Due to the particular configuration of the '55 Plymouths, my steering arm is the lowest part of the car, and that's a bad thing. What I want to do is heat it and bend it up about 1/2". I'd like to do it on the car if I can, I figure if I heat it and put a jack under it, the weight of the car will cause it to bend to exactly where I want it. I want to put the bend in the circled part of the arm. Opinions? Thanks.
Heat it up and bend it. Might be interesting trying to keep the bend to 1/2", You have away to determine when you have reached your desired bend? Don't trust just looking at it, been there, done that...and I can tell you its a lot easier to bend it then it is to try to straighten it. Also, if your running a jack handle with one hand and a tourch with the other, might be in a bad position to see the bend happen and a 1/2" happens pretty fast when heat is involved. Use caution not to burn up the rubber grease caps on the tie rod ends. Gene
I was told by the oldtimers ( I think I'm one now ) that cast is good for one heat and bend. If ya don't get it right the first time, scrap it.
Whats the total configuration for this car? Does it have an idler arm and a center link? If it does and you bend just the steering arm and not the idler as well, your most likely gonna get bumpsteer that will have the car darting all over the road. IFS is a little tricker than simply leveling the drag link on a solid axle car. If you do decide to bend the arm remove it first. DO NOT heat it where it is and then cool it with water to save your seals!!! You'll make the arm brittle. I would remove it, heat and bend it, then bury it in dry sand so it cools slowly. That will keep it from hardening and snapping in use. I always try to keep the cooling down time as slow as possible on critical parts like that.
The systemis about as basic as steering gets. The arm comes off the steering box, and is attached directly to the tie rods. Short one to the left wheel, long one all the way across the car to the right wheel.
LOL...they didn't waste any energy in designing that did they!?!? So the shorter one attaches somewhere along the long one? Sounds workable to me if your only moving it a half inch at the pitman arm, but I'd still pay close attention to additional movement of the wheels when bouncing the car. Watch your toe setting as well, sounds like that will change a little as you bend the arm.