1963 Delay in steering to wheels

S

Steve Edwards

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Apr 3, 2021
Thunderbird Year
1963
I hope that some of you guys out there have experienced something similar to my dilemma.
I bought my 1963 TBird about a year ago. It has aftermarket 15" wheels and wires and had some gnarly offbrand tires when I got it. Someone who I respect very much suggested I buy Hankook Optimo H724 whitewall radials, size P21575R15. So I did.
PROBLEM: At speeds above 45 – 50, there is a delay from when I turn the steering wheel in either direction until the car actually turns. There's about a one second delay, but it freeway speeds it feels like the car is out of control. For example: when I attempt to change lanes of the freeway, I turn the steering wheel, and a second or so later the car actually turns. Meanwhile I may have already turned the wheel the other way, and as a result of this delayed steering change, the car is wallowing and feels incredibly unsafe.
Assuming might be the sidewallas of the Hankook tires, I raised the pressure on the inner tubes from 32 to 40 pounds. Nothing changed.
Several TBird contacts told me it must be the steering gear. SD...just on a whim, my mechanic took the front 15" wheels and tires off of his '67 Mustang, and installed them on my front end. I then drove the car, and found that almost all of the delayed steering response had vanished.
So… I think this exercise proved the issue is not caused by the steeirng gear box. Could it be the aftermarket steel wheels, or could it be the Hankook tires?
Steve Edwards
 

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I’m going only on my experience with vintage motorcycle wheels…. Are you sure that the spokes in your wheels are tightened properly. Under the forces of steering and weight, could they (one wheel or all) be allowing the hub to move within the wheel rim under the turning pressure causing the initial delay

I would use a truing stand and measured runout on my new spokes so it’s is easy to visualize if you think about the process of how it’s done…hey, I took a shot at it. Good luck
 
Wire wheels are a science in themselves as knuckle suggests and I consider him an expert having dealt with classic motorcycles. The spokes at the wheel move, almost impossible to seal them unless you know what you are doing. Find a shop that knows how to tune them, rare and not cheap.
Plus they are heavy and introduce much more un sprung weight and affect ride & handling.
 
If I understand correctly you have wire wheels, are they rated for the weight of the Thunderbird? It sounds to me like they are not...
 
Your subject "On my 1963 TBird, 15" aftermarket wheels and and Hankook radials are driving me MAD" has been shortened & changed to summarize what your post is about.

Also, since we are an all Ford Thunderbird site, you can omit the Make & Model of your car from future subjects.

model-year.jpg
 
Steve Edwards said:
I hope that some of you guys out there have experienced something similar to my dilemma.
I bought my 1963 TBird about a year ago. It has aftermarket 15" wheels and wires and had some gnarly offbrand tires when I got it. Someone who I respect very much suggested I buy Hankook Optimo H724 whitewall radials, size P21575R15. So I did.
PROBLEM: At speeds above 45 – 50, there is a delay from when I turn the steering wheel in either direction until the car actually turns. There's about a one second delay, but it freeway speeds it feels like the car is out of control. For example: when I attempt to change lanes of the freeway, I turn the steering wheel, and a second or so later the car actually turns. Meanwhile I may have already turned the wheel the other way, and as a result of this delayed steering change, the car is wallowing and feels incredibly unsafe.
Assuming might be the sidewallas of the Hankook tires, I raised the pressure on the inner tubes from 32 to 40 pounds. Nothing changed.
Several TBird contacts told me it must be the steering gear. SD...just on a whim, my mechanic took the front 15" wheels and tires off of his '67 Mustang, and installed them on my front end. I then drove the car, and found that almost all of the delayed steering response had vanished.
So… I think this exercise proved the issue is not caused by the steeirng gear box. Could it be the aftermarket steel wheels, or could it be the Hankook tires?
Steve Edwards
Click to expand...

Can you clarify something. When you first got the car and BEFORE you replaced the tires did it steer fine, none of the delay you now have? And were those original tires radial tires?
 
knuckle47 said:
Particularly, comparing the rigidity of the steel wheel to this problem
Click to expand...
I found the company who sold the wheels back when he told me that the wheels should be fine for a 63 Thunderbird. I ordered for new inner tubes of the correct size from Coker, and I'm waiting to find out where I can get liners to go against the wheel spokes and to prevent rubbing on the innertubes Themselves. I've also been told that a good amount of talcum powder should be rubbed around the inner tube to prevent binding of it with the tires themselves. This project has to be eliminate one at a time.... Tires, inner tubes, and wheels.
 
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