To check the free play in the steering gears you must remove the drag link. You can then shake the drop arm to check for backlash. thee should be non in the dead ahead position. Adjusted by the screw adjustment in the side of the steering box. the other thing is tyres - are you cross ply or radial? Cross plies need to be run a bit softer than radial. Owner's manual says 26 lbs front 24 lbs rear. You can go 2 lbs higher, anything harder than this will cause wander. Good luck,
Geoff

I'm still of the mind when you go to radials, you need slightly more caster and slightly more toe-in. Both of those will help keep the car tracking straight on it's own, with lots less wander. You might get a little more oversteer in the curves, but not so much to be a problem. Also, you have to remember that the car won't self-center with radials after a turn the way bias plies will.

Geoff and Russell,

Thank you for your help.

Yes, the self centering isn't such a big deal. After a slow speed turn, it returns to pretty darn near straight, so I'm good with that...small price for radials.
I guess I mixed up self centering with tracking straight at speed. Sorry.

I readjusted the spring tension in the drag link, and while it was loose, also checked the steering gear mesh. Although pre-adjusted, I was able to snug it up 3/4 turn before any firmness was felt as the wheel was turned back and forth past the center, or high point. [i]That helped a lot[/i] it removed a [i]great deal[/i] of slop in the steering wheel!
Currently it is driving pretty nice, but still wants to drift or pull to one side or the other.
I'm going to go back and adjust camber and caster for crowned roads to see if that will help.
I pulled the front end apart a couple weeks ago and adjusted everything to get the maximum caster possible. It may be that it needs more, but for now I am out of adjustment.
I researched the spring tension on the drag link and concluded that if too tight, it can cause a tight spot, or stickiness in the steering system, which can cause drifting or pull. So, now that I have adjusted that, it is one more possibility to remove from my list.

How does wind make your car handle, poorly, no change?

Rob

I always ran H78/15 bias ply tires at 32 lbs. on my cars and never had any problem with wind. Are you the guy who runs his radial tires at 50 lbs? Now that you've tightened up just about every steering thing imaginable,try dropping the pressure to 32 lbs and see what happens.

Rob, I must re-iterate, you need to adjust the steering backlash with the drag link disconnected. This is the only way to get the correct clearance. You adjust until there is no movement of the drop arm in the central position.
Geoff

Eddie
I am the one running 50 pounds air pressure. I am not suggesting all radials have that much pressure. The radial tires on my Hornet are no name brand. So I believe them to be a low grade quality cheep tire. Even after doing many of the repairs and adjustments that have been mentioned it was still a poor to scarry white knuckle handling car above 55 mph. Then I started experimenting by increasing tire pressure 2 pounds at a time. Each adjustment resulted in slightly better handling. At 50 pounds air pressure I can now comfortably drive up to 90 mph and it drives straight as an arrow with complete control even with light touch on the steering wheel.

As for wind, remember the 50's Hudson's are still riding on 40's Hudson suspension at a lower center of gravity. Be alert to wind speed, direction and type of terrain changes that may redirect wind and be prepared to respond accordingly. I grew up driving a 40's car. These are some tips my Father past on to me that helped me to be prepared when driving in windy conditions. When the wind is blowing from the right turn the steering wheel slightly right. When approaching a big rig truck to pass (wind blowing from right) at the moment you reach the back of the trailer begin turning steering wheel straight ahead. When you approach the front of truck be prepared to turn steering wheel to right as wind that was blocked by truck and the wind blowing off front of truck will try to push car into lane on your left. Same type of preparedness in hilly or mountain terrain. The gullies will have stronger wind than ridges. Do the opposite when wind blows from the left.

Driving a 40 & early 50's Hudson is a new learning driving skill. I had forgotten what it was like driving anolder car after 50 + year driving a new car. The more I drive the Hornet the better I get at handling it. For the moment with the current tires I am comfortable driving at any speed with 50 lbs. air pressure but not with lower pressure. It is not what I recommend but it is what works for me and my driving skill with this car at the moment.

Rob I commend you for all your efforts and persistence to improving your car. Your persistence is paying off. It is an inspiration for others to maintain good maintenance on their Hudson's. It may not drive like a new car but after hundreds of miles under you belt it will begin to fell more comfortable to drive as you adjust to its handling characteristics .
Lee O'Dell

Geoff,

Yes, you are right, I do need to remove the drag link, thanks for the push.
That darn safety is such a pain to remove...but in the end it will be worth it! 🙂

Rob

I thought I might add that I once asked a old time Hudson owner to drive it after I was white knuckling steering the car and after driving the Hornet he thought it drove ok. I had become accustomed to new car handling so when I bought the Hornet I had to learn how to drive a 50's handling car all over again. My reaction timing was no longer what it was 50 years ago. I was over correcting like I was when I first started learning to drive with a 40's car in High School. Some time after that I began testing higher tire pressures on my Hornet. That is when it became easier for me to control the car better.
Lee O'Dell

Eddie and Lee,

Thank you.

I've been trying different pressures. So far, 34-36 seems best. Once I get all the bugs out of the steering system, I'll fine tune the tire pressure even more.

I've put several thousand miles on the car so far, and am learning to trust it, and know it fairly well.
Each time I make an adjustment, everything changes...kind of like a couple women I've known...
Anyway, thanks Lee, I hope someone else can benefit from my journey through this steering thing.
And by the way, it [i][u]will[/u][/i] drive like a new car...a New 1952 Hudson car! I have way too much money in this thing to do anything less that the best, and the best is what I'm after anyway, so in the end, I'll have the coolest 1952 Hudson that I could ever have dreamed of! 😉

Rob

I second that Rob.
Lee

Lee, I am still confused on the 50 # tire pressure. Most radials I have seen are either 35# max or 44# max. I run 35# on mine and have no problems, but I am running '54 power steering on the '53. The only problem I have seen is turns lock to lock; but that is a given. I almost hit the bushes when I first turned into my own driveway--seriously. Not like any car I have driven. But, I am comfortable with it now. Something you definitely have to get used to.
The Coker tires, 235-75-15, WWW,35#max, are too large for my car but I have no issues with them, other than worry about my wheel width and wondering if it is at least 5.5". The tires came on the car. I am hesitant to go higher to pressure because of that worry.
One of the finest thing I have done for the handling is install the 1.125" anti-sway bar and related poly bushings. The difference just can't be described--it has to be experienced. Just ask any of the few who ordered and are driving {read Lee's post on 'Open'}. Also I tighten down the springs on the drag link ends as tight as possible; haven't felt any bumps yet. The steering wheel is about 5 degrees off but it was just aligned so I will pull the wheel & correct this winter.

Richard, in the 80's I owned a 1983 chevy caprice that weighed 4400 lbs. and handled great with the radials on the car at 35# air pressure. When it was time for new tire PEP BOYS had a tire sale, 4 new radials for $99. With 35# air pressure the car now was a evil handling scariest, scariest, scariest car to drive. HOW SCARY WAS IT? On a windy day driving 45 mph trying to keep the car under control on the San Bernadino freeway a strong side wind hit the car and it was out of control. I was using up 3 lanes of freeway getting it back under control. That is what a cheep low grade tire can do to a good handling car. The side walls on the tires were too flexible.

When my Hornet with 35# air pressure weighing only a couple hundred less than Caprice was handling with similar characteristics but not as bad as caprice I got to thinking these tires are probably a low grade tire with flexible side walls. By increasing the tire pressure it made the tire side wall firmer and less flexible with the result, a better handling car. The better top grade tires do not have excessive side wall flexing problem and handle very well at 35 or 44 lbs. maximum rating. I hope this explains my reasoning and results I experience. I recommend buying the best tires and avoid low price tire specials.

Before removing the steering wheel this is what Hudson Mechanical Procedure Manual says ( With NOTCH on steering column tube straight down, spokes of steering wheel should be horizontal). If yours is so, the gear box is centered. The adjustment correction should focus on drag link length adjustment which centers the center steering arm. If that is correct, then both tie rod adjusting tubes need to be rotated the same number of turns in the same direction to center both front wheels straight ahead. The center steering arm must have both right hand thread tie rod ends attached to center steering arm to allow both tie rod adjusting tubes to screw in same direction thus both tires will turn in same direction and not alter toe-in. If a left hand thread and right hand thread tie rods are attached to center steering arm and both adjusting tubes are turned the same amount in the same rotation the toe-in will toe out or toe in.
I hope this is helpful. Have a great day.
Lee O'Dell

Richard
I was not concerned with a tire problem from over inflating the tires. All the years working on cars I have not seen any tread separation problems from over inflated tires (85 lbs.was the most seen) but I have seen to many relatively new tires with tread separation because of 10,15 pounds under max. inflated tires.
Lee

who offers a rebuild kit for a step down gear box, I haven't been able to find one yet