1961 wheel and tire change effect steering? | Ford Thunderbird forum club group 1955-2005 models

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1961 wheel and tire change effect steering?

P

Philt

Bronze Member
Reaction score
13
Thunderbird Year
1956
My 61 convert recently changed to 15 inch K-H spokes from 14 factory steel wheels, This in anticipation of a disc brake conversion. But the change may have introduced a "wander" in the steering. The car wants to slowly drift left and right at steady speed. Road surface does not influence this need to drift. The tie rod ends were replaced a few thousand miles ago. The ball joints might be OEM (like 100k miles ).
Off to a alignment shop this week for a look see. Any experienced owners have any insight?

BTW the new Edelbrock 1406 required a bit of modifying the stock air filter but has made a huge improvement
in cold start and running. I have a Autolite carb core if you need one.

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Include the model year of your car when posting. Thanks. I added it for you.
 
Sounds like the Edelbrock was a good move. The stock air filter housings are pretty restrictive which can reduce power and cause hesitation. You can see if this is the case with your setup by running the car without the air filter. If so, you can improve matters by going with a free flowing filter element like a K&N. Better yet, toss the stock housing and go with a circular performance filter.
 
It does sound like the tires are the issue since replacing them resulted in the wandering. Narrower tires may have more of a tendency to wander on an uneven road surface.
 
The reason. I mentioned bias ply is that I made the mistake of purchasing bias ply tires when I restored my car. Although correct for the model year they wandered all over the road, the slightest shallow grove unseeable would send my car off and me fighting the steering wheel to maintain on my lane. I switched to wide white's that are radial ply, problem solved!

Roads that are heavily travelled by transport trucks have a shallow depressions almost visably undetectable until you experience them with bias ply's on your car. You become the happy wandered (well maybe not do happy).
 
Yes, I would add that with bias ply tires you get more squealing noises in the turns, especially if you go over the posted speed limit.
 
Philt said:
My 61 convert recently changed to 15 inch K-H spokes from 14 factory steel wheels, This in anticipation of a disc brake conversion. But the change may have introduced a "wander" in the steering. The car wants to slowly drift left and right at steady speed. Road surface does not influence this need to drift. The tie rod ends were replaced a few thousand miles ago. The ball joints might be OEM (like 100k miles ).
Off to a alignment shop this week for a look see. Any experienced owners have any insight?

BTW the new Edelbrock 1406 required a bit of modifying the stock air filter but has made a huge improvement
in cold start and running. I have a Autolite carb core if you need one.
Click to expand...
Philt said:
My 61 convert recently changed to 15 inch K-H spokes from 14 factory steel wheels, This in anticipation of a disc brake conversion. But the change may have introduced a "wander" in the steering. The car wants to slowly drift left and right at steady speed. Road surface does not influence this need to drift. The tie rod ends were replaced a few thousand miles ago. The ball joints might be OEM (like 100k miles ).
Off to a alignment shop this week for a look see. Any experienced owners have any insight?

BTW the new Edelbrock 1406 required a bit of modifying the stock air filter but has made a huge improvement
in cold start and running. I have a Autolite carb core if you need one.
Click to expand...
I recently purchased 15" radial Coker wide white walls for my '61 T-bird convertible so in the near future I could change to disc brakes, and other than they have tubes, one failed but was replaced, they look and feel great, skeptical at first they would fit in the wheel-well but fit and drive well. Good luck.
 
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