steering issues totally resolved.....

Suspension, Brakes, Tires, Wheels steeringetc..
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wideblock
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steering issues totally resolved.....

Post by wideblock »

today i got froggy and spent about 6 hours under and around my 69 d200 crew cab just tinkering with little things that have bugged me. last week i removed the power steering that was leaking in favor of the factory manual set up. so today i got up under it to see if i could fix the turning radius a bit. well, after numerous trips under it, back up to the steering wheel, and back under it, success was had. i removed the steering stabilizer the previous owner had installed (turned out it didnt have enough throw to it) and gained almost a half turn to the right on the steering wheel. doesnt sound like much, but in this truck, every little bit helps. so i started playing with the turn stops. well, when all was said and done, i now have 2 1/4 turns from center in either direction on the wheel before i hit the stops. this is all the steering geometry would allow before going over center on the steering arm throw. now my old crew can do a 3 point turn in a 2 lane road. before it was a 5 or 6 point turn to get turned around. i gained totall almost a full turn of the steering wheel to the left, and a little over half a turn to the right. man, did this make a huge difference. but you guys with power steering will need to know that you will not be able to get the same results due to the steering valve and hoses connected to the steering arm. you will hit the hoses with the tire if you go this far. and this is by far the simplist cure, just loosen the lock nut, and crank on the stop bolt till its the way you want it. how hard can that be??? while i was out there i also threw on my 16.5x10 rims with the 31/10.50/16.5 tires on the back of my rig. gave them a fresh coat of paint, and they look stock, but then again they dont. but they do a fine job of filling that big old fender well out back, and giving the illusion that the front tires dont have a wider track width then the back. whats best about the rim swap, it was totally free. i bought the steels for $40 from the lacal salvage yard, they came off an 83 f350 ford. bought a set of 4 chrome wheels with good tires for $150 from a dude who needed money. swapped the tires to the rims i wanted, and sold the chrome wheels with the 2 good tires i didnt need to a different friend for $200. so, after you figure in the price of spray paint, i broke even. got to love it when a plan comes togather. and another good thing is my factory center caps fit the ford wheels, woooo hooooo heres a pic of how the truck looks with the big wheels out back.
Image
Trey

1965 CSS Utiline.


ex trucks:
70 D100
66 d100
66 d100
67 d100
69 d100
69 d200 crew cab
65 crew cab
66 d100
66 d100


"i don't know it all, but i know enough to be dangerous"

dodged200cs

Post by dodged200cs »

Any more information about the 83 F350 rims off the ford? Would the rims match up to my 67 d200? Does it raise the truck, lower it, or keep a stock profile?

Dane

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wideblock
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Posts: 5617
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 1969 6:00 pm
City: las cruces nm
State: NM
Location: Las Cruces, New Mexico
Contact:

Post by wideblock »

the rims would fit your 67 with no problem. i had a pair that was the same size off a 67 camper special. but they had a slightly different inside offset by 1/2 inch, i should have sold the ford wheels and kept the dodge ones. the fords offset is a bit too far to the inside, and may cause issues with a wider tire. but the ford rims were in a lot better shape then the dodge wheels as far as rust and dings go. as it sits now with the 31x10.5x16.5 tires, they clear with no problem. as far as raising or lowering the truck. that would all depend on tire size. i plan on going with a 33" tire out back. this will raise it a bit. but the main reason for the rim swap was width. i can get a much wider tire on the 10 inch rim then the factory 6 inch rim. i have 235/75/16's up front, they have almost a 32 inch diameter. so the 31x10.5's i have on back right now are the same hieght as the fronts. but when i go to the 33x12.5's, then the back tires will be a bit taller then the fronts, quite a bit wider then the fronts, and give the truck the look i like.
Trey

1965 CSS Utiline.


ex trucks:
70 D100
66 d100
66 d100
67 d100
69 d100
69 d200 crew cab
65 crew cab
66 d100
66 d100


"i don't know it all, but i know enough to be dangerous"

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