Floating /Loose steering on 1962 Thunderbird

Asked by Guru9DTN7G Oct 31, 2020 at 08:39 PM about the 1962 Ford Thunderbird Convertible RWD

Question type: General

When driving our 1962 Ford Thunderbird at speeds of 70 + the car feels like it
float and steering looser? what would cause this feeling

3 Answers

735

Jay is talking about what was commonly called a rag joint . It was made from the sidewalls of the nylon belted tires of the day and riveted to two steel couplers . Another thing you may want to check on this nearly 6 decades old car is the entire suspension system/steering . A frame bushings ,ball joints , tie rod ends, steering arm, idler arm . Even for that matter the springs being worn (too soft now) or their bushings being worn . All of these contribute to the overall handling of your car . BTW have you replaced the drum brakes with disk brakes ? Should you be still using the old drum brakes and going 70 + please increase your life insurance !!! and your auto coverage also in case you survive.

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157,625

Everything in the front end is suspect. Have a reputable service facility inspect the steering and front suspension. Hope that helps! Jim

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