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Steering intermediate rod not parallel with front frame [message #277167] Sun, 03 May 2015 14:41 Go to next message
RF_Burns is currently offline  RF_Burns   Canada
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Registered: June 2008
Location: S. Ontario, Canada
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Senior Member
I noticed this a while ago so I thought I'd look further at it today. With my eyes I can see that the intermediate steering rod is not parallel or level with the main front frame. If I measure down from the bottom of the upper control arm mount above to the tie rod end mounting point, the passenger side is near 2" and the drivers side is 1.5" (driver's side is higher). Eyeballing the tie rods against the axle, the passenger side is near parallel (level) while the drivers side has a definite downward tilt toward the wheel.

So I looked at the relay arm and idler arm (both Dave Lenzi items), to see if I could adjust the height. I'd like to lower the relay arm on the drivers side since I'm thinking the passenger side is more correct. There appears to be a shoulder of the pivot bearing bushing (spool?) at the bottom side of the relay arm about 1/4" thick. So I wondered about reversing that bushing so the shoulder was at the top. Looking closer it appears that shoulder needs to stay at the bottom. There is a washer at the top about 1/8" thick which would need to goto the bottom anyway leaving me with only a net gain of only 1/8".

On the idler arm side there are 2 thin washers on the top and a 1/8" thick one at the bottom. If I raised it by moving one of the thin washers to the bottom, that will gain me only a small amount.

So is this normal? I don't think anything is bent since I can clearly see it sloping from one arm to the other. I think it will make each wheel track slightly differently...

What say ye?


Bruce Hislop
ON Canada
77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.
1 ton front end
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that
Re: Steering intermediate rod not parallel with front frame [message #277201 is a reply to message #277167] Sun, 03 May 2015 20:56 Go to previous messageGo to next message
C Boyd is currently offline  C Boyd   United States
Messages: 2629
Registered: April 2006
Karma: 18
Senior Member
Sir, we checked parallelism on bout a dozen coaches at Bean Station over the pit a few years ago. Of these only 2 had to be adjusted with moving washers. Another coach was off 1/2" and we found the rear ride height un equal. We adjusted the rear ride height and it was back in spec. That Coach was running on air bag schrader valves only and one was leaking.


RF_Burns wrote on Sun, 03 May 2015 15:41
I noticed this a while ago so I thought I'd look further at it today. With my eyes I can see that the intermediate steering rod is not parallel or level with the main front frame. If I measure down from the bottom of the upper control arm mount above to the tie rod end mounting point, the passenger side is near 2" and the drivers side is 1.5" (driver's side is higher). Eyeballing the tie rods against the axle, the passenger side is near parallel (level) while the drivers side has a definite downward tilt toward the wheel.

So I looked at the relay arm and idler arm (both Dave Lenzi items), to see if I could adjust the height. I'd like to lower the relay arm on the drivers side since I'm thinking the passenger side is more correct. There appears to be a shoulder of the pivot bearing bushing (spool?) at the bottom side of the relay arm about 1/4" thick. So I wondered about reversing that bushing so the shoulder was at the top. Looking closer it appears that shoulder needs to stay at the bottom. There is a washer at the top about 1/8" thick which would need to goto the bottom anyway leaving me with only a net gain of only 1/8".

On the idler arm side there are 2 thin washers on the top and a 1/8" thick one at the bottom. If I raised it by moving one of the thin washers to the bottom, that will gain me only a small amount.

So is this normal? I don't think anything is bent since I can clearly see it sloping from one arm to the other. I think it will make each wheel track slightly differently...

What say ye?



C. Boyd
76 Crestmont
East Tennessee
Re: Steering intermediate rod not parallel with front frame [message #277304 is a reply to message #277167] Tue, 05 May 2015 07:57 Go to previous message
RF_Burns is currently offline  RF_Burns   Canada
Messages: 2276
Registered: June 2008
Location: S. Ontario, Canada
Karma: 3
Senior Member
Chuck,
I can see moving washers would help, but there is not enough washers to move it far enough (more than 3/8" difference end to end)

Adjust ride height will do nothing in my case as the relay and idler are fixed to the front cross-member. I am wondering is my cross-member is twisted or is the bracket for relay arm bent?


Bruce Hislop
ON Canada
77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.
1 ton front end
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that
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