Steering box - 1929 Graham Paige

[Gary56]

I went to get my 1929 grah paige out for drive today and as luck has it my steering locked up.  It was working good before now it locks.  Can anybody tell my how to fix it?  I may tear into the steering box when it gets cooler outside.  I've got two weeks to get it fixed before I have try and move the car again.  I wish somebody was close by so I can refer to them from time to time.  I live in Glenolden, pa just a couple of miles from Boeing and the airport.  My email is gary.rew@gmail.com.

 

[F&J]

Are you sure the box is at fault, or maybe the steering linkage was bent and is now stuck on something under the car? 

 

Or, if that car has a steering column lock on the column bracket, maybe something broke inside the lock cylinder and is now locking the column?

 

Taking the box and column assembly out can be a nightmare as it needs to be slid down through the floor and removed from under the car.  The car needs to be jacked way up on the front to have room to let the long column be able to clear everything. 

 

Then it gets worse as the steering wheel must be removed first which can be difficult to get the taper fit hub to break loose, and the center control lever tubes for throttle/spark (under the horn button) need to be disconnected under the hood, then the long tubes slide upwards and then out of the column...but they can hit the ceiling so you have to lower the column while doing that. Then you can get to the steering wheel nut.

 

then if it is a problem inside the box, where to get better parts for such a rare car?

 

[Gary56]

Thank youF&J,  that's exactly  what happened.  I don't know how it got locked unless I forgot I had locked it the other day and did not unlock it..  That sure saved me alot of head ach.  Do you by chance know where I can get the light switch that in the steering wheel? I can turn them on and off but with great difficulty.  Again thank you

[F&J]

31 minutes ago, Gary56 said:

Do you by chance know where I can get the light switch that in the steering wheel? I can turn them on and off but with great difficulty

It must have what is called a Clum Switch mounted in the lowest part of the steering box.  Several things to consider if it's stiff.

 

One would be if the box oil maybe leaked into the switch itself and now turned to a thick goo which makes it stiff.. or..

 

Secondly, The tube that goes down the column from the light switch knob, down through the box, has grease that turned to stiff goo, or maybe rust?  This might be the culprit as I have seen cars with tubes that would barely turn. 

 

If you can get penetrating oil spray can with the red straw to fit under the horn button guts, and spray it a lot while working the switch lever?  Just have to find the right spot to spray in there.

 

It's been a long time since I knew how to disconnect the switch from that tube, to be able to then try the lever to see if it's still hard to move, with the switch disconnected.   I "think" it's a center nut on the very bottom of that switch that squeezes part of the switch guts to that tube.   

 

Maybe somebody else can tell you exactly how to disconnect the clum switch from the tube.

 

 

[Gary56]

I want thank everybody that helped me resolve my probl d m with my steering.  It saved me alot of time and head aches.  My steering works good now.

Edited July 22, 2022 by Gary56 (see edit history)