Steering becomes loose after accelerating around corner

[FastbackJon]

'68 Charger R/T 440 without power steering

I've noticed that if I'm pulling out of a parking lot or such, and turning onto the roadway and I accelerate hard that the steering wheel and front tires feel very loose and sloppy after I straighten back out again. I think I can hear a strange humming/whistling noise too out the window.

If I pull over and walk around the car, everything looks fine. I get back in the car and go and the steering is back to being firm again.

[Rolling_Thunder]

is your P/S fluid topped off ?  do you check to see if it is foaming ?   

[red79]

op specified manual steering

[Rolling_Thunder]

op specified manual steering

ah...    "without"   haha           Well....    that takes all that out of the question --         does the car also do it in straight line acceleration ?  possible weight transfer shifting weight off the front wheels making them easier to turn ?

[UFO]

If your accelerating hard around a corner,maybe it's not the front that's loose just the back end dancing from side to side giving you that feeling.

[FastbackJon]

It happens after I accelerate hard around a corner and have gone back to driving normally. I can drive for a while after, at 20-40 mph and that's when it feels funny and loose. Pull over and park or stop at a stoplight and it goes back to normal.

[BigBlackDodge]

Is the front suspension worn out or loose? Ball joints, bushings, tie rods?



BBD

[doctor4766]

Maybe it's the nut behind the wheel 

[elacruze]

Have you done any visual inspection yet? I'll wager that your steering box/control arms/strut rods are loose or have disintegrating bushings. When did you repack and adjust your wheel bearings last?

[Roger 68 charger]

Maybe it's the nut behind the wheel 

   

[FastbackJon]

It could be the nut behind the wheel. I haven't crawled under and checked it out yet, just wondering if anyone has run into this before on their Charger.

[FastbackJon]

Well after taking it to Expert Alignment this morning in town, the owner (Tom) knew what it was before even looking at it.

Second time in 25 years he's seen the torsion bar (driver's side) on a Mopar pull out from the K-frame.

Needs to be taken out, welded back, reinforced, etc.

[BigBlackDodge]

Did the torsion bar back out?


BBD

[bobs66440]

That's good to know. I'll have to put that in the memory banks...

[FastbackJon]

I don't think the torsion bar backed out of the frame rail extension at the back, but it cracked all the way around where it goes into the K-frame.

Made for some really funny steering, it wanted to throw the car around.

Welded up better than new, and we're good to go!!

[bobs66440]

  Rock on!

[resq302]

I have actually seen that happen once before and heard it happen quite a bit on cars that replaced rubber bushings with urethane ones.  That is the reason why I replaced all my rubber ones with rubber again.