I swore I wouldn't do this but

[66dc75]

My Autocar had Air-O-Matic when I got it and although it made it possible to turn the steering wheel after a couple of turns back and forth the maxis would come on. I took it out and armstronged it for the last few years.

After a couple of times being embarrassed backing my short single axle Shertzer I had to do something so I sucked it up and dropped $700 on a rebuild and although I swore it wouldn't go back on it's going back on.

It probably would have helped if I had held off on taking it of because about 2 weeks later I met the original owner of the truck and he showed me the air valve under the dash where I could turn it on and off. He also told me that before it had the air assist he would put drivers he wanted to get rid of in this truck so they would quit. I don't know why but this is the hardest to turn truck I've ever been in.

[Red Horse]

6 hours ago, 66dc75 said:

My Autocar had Air-O-Matic when I got it and although it made it possible to turn the steering wheel after a couple of turns back and forth the maxis would come on. I took it out and armstronged it for the last few years.

After a couple of times being embarrassed backing my short single axle Shertzer I had to do something so I sucked it up and dropped $700 on a rebuild and although I swore it wouldn't go back on it's going back on.

It probably would have helped if I had held off on taking it of because about 2 weeks later I met the original owner of the truck and he showed me the air valve under the dash where I could turn it on and off. He also told me that before it had the air assist he would put drivers he wanted to get rid of in this truck so they would quit. I don't know why but this is the hardest to turn truck I've ever been in.

Rich-another tank would not have worked??

[66dc75]

7 hours ago, Red Horse said:

Rich-another tank would not have worked??

I did add a tank, it couldn't keep up with the air leaking out of the piston. I guess it was in pretty bad shape internally.

[fxfymn]

Not to be Capt. Obvious, but I assume you have checked the steering for any place where it might be binding. If not try jacking it up and see how it turns with the weight off.

Steering box adjusted too tight?

I do love the adventure of air assist steering. Never quite knowing when the wheels will actually turn keeps you awake while driving.

[Freightrain]

I was lucky.  The unit I got was in nice shape and works flawless.  Yes, it is a bit flighty on wavy roads and going around long bends.  But it is better then nothing.  I put a valve on the dash, but never really feel the need to turn it off(yet).

[66dc75]

2 hours ago, Freightrain said:

I was lucky.  The unit I got was in nice shape and works flawless.  Yes, it is a bit flighty on wavy roads and going around long bends.  But it is better then nothing.  I put a valve on the dash, but never really feel the need to turn it off(yet).

I was going to call on the one you bought but but waited a day too long. I think it was only about an hour and a half away from me.

[66dc75]

3 hours ago, fxfymn said:

Not to be Capt. Obvious, but I assume you have checked the steering for any place where it might be binding. If not try jacking it up and see how it turns with the weight off.

Steering box adjusted too tight?

I do love the adventure of air assist steering. Never quite knowing when the wheels will actually turn keeps you awake while driving.

Hi Carl, when the front is jacked up the it wheel spins like the big wheel on The Price Is Right. Now that it won't leak air so much I think it will be all right.

[Freightrain]

How are your thrust bearings?  That would make it hard to turn with the wheels on the ground.  Or do you still run Bias ply tires?

[General Ike]

6 hours ago, fxfymn said:

I do love the adventure of air assist steering. Never quite knowing when the wheels will actually turn keeps you awake while driving.

I think I've mentioned this here before, but in Gettysburg back when I was in college, we ran a 1977 Seagrave rearmount ladder that had air assist steering.  Going through the square on the way to a job was always an adventure.  Never knew if the truck was going to turn or not.

[66dc75]

Could be thrust bearings. When I happened to meet the original owner he said it was always hard to steer since new. When I had it on the truck if you drove down a bumpy road it would try to turn into the nearest driveway on it's own.

[mrsmackpaul]

I know nothing about this at all, but according to Swishy a person much wiser than my self, he reckons grease them when they are on a jack with no weight on them at all and cycle it from side to side 
I think the idea is this allows the grease into the bits that it cant get to with weight of the truck on it 

 

Paul

[Swishy]

Mrs

m80

me nose less than U

 

Had AirOMatic Power Steering many moons ago

different feel of the rd

wen drive n straight U got manual steerin wen U turn the steersmans wheel the air would tend to oversteer till U got use 2 it

run n a dolly ( jeep 2 U lot ) under a LowBoy wen reverse n in low gear @ idle revs U tend to run out of air very quikly try n 2 chase the correct steer

cya

 

§wishy

[mrsmackpaul]

thats a good old photo Swish man , dont think I have seen that one before 

thanks for sharing, I do like the old S model,  dont think I could afford a door handle for one these days, seems every joker likes them almost as much as D5N Dodges with a 6V53 

 

Paul

[fxfymn]

17 hours ago, General Ike said:

I think I've mentioned this here before, but in Gettysburg back when I was in college, we ran a 1977 Seagrave rearmount ladder that had air assist steering.  Going through the square on the way to a job was always an adventure.  Never knew if the truck was going to turn or not.

Ours was on the most bastardized rig we had. A Seagrave tiller that had been re-powered with a 6-71, had the ladder replaced with a used one from another one of our rigs that had been hit when the original ladders beams cracked because we failed to keep the bed locks adjusted correctly, and ended up with a 2 speed rear end because it was geared so low it was being passed by old ladies pushing baby carriages. Combine the air steering with the 2 speed rear and a fill in driver and every response was an adventure.

[mowerman]

 kenworth cabover i borrowed around 30 years ago.....it it wasnt rolling a little you couldnt move the steering wheel at all   700 is alotta dough,,,but sometimes you just gotta do it.. my DM has power steering..bob

[66dc75]

5 hours ago, mowerman said:

 kenworth cabover i borrowed around 30 years ago.....it it wasnt rolling a little you couldnt move the steering wheel at all   700 is alotta dough,,,but sometimes you just gotta do it.. my DM has power steering..bob

Yeah it was expensive, my hydraulics guy had it all apart and sitting in a box for 5 years. It took that long to pull the trigger. I was given a full power steering setup but it was off a later truck and completely different setup. It would have been more work and expense to do regular power steering.

[BillyT]

66,you could avoid all the steering issues by selling me the A Car for 2000.00 ( I'd even give you 500.00 for the drop deck!) I'd fly up north and drive them to Florida!😁 lol! But make up your mind quick! I don't like snow! Joking of course! On the subject of add on power steering, I drove a B model tandem dump with air steering.You had to turn the wheel slightly before the valve would open and throw air to the cylinder! Had an odd feel to it, but I drove it mostly on the job site in Margate Florida,I'm sure Hat City knows where that is! When I was hauling steel we ran R and U model Macks "sidewinders" with manual steering never seemed to steer that hard! Was just watching a TV report on flooded cars! The scammers have started to buy up the flooded cars and will take them out of state and sell them as used cars! They pull the mats and upholstery and dry them out with big blowers! I'll bet the sale of commercial Fabrez'e is thru the roof! This was a big deal during Andrew and Katrina! If they manage to sell the car the hapless buyer will start to experience electrical glitches...engine misses,accessories not working right in about two years on average as the electrical connections start to corrode! You members who live in states that border Texas and Florida beware! Alabama is a popular state for scammers as you can sell a car with a bill of sale! Watch out for used cars that are priced lower than average!