Late model GM steering damper

[Learpilot]

Anybody have any info or dealing with the 90s Chevy Electro  magnet steering damper ? I was wandering if it could be adapted to a late 70's Chevy tilt column. I got my Mustang II power rack working great until about 75 mph and it does not feed good, like I need some kind of additional damping. I have the caster at 4 degrees positive , about 1/2 degree negative camber and 1/16" toe.
Or  is there a shock type steering damper that will work with a Mustang II rack ?
Thanks, Rick Harris

[wayne petty]

just what is it doing?      starting to viberate???    have you had the tires and rotors tripple checked for balance???      many tire machines balance for 55 mph or 65.. but much over that and they really don't work...


it is really important thet if you are going to get you tires rebalanced.. that if they have sat for a while..that they be hot after a few mile cruise then jack them up as soon as you stop to stop the flat spotting as the heat is drawn out by the floor...

when i was in trade school both of the auto shop teachers were 200mph club members..(roger gates and monte wolfe).  they balanced their speed  tires on an old fashioned threaded shaft with tapered cones to center the wheel on a stand with shieleded light oiled ball bearings to support the shaft... heavy side always went down ... once you could position the wheel at any position and it did not move   ..  that was it...


and thinking about your job?? my brother sent me this...

Sled Driver by Brian Shul, from which this anecdote is excerpted.

   One day, high above Arizona, we were monitoring the radio traffic of all the mortal airplanes below us. First, a Cessna pilot asked the air traffic controllers to check his ground speed. 'Ninety knots,' ATC replied. A twin Bonanza soon made the same request. 'One-twenty on the ground,' was the reply. To our surprise, a navy F-18 came over the radio with a ground speed check. I knew exactly what he was doing. Of course, he had a ground speed indicator in his cockpit, but he wanted to let all the bug-smashers in the valley know what real speed was. 'Dusty 52, we show you at 620 on the ground,' ATC responded.

   The situation was too ripe. I heard the click of Walter's mike button in the rear seat. In his most innocent voice, Walter startled the controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet, clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the controller replied, 'Aspen 20, I show you at 1,982 knots on the ground.' We did not hear another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast.

[Learpilot]

My front tires are new 205R70X14 and were balance on a machine. The wheels are true and the tires when I spin them off the ground look round. I don't know what speed the balance machine spins the tires, but my daily driver was balance on the same machine with no problems up to 100 mph.  
I don't get any virbrations until 80 to 85 and then it is a harmonic virbration that come and goes.  I think it the difference in tire dia. front at 25.2" and the rear at 27.4".  I am not sure if difference tire dia. matter.  At 70 mph and above it feels like the power steering is too sensitive . I have a Heights adjustable  power steering pump pressure regulator. It  has a spring to let off pressure at high speed. That is why I was thinking about a steering damper. I know my Dad's 67 VW steering damper was bad and you could not drive above 45 to 50 without shimming.
Thanks, Rick Harris
About your flying story those SR-71 guys like to brag all the time.

[wayne petty]

harmonic viberation at 80 to 85 i would look at the output shaft bushing on the transmission....grab the front driveshaft yoke with any tention off of it and see if there is any verital play...


it could also be driveshaft angle dangle needs a bit of a change....  is there room to place a few washers under the transmission mount for a minute change for a test run so see if that changes anything...


since i have not driven the car  it is hard to say.....   if you still feel it in front suspention.. maybe pull off the wheel nut closest to the valve stem.. and put a paint mark on the top of that stud.. then rotate the wheel mounting position on the hub 1 postion clockwise on both front tires...and test drive...

aftermarket rotors may not have been balanced  from the factory...


these are generic things i would do...to find a viberation..do to my years of fixing cars... and things i have used to fix cars ...

i have also found that many tire shops, not all, don't have a clue to check the calibration of their tire balancer... i figure this out as they put weights on at 2 or more locations around the wheel... usually 1/3 of a turn apart... so everybody that reads this look and see...1/3rd apart on the rim and the balancer was out of calibration....and i am talking about on the same side of the wheel....

[Learpilot]

harmonic viberation at 80 to 85 i would look at the output shaft bushing on the transmission....grab the front driveshaft yoke with any tention off of it and see if there is any verital play...


it could also be driveshaft angle dangle needs a bit of a change....  is there room to place a few washers under the transmission mount for a minute change for a test run so see if that changes anything...


since i have not driven the car  it is hard to say.....   if you still feel it in front suspention.. maybe pull off the wheel nut closest to the valve stem.. and put a paint mark on the top of that stud.. then rotate the wheel mounting position on the hub 1 postion clockwise on both front tires...and test drive...

aftermarket rotors may not have been balanced  from the factory...


these are generic things i would do...to find a viberation..do to my years of fixing cars... and things i have used to fix cars ...

i have also found that many tire shops, not all, don't have a clue to check the calibration of their tire balancer... i figure this out as they put weights on at 2 or more locations around the wheel... usually 1/3 of a turn apart... so everybody that reads this look and see...1/3rd apart on the rim and the balancer was out of calibration....and i am talking about on the same side of the wheel....

I have Speedway rotors on front and I don't know if they are balanced. That is a good idea about rotating a wheel one stud at a time.
I am not sure about driveshaft angle. It looks like about 1 to 2 degrees up at the rear end.
The tail shaft was replaced along with a new yoke when the transmission was rebuilt. I got the 700R4 with about 1000 miles after the rebuild. The guy gave me the yoke with the transmission. There is no room to add any shims under the transmission.
Thanks, Rick Harris

[Learpilot]

We have a local group of Street Rodders that eat breakfast every Sunday morning. I poised the question about a virbration at above 75.  They all say that it is pinion angle being too shallow. I am going to get some 4 degree wedges and see if that takes care of the problem.
Rick Harris

[Learpilot]

I went to out local Frame and spring shop. I got some 3 degree wedges to change the pinion angle. I had 1 to 2 degrees down pinion angle now I have 4 to 5 degrees. I took it out for a test drive, No vibrations. I only got it up to 85 mph and I want drive any faster than that.
Rick Harris