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'35 Speedster Steering Shimmy

  • mikespeed35
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15 Feb 2015 05:50 #29159 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
I also have a electric stove in my shop I use for powder coating, checking thermostat function, etc. I call it my marriage saver.
Cordially Mike

Mike Huffman

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  • ilikescars
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15 Feb 2015 01:25 #29157 by ilikescars
Replied by ilikescars on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
I bought a used stove for $20 and put it in the garage for automotive "baking" purposes. <!-- s:wink: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt=":wink:" title="Wink" /><!-- s:wink: -->

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  • johnmereness
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14 Feb 2015 20:01 #29153 by johnmereness
Replied by johnmereness on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
Mike, I love to bake freshly painted parts in the oven - that is why they invented vent hoods.

JMM

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  • Curt Schulze
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14 Feb 2015 01:05 #29149 by Curt Schulze
Replied by Curt Schulze on topic Pen Rite
I made a special filler our of an old grease gun . I use the cartridge container as a reservoir and some 1/8 pipe and a 45 fitting. I warm it with a propane torch. Works good.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Be of Good Cheer
Curt

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  • mikespeed35
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14 Feb 2015 00:03 #29148 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
Microwave works too. But not too long or your wife WILL find out. I used the oven to cure VHT paint once when Joan wasn't home. Like I said, only once!
Cordially Mike

Mike Huffman

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13 Feb 2015 22:25 #29147 by pac32
Replied by pac32 on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
A trick to get the Penrite lube in your steering box is to warm it on the stove in a pot of water ( just don't let your wife see you), then it will pour better.

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  • mikespeed35
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13 Feb 2015 04:55 #29140 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
No, the big dogs scared me off. There was one yard locally that had guard geese. They went after you whether you had paid or not. Showing them the receipt didn't help! Cordially Mike

Mike Huffman

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  • Curt Schulze
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12 Feb 2015 19:25 #29138 by Curt Schulze
Replied by Curt Schulze on topic shimmy
You too, hugh Mike ?

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Be of Good Cheer
Curt

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  • mikespeed35
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12 Feb 2015 17:32 #29137 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
A lot of people used to get their parts from salvage yards overnight too.
Cordially Mike

Mike Huffman

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  • Greg Frownfelter
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12 Feb 2015 14:17 #29135 by Greg Frownfelter
Replied by Greg Frownfelter on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
The like style wedges are also available thru your local
NAPA store. They have a complete catalog for just alignment
Products. Usually available overnight
Greg

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12 Feb 2015 13:55 #29134 by sds1861
Replied by sds1861 on topic Caster Wedge Plates Are Available
I bought my 1932 Auburn, (restored by Bill Bools), and the chassis and front suspension had been completely and properly rebuilt except there were no caster wedge plates installed. The car would produce the described wheel shimmy occasionally. I found a source for new 2 degree wedge plates, installed a set and never again had a single shimmy occurrence no matter how big a chuck hole I hit. I had seen a broken set of factory wedge plates and these new ones were identical except longer (I cut them off a little). These plates are made for race chassis applications and are aluminum like the originals.

Here is the information on them:

Brand: Competition Engineering Inc.
Item#: C7025 Wedge Plates 2 degree. Two per package.
Special order through O'Reilly's Auto Parts
I think the price was around $30.00

These have a hole in the center for the axel to spring alignment pin and are corregated so they can be stacked if more than 2 degrees of caster is needed. The 1932 factory bulletins call for 2 degrees of positive caster, but I think the later models may call for 4 degrees. I would try 2 degrees and only go the 4 degrees if necessary. Be sure to install them with the thick end of the wedge plates toward the rear (positive caster) otherwise you will be creating negative caster and make the problem worse.

Steve Stevens

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  • Mike Dube
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30 Jan 2015 14:43 #29068 by Mike Dube
Replied by Mike Dube on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
Well, I had new king pins and still had the shimmy. On a 32-33 it could also be the kick shackle, I can't comment on the 34-36 front end. I can't run radials, but getting rid of what I think was a really bad set of Lesters and taking care with the balancing of the new Firestones fixed it for me.

Mike
8-100A

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  • JOEL GIVNER
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29 Jan 2015 16:48 #29058 by JOEL GIVNER
Replied by JOEL GIVNER on topic speedster shimmy
Greg is absolutely spot on. Worn King pins are notorious for front wheel shimmy. Usually when you hit a bump in the road, that sets it off. Slow down and it goes away until the next bump. I would seriously consider addressing this issue.

Joel

JEG

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  • Greg Frownfelter
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28 Jan 2015 18:24 #29057 by Greg Frownfelter
Replied by Greg Frownfelter on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
I to had the front end wobble, that didn't show up till a tire change
My biggest fault was a worn king pin
I rebuilt the king pins, made sure tie rods were snug and used 2 deg
Caster
I had a professional alignment the car drives great
No shake, pull and can be handled with one hand while driving
A close inspection showed the faults
Greg

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  • johnmereness
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28 Jan 2015 17:21 #29056 by johnmereness
Replied by johnmereness on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
I am also using Penrite Steering Box Lube (and have for years now) - great stuff. Mike is right - do not be in a hurry when installing such.

Roger, I do agree with you to some extent - you can rebuild the whole front end, incl. shock, steering box, perfectly balance the tires, and ... and get the problem a whole lot better (aka why you possibly experienced success with the adjustment of the Hartford shocks on your Jaguar) - but it is just a band-aid at best if alignment is the issue.

I will match the handling of our 1935 Auburn to anything made pre 1955 and most anything without power steering - it is worth the effort to get it truly right. Also, I hear the same from several 810 812 Cord owners.

JMM

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  • mikespeed35
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28 Jan 2015 15:55 #29054 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
The bottle says Steering Box Lube, A semi Fluid Extreme Pressure Grease. There is no part no. on the bottle.
Cordially Mike

Mike Huffman

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  • Roger Learmonth
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28 Jan 2015 10:44 #29053 by Roger Learmonth
Replied by Roger Learmonth on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
Thanks for the responses. I have found a product marketed in the UK as Penrite semi fluid grease, is this the one mentioned?

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  • mikespeed35
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28 Jan 2015 02:31 #29052 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
I use the same as Curt suggests. It is called pourable grease and does not channel like grease. Give yourself plenty of time to put it in though.
Cordially Mike

Mike Huffman

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  • Curt Schulze
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28 Jan 2015 01:32 #29050 by Curt Schulze
Replied by Curt Schulze on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
For steering box lube, I recommend Penrite Made in OZ distributed by Restoration supply in California. It doesn't leak, state of the art stuff.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Be of Good Cheer
Curt

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  • Auburn
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28 Jan 2015 01:24 #29049 by Auburn
Replied by Auburn on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
I would also check if there is lube inside the steering box
Oftener than not the oil has all dripped out and this it can make steering looser.
Fill it with regular no2 grease

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  • johnmereness
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27 Jan 2015 23:03 #29047 by johnmereness
Replied by johnmereness on topic '35 Speedster Steering Shimmy
I agree with Curt - it is an alignment issue and radial tires will not solve the problem.

And, I would suspect the tie rod needed replaced as some alignment issue tore it up.

You would have loved seeing our 851 Phaeton on a Hunter alignment rack being done via computer at a local fellows who sets up race cars (and Hunter even had the specs for the Auburn in their IT program).

JMM

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  • Curt Schulze
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26 Jan 2015 12:58 #29038 by Curt Schulze
Replied by Curt Schulze on topic shimmy
Roger, adjust your toe-in to no more than 1/8. Use about 4 degrees caster.
Radials will not fix tour problem.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Be of Good Cheer
Curt

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  • Roger Learmonth
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26 Jan 2015 12:46 #29036 by Roger Learmonth
'35 Speedster Steering Shimmy was created by Roger Learmonth
Thank you to all those who responded to my Radial tyres thread. Actually, I have a serious problem with which, I thought, fitting radials might help.

I have ?35 Speedster that is fitted with telescopic shock absorbers. I don?t know if an original of a later fitment. The car drove extremely well, always straight and true. When I took her in for her MoT (state inspection) I was told I needed one new track rod end. A pair were duly obtained and fitted. On the way home from the garage, I experienced a horrible steering shimmy that would not go away until I got the speed down to less than ten mph; speeding up through was not an option. We fitted new adjustable shocks all round and the incidence of the death shimmy has reduced but has not gone away.

Does anyone have any ideas? Will radials cure the problem?

The last time I experience this was on my Jaguar SS 100. We obtained and fitted new wheels and tyres but to no avail. While chatting to a local garage owner, he took a spanner to my front Hartford friction shocks and tightened them up a notch. The problem disappeared.

Roger L

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