Steering locked while driving on interstate

[Docwagon1776]

My dad was a truck driver and hauled big pipeline pipe for years. In 59 he bought a new 59 Ford Galaxy with a V8 and no power anything. He died the next January and my 4'11 mom had to learn to drive it. She drove it for 10 years and let me tell you it was heavy going. We are so spoiled these days. I had to remove the power steering and replace the steering with a manual setup. Sitting still I couldn't turn the wheel at all. But just rolling a little bit it wasn't bad and with the go pedal down it took no effort at all.

Yeah, if you're rolling manual steering isn't too bad. Add in a manual column shifter, though, and things get a little more interesting. Then manual brakes. So both hands and both feet have something to do quite often.

I can't remember if 1st gear was synchronized or not. I didn't buy it and stuck with the Scout. Early Scout manuals were not.

 

[ibike]

That steering gets pretty hard with no engine running. Had mine towed back home when the battery went completely dead out of the blue. The tow truck driver couldn’t turn the wheel to load it up. He final drug it side ways to get it on the flat bed. It worries me a bit if the steering died while going down the road.

 

[Wild one]

That steering gets pretty hard with no engine running. Had mine towed back home when the battery went completely dead out of the blue. The tow truck driver couldn’t turn the wheel to load it up. He final drug it side ways to get it on the flat bed. It worries me a bit if the steering died while going down the road.

Tell that guy he better hit the gym more often Hell i'm only 160 lbs and i can turn the wheels with the engine off and the truck or cars are parked on pavement,it's a grunt,but if you put some muscle into it,you can turn the steering wheel. You could jack the front tires up at home and check for yourself,or just put some muscle into turning the steering wheel with the enginie off,if jacking it up is a pain

 

[Curmudgeon]

Many times I have had to manage steering on a vehicle with power steering disabled, but those vehicles all had hydraulic power assist.

I can't help but wonder 2 things:
1) How is manual steering effected when hydraulic assist is lost, and
2) How is manual steering effected when electric assist is lost?

Does forcing the steering to work cause any damage to the electric steering?
Maybe damage the little belt?

The only time I needed a tow was from my driveway, with my truck facing the rollback. Easy job for the tow guy, no steering needed.

 

[Curmudgeon]

Tell that guy he better hit the gym more often Hell i'm only 160 lbs and i can turn the wheels with the engine off and the truck or cars are parked on pavement,it's a grunt,but if you put some muscle into it,you can turn the steering wheel. You could jack the front tires up at home and check for yourself,or just put some muscle into turning the steering wheel with the enginie off,if jacking it up is a pain

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."

 

[CanuckRam1313]

Tell that guy he better hit the gym more often Hell i'm only 160 lbs and i can turn the wheels with the engine off and the truck or cars are parked on pavement,it's a grunt,but if you put some muscle into it,you can turn the steering wheel. You could jack the front tires up at home and check for yourself,or just put some muscle into turning the steering wheel with the enginie off,if jacking it up is a pain

 

[Wild one]

Many times I have had to manage steering on a vehicle with power steering disabled, but those vehicles all had hydraulic power assist.

I can't help but wonder 2 things:
1) How is manual steering effected when hydraulic assist is lost, and
2) How is manual steering effected when electric assist is lost?

Does forcing the steering to work cause any damage to the electric steering?
Maybe damage the little belt?

The only time I needed a tow was from my driveway, with my truck facing the rollback. Easy job for the tow guy, no steering needed.

The belt doesn't turn once you lose electrical power,so you won't hurt it by turning the steering wheel with the engine off or if you lose electrical power to the rack.

 

[MADDOG]

View attachment 573872

 

[CanuckRam1313]

I blew the power steering belt off my 1980 Caprice Estate station wagon as I was bombing through a corn field with my friends, highly ...mmmm... (shouldn't have been driving) when I was barely a teenager in Port Hope as the farmer was letting his salt-gun off at us....

Armstrong-steering was in-the-house to say the least!!!!!!!!!!
I was on at least a few cans of spinach that day

 

[ibike]

Tell that guy he better hit the gym more often Hell i'm only 160 lbs and i can turn the wheels with the engine off and the truck or cars are parked on pavement,it's a grunt,but if you put some muscle into it,you can turn the steering wheel. You could jack the front tires up at home and check for yourself,or just put some muscle into turning the steering wheel with the enginie off,if jacking it up is a pain

Gonna try it to familiarize myself if it were to fail

 

[Wild one]

Gonna try it to familiarize myself if it were to fail

Put some muscle into it,and you'll see the steering doesn't lock if the engine is off.

 

[Marshall]

I am going to have to check this out, as I thought the wheel was locked, like the ones with gear shift levers.
The Honda locks and if there is any pressure on the cog , you have to wiggle the steering wheel to turn the key.

Way back in the day, I welded a Chrysler power steering unit and pump onto the side of a MF 444 tractor with a front end loader and a crappy worn out little steering box.
You could not steer that with a load on the bucket. it was a 1950's vintage tractor.

It worked very good with the power steering,
One finger would be all you needed to turn the wheel.
Maybe pump running too fast?
I ran the belt off the fan pulley.

 

[Wild one]

I am going to have to check this out, as I thought the wheel was locked, like the ones with gear shift levers.
The Honda locks and if there is any pressure on the cog , you have to wiggle the steering wheel to turn the key.

Way back in the day, I welded a Chrysler power steering unit and pump onto the side of a MF 444 tractor with a front end loader and a crappy worn out little steering box.
You could not steer that with a load on the bucket. it was a 1950's vintage tractor.

It worked very good with the power steering,
One finger would be all you needed to turn the wheel.
Maybe pump running too fast?
I ran the belt off the fan pulley.

Was that the ram assist that tied into the steering tierod.I always thought it was a bit lacking,especially on a 3 ton grain truck,but on a farm tractor it'd be great.

 

[Coastal WA Gal]

What RamDiver said, report this incident to the NHTSA as soon as possible. The steering column may or may not have actually locked, but it is ALWAYS better to err on the side of caution when lives could be at stake. Heaven knows you certainly don’t want to hear about it happening to others when a recall is initiated because lives had been lost in similar incidents.

 

[DanAR]

These trucks have a pretty big footprint from the tires so that increases effort at a standstill considerably. But rolling it should lighten up somewhat if the power assist fails.

I have (had - now 2) 3 older cars with manual steering so some grunting and pulling at low speed or a stop I’m used to, especially with my side opening garage that requires a tight 90 degree approach and some 3-point maneuvers with some cars. Finally, my 66 Hemi Satellite with 235 tires was becoming more than I wanted to deal with at 74, it was really heavy at a stop or crawl and slow as molasses when rolling. So I retro-fitted factory steering to it last winter - much better. But I remember when I was a kid and one day going down the road in my 64 Plymouth Sport Fury the PS belt broke and I remember being surprised by the effort and geeez I can’t steer this thing. But, by necessity I found I could, I just had to put a lot of effort in it.

 

[turkeybird56]

These trucks have a pretty big footprint from the tires so that increases effort at a standstill considerably. But rolling it should lighten up somewhat if the power assist fails.

I have (had - now 2) 3 older cars with manual steering so some grunting and pulling at low speed or a stop I’m used to, especially with my side opening garage that requires a tight 90 degree approach and some 3-point maneuvers with some cars. Finally, my 66 Hemi Satellite with 235 tires was becoming more than I wanted to deal with at 74, it was really heavy at a stop or crawl and slow as molasses when rolling. So I retro-fitted factory steering to it last winter - much better. But I remember when I was a kid and one day going down the road in my 64 Plymouth Sport Fury the PS belt broke and I remember being surprised by the effort and geeez I can’t steer this thing. But, by necessity I found I could, I just had to put a lot of effort in it.

Had a 67 SS Impala, 2 door, all manual everything, not a single power assist, with 3 on tree. Yeah, in tight corners, it got interesting. WHY go to the gym when U can go in a parking lot and do 3 point turns in the Chevy.

Better yet: Try driving an old M35A2 (deuce in a half), not any power there, lmao. Drive on B strasse and Autobahns into fields and areas, that work you out too.

 

[Wild one]

Had a 67 SS Impala, 2 door, all manual everything, not a single power assist, with 3 on tree. Yeah, in tight corners, it got interesting. WHY go to the gym when U can go in a parking lot and do 3 point turns in the Chevy.

Better yet: Try driving an old M35A2 (deuce in a half), not any power there, lmao. Drive on B strasse and Autobahns into fields and areas, that work you out too.

I learned about arm strong steering when i was 9 and started driving tractors,lol.We had a little Fordson tractor with a bucket on the front and no power steering,it turned into a hell'va chore to turn that thing when i was 9 and the bucket was loaded,i used to have to plant one foot really solid on which ever side of the transmission i wanted to turn ,and stand up to grunt that thing around with a load in the bucket Being the oldest on a farm with a basically 1 armed Dad i was Dads right arm from a very early ageThe old man lost most of his right arm on a drilling rig when he was 21,so i started doing alot of the farm chores when i was still in elementary school

 

[Marshall]

Was that the ram assist that tied into the steering tierod.I always thought it was a bit lacking,especially on a 3 ton grain truck,but on a farm tractor it'd be great.

I am not sure, was likely a unit out of a early 60's Cry, or plymoth, a truck unit would have fit better as the mounts where on a better side, but scrap iron and welding rod are cheap. I don't think it used a ram,
I think I ran a link to the drag link.
Could have been from a 60's Imperial I scrapped.
I do remember it had too much assist, when on the road, you had to pay attention.
in the field, it worked fine.
The older Massey's steering was crappy at the best of times.

 

[Marshall]

BTW , my first tarctor driving was a W30 on steel, straight pipe, and backing that thing with a full hay rack into the stack yard. I suggested we make a gate at the other end , Dad said we would have to move all the feed mangers, so just back in. I am still a good backer, other then the neck don't works so good any more., But that's why God made back up cameras

 

[Wild one]

BTW , my first tarctor driving was a W30 on steel, straight pipe, and backing that thing with a full hay rack into the stack yard. I suggested we make a gate at the other end , Dad said we would have to move all the feed mangers, so just back in. I am still a good backer, other then the neck don't works so good any more., But that's why God made back up cameras

As a kid i drove tow truck for a few months out in Cranbrook,and after a bit,the boss was getting me to do the tow calls that had to have the car dropped in between a hoist inside a garage,that was easy compared to backing up a tractor with a cultivator or disker with a sloppy hitch and 1/2 ton truck tied behind the cultivator/disker