Steering stabilizer

farmerjohn39

farmerjohn39

Junior Member
I have a 1930 Tudor sedan, my winter project was to have the steering column rebuilt. I just finished installing the column, along with all new tie rod and pitman rod springs & cups.
My car has a steering stabilizer on it, my questions is now that I have everything rebuilt do I need the stabilizer ????
Snow to deep, and the roads are full of salt, so;I can't test drive it.
 
I would say to take it off and see how it goes. It should be just fine. But wait until the salt is off the roads.
 
Good Evening all...our 1931 Tudor has a rebuilt front end and most of the time it is fine with the exception of a railroad track or a really bad washboard road. We have had a steering stabilizer for 12 years, as a safety precaution. Since we have had it, we have not had any problems. Since most new cars have them, it is one of the few additions for safety like turn signals and brighter head lights. According to my Model A friends, it sort of depends on how much you drive the car and if you show the car...Ernie
 
I had a stabilizer that would bend the tie-rod a tad on making tight turns. I took it off and fixed the problems that had lead to its installation I have since been told that I should have had a piston with less resistance. I didn't put it on. It was there when I bought the truck. I found the tie-rod to be bent so jacked the front end up and had my bride turn the wheel lock to lock. Sure enough it bent at both extremes. Since I didn't drive at those extremes it probably wouldn't have been a problem, but getting the front end back to original specs wasn't that difficult of expensive, so I took that option and gave the stabilizer away only to see it sold at a swap stall. Hope the new owner is happy. There have been several threads on here dealing with the "death wobble." PM me if you wish to hear what cause it in my roadster and how I cured it.
 
Check the Ford service bulletins. There is a cautionary bulletin against installing a steering, "STABILIZER". If the Model A had needed a stabilizer it would have been manufactured with one. There was a reason why Henry did or didn't install something on the Ford automobile. What held true 88 years ago still holds true today with the Model A.
 
Farmer john. When you rebuilt did you replace of repair the steering arms - the arms bolted to the spindles? The out of round balls on the steering arms and the pitman arm is part of a COMPLETE STEERING REBUUILD.

A corrrectly rebuilt Model A steering system does not need a "steering stabilizer". I would take it off, drive it for a while - after the snow clears - and if you feel more comfortable with it back on the car, reinstall it. kenp
 
Hey, Farmer John,
With all the work you have done to that tudor you shouldn't need a "shimmy shock." Heck you probably don't need a steering wheel.
Marty
 
My 29 tudor came with one (picture 1). It made driving it around a turn a chore. I rebuilt the front end (picture 2) and got rid of it. Now my tudor is actually fun to drive, and I have no fear of railroad tracks or washboard roads. Model A's were designed when roads were crappy. If your front end and steering are set up properly there is no need for the stabilizer. ( I do however have four superb Bill Stype shocks installed, which is an important part of restoring your running gear.)
 

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