Can anyone give me a good line on how to isolate the source of the tendency for my 1972 Coupe to wander left and right, especially on an uneven road. I read somewhere that the steering system design tends to be loose. Is there a method to determine if the tie rods are shot or if the steering box is the sourse of the problem. Thanks for the help

Have you checked your rag joint? Could be the "rag" is torn and the stearing is drifting between the metal stops.

I checked the "rag joint" and it looks fine, however, when I grab it and gave a twist I could turn the steering wheel about 2" left and 2" right or about 4" overall. This seems to match the amount of play I'm experiencing while driving. Is the "slotted" adjustment bolt(or srew?)on the steering box to correct this or is it for something else. If so, how do I procede? Thanks for the good advice

Mine does that, the p/s valve is worn. The kit comes with 4 hoses, valve, & cylinder.

I'll like the sound of twelve dollars versus several hundred as a starting point. The control valve is only a couple years old.

What if you have a manual steering box and all of your joints are good?

I have a completely stock 77 L-48 4 speed with 82K miles. I live in Maine so I speak "uneven" roads fluently. My Vette darted all over the place when I first got it, left and right, just like Buckeye Fan's. I jacked up the front and had my wife move the steering wheel back and forth while I looked at the steering gear. I noticed the nut on the left tie rod end was loose, as well as the one on the joint on the slave cylinder that joins it to the steering link. The nuts "rocked" at both joints while the steering wheel was being moved back and forth, yet both castle nuts were still held by cotter pins. These 2 joints are tightened into a taper. I tightened both of them up using a clamp to hold them firmly into the tapers. I also adjusted the steering box shaft end play. The difference in handling was nothing short of amazing! The darting is completely gone and I can drive the car without having to concentrate on the steering. Since the car has all of the original steering components, these 2 joints had to have been only marginally tightened at the factory. Most experienced mechanics have seen this happen. (The previous owner had the car for ten years and hadn't done any front end work in that time.) Sometimes it's something simple and easy. Good luck!

I'm going to take the plunge and try adjusting the free play in the sterring box. I'll make note of the current position and make the adjustment in small increments. I'm not sure which direction to turn the srew, but will try clockwise first. Will let everyone know how it "turns" out!

If the play in the stearing box is not the problem, have your Idler arm checked for wear. Front end wheel alignment, if not set properly, will make the car wander as well. Find a repair shop that specilaizes in front end and suspension work. Don't trust a tire dealer or quick lube place for this type of work.

Buckeye Fan...steering box adjustment...you'll see on the steering box a threaded rod/shaft with a screwdriver slot, and a lock nut. For a quick adjust, loosen the lock nut and tighten the slotted adjuster clockwise until you feel a little resistance, then back off an 1/8 turn. This will take out all, or nearly all, of the end play without over doing it and causing bind. This is an easy first adjustment and gets you very close to where you'll end up. In fact, the improvement in my car's handling is so good I didn't try to go further. A little end play is good. On my steering box I could rotate the adjuster shaft back and forth the 1/8 turn and easily feel the amount of free play. The principle is similar to adjusting a wheel bearing, you are taking out the slack but not to the point of eliminating free movement. This is NOT the method outlined in the shop manual but works like a charm and is much more practical for most of us. In my case, I ended up with a total adjustment of about a half turn clockwise. Let us know how it goes.