the front beam is in order.

Lee

[Marc]

...wheel bearings need to be checked also; sounds like a complete inspection of everything in or on the front beam is in order....

Yes, he's got a related thread here: http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... 8&t=137425
...Bob Hoover's TULZ 10 covers the subject of general front-end condition pretty well. As these cars get older, you're more likely to also encounter problems caused by bad control arm needle bearings and bushings (obsolete items, unfortunately)...if there's any evidence of radial play between the control arm and beam, that needs to be looked into as well.

[mentalQtip]

Is there a bottom panel that comes off like a bay bus? I looked under there and my first thought is where is this stuff.

Joseph

[mentalQtip]

Ok, I half pulled the gas tank and spent awhile peering down into the opening and twitching the steering wheel and road wheels also lying on the floor looking up and twitching things and came to the conclusion that the only slop to be found is in the steering box(3 inches slop turning it right and left).
Looking inside I see slop between the steering box and steering arm.
I assume this means I need another steering box?

Joseph

[Marc]

It may be that a new steering box is in order, but first give this one every chance.
Check that the 4 13mm-head bolts retaining the box cover are snug.
Reread Bob Hoover's blog about how to properly adjust a steering box.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

It may be that a new steering box is in order, but first give this one every chance.
Check that the 4 13mm-head bolts retaining the box cover are snug.
Reread Bob Hoover's blog about how to properly adjust a steering box.

And be careful on the condition of the box’s components (worm and selector) before you do adjust it. If it is too worm gear is worn too much in the center (straight ahead) along with the selector and you adjust it to the center position then when you turn the steering wheel you can load the casting enough to where you can break it. Not trying to be fatalistic, just realistic as I have seen broken steering boxes after adjustment based on worn internal components.

Lee

[mentalQtip]

well I have checked everything under there and there is no looseness anywhere except at the steering arm into the steering gearbox. I gently adjusted at the top of the gearbox and maybe its not so loose. Maybe. There is just no looseness anywhere else at all.

Joseph