1949/51 Mercury steering linkage upgrade
- Thread starter Bob T
- Start date
Paul Bennett
Well-known member
My first car, a 1950 Merc, owned from 1955 to 1958. I didn't experience 'bump steer' either because I didn't know better, because it hadn't been invented yet, or didn't happen because the front end was new/tight. Or maybe Ralf Nader wasn't around then.
Fast forward 60 years to my present 1950 Mercury on which I've spend absurd money on the steering. Spending a few hundos more on the steering would be beer money, I've googled for an answer and posed your question to alignment guys and an early GM steering engineer the later who I put most faith in. Virtually the same answer, the supposed bump steer is mostly imagined unless you have a loose front end and drive like a bump steer kind of guy.
Theoretically, the steering link which connects right and left wheels and the pitman, should always maintain the same horizontal plane. This even though the car is in a turn and one wheel goes up (the bump) and the other goes down (think pothole). This may cause one wheel to turn more than than the other.
In real life the error is generally small enough to be ignored. However loose king pins and bushings can cause real bump steer. While I am told the error causing evil bump steer was reduced in later years, this 'upgrade' does little to reduce it significantly. Take the picture under your car as I did, and figure the dimensions involved. So, while I have the money, time, and energy to install the 'upgrade', I am ignoring purchase of the above steering improvement gizmo.
Sorry but that's the reason I'm not the user who can vouch for the product.
Fast forward 60 years to my present 1950 Mercury on which I've spend absurd money on the steering. Spending a few hundos more on the steering would be beer money, I've googled for an answer and posed your question to alignment guys and an early GM steering engineer the later who I put most faith in. Virtually the same answer, the supposed bump steer is mostly imagined unless you have a loose front end and drive like a bump steer kind of guy.
Theoretically, the steering link which connects right and left wheels and the pitman, should always maintain the same horizontal plane. This even though the car is in a turn and one wheel goes up (the bump) and the other goes down (think pothole). This may cause one wheel to turn more than than the other.
In real life the error is generally small enough to be ignored. However loose king pins and bushings can cause real bump steer. While I am told the error causing evil bump steer was reduced in later years, this 'upgrade' does little to reduce it significantly. Take the picture under your car as I did, and figure the dimensions involved. So, while I have the money, time, and energy to install the 'upgrade', I am ignoring purchase of the above steering improvement gizmo.
Sorry but that's the reason I'm not the user who can vouch for the product.
51 MERC-CT
Well-known member
Have had the Fatman Fabrications kit (same as shoebox) installed on my '51 for appox. 20 years.
It did indeed correct the factory defective steering geometry as it relates to 'bump-steer'.
WABOOM
Senior Member
Did it snug it up and make steering more responsive in general?
51 MERC-CT
Well-known member
Any "snugging up" is primarily because all the components are new as well as a replacement ball bearing idler arm.
There are not any steering ratios that are changed so "responsive" is not a term
that applies.
19Fordy
Well-known member
rotorwrench
Well-known member
The steering knuckle with king pin was new for Ford in 1949. It is, by design, still somewhat antiquated due to the use of king pins instead of more modern ball joints. In its stock form, it has always functioned normally for me as long as it is all in good condition. In poor condition, it's a whole other beast. My Pop had a tie rod break on him while cruising down a country road (clay/gravel) out by the farm. The car went off the road into a the neighbor's front yard barely missing their rail road tie supported mail box. He considered himself lucky. He had a good run of luck surviving the war and all but he had the whole front end rebuilt after that just for better insurance. The Mercs have a relatively heavy duty front end but it ain't bullet proof.
If modifications are done to lower it or if different components are installed then it's anyone's guess about bump steer or stable operation. So many old Mercs have been modified with bags and all sorts of other ball joint conversions and such. It was only in recent years that the center links even became available again. The quality of some may be questionable but the ones I've purchased were decent.
If modifications are done to lower it or if different components are installed then it's anyone's guess about bump steer or stable operation. So many old Mercs have been modified with bags and all sorts of other ball joint conversions and such. It was only in recent years that the center links even became available again. The quality of some may be questionable but the ones I've purchased were decent.
51 MERC-CT
Well-known member
No guessing here.
I lowered my front suspension using dropped spindle supports and drove it for a short period of time, then installed the bump steer kit to correct the factory design defect.
richard crow
Well-known member
no one has said how does radial tires effect the steering if any
51 MERC-CT
Well-known member
The only minimally noticeable effect on my car is the impression of harder steering while standing/maneuvering.
Otherwise the steering is as it should be, better than the original bias ply tires.
And why new cars come equipped with them.
richard crow
Well-known member
the 51 merk has what is called a reverse eleit king pin. in 1951 i don,t think any american car had ball joints. .i have never seen a broken king pin. i have seen plenty of ball joints pulled out. they went to ball joints because it,s cheaper to make .it elimets upper & lower pivot pins saveing more money that 51 merk front end will never fail unless it,s very badly worn.68 years there still on the road.. if you kept them greasd they would last
bssmnbll
Member
I have a 1950 Merc Monterey. When the steering got a little loose, I went under to see where the problem was and found the idler arm had been modified by a previous owner and had double ball bearings on both ends of the arm. I am told by other "Barners" that this was a "kit" fix back in the 50's. I cleaned the bearings up, tightened them, and it is pretty much as new again. When my wife is available, I will try to put some pics of the idler arm on as I am electronically limited. Bill
51 MERC-CT
Well-known member
The threads on the arm and nuts would have to be extremely worn and probably never lubricated to cause a condition that would make the assembly 'rattle' and make a noise that would require "silencing".
Then consider that to install the "kit" the arm has to be completely removed.
This does not remove any steering 'slop'
Makes more sense to install a new idler assembly.