<VV> Flaming River Quick Steering/correct steering adjustments

[HallGrenn at aol.com]

Cliff and Seth really touch on a surprisingly common fault in old cars--not 
 just Corvairs--i.e. improperly adjusted steering.  I have been given the  
opportunity to drive some really beautiful Corvairs that their owners 
lavished  many hours of labor on (and/or money) and I have been surprised how many 
had  problems with wandering, loose, or binding steering.  Given the  
untrue urban legends surrounding our Corvairs we really ought to make sure that  
by-the-book methods are used to be sure we have properly handling cars.   
There is a reason "Steering" has its own chapter and is not included with  
suspension.  How many people really make sure the wheels are straight  ahead, 
disconnect the pitman arm and adjust the worm shaft, check with an inch  
pound torque wrench and make sure the shaft is on center BEFORE they pop the  
trunk plug and adjust the lash screw there?  I've often thought that once  any 
Corvair (or any old car with a recirculating ball steering box) has been  
properly set up the plastic plug over the sector shaft lash adjustment  screw 
access hole in the trunk should be removed and discarded and a metal plate  
tack welded over the opening with a stencil saying "no user serviceable  
adjustments" to avoid the damaged, ropy, loose and binding steering so many of 
 us find when we buy a used Corvair.  (Not that I haven't done my own 
damage  in the past before I learned better).
 
Bob