K
Ken Chambers
Guest
Hi all,
As discussed previously on this list we know the steering box mount is prone to
cracking probably due to the under engineered design in general as shown in the
numbers below.
My '64 has about 30K miles on the meter. Obviously, higher mileage cars would
likely have more cracking but they all suffer from weak and flexing mounts.
BTW, is 30K miles on the high side for an Amphicar? That topic in itself would
make for interesting information. How about a poll to find out what kind of
mileage is on our fleet?
The broken weld on my steering box mount was located at the bottom rear portion
of the plate facing the left wheel well opposite the steering box itself. The
movement was quite evident with someone turning the steering wheel. It was
rather shocking to see just how much the box actually moved. Turning the wheel
a half turn left and right resulted in a whopping .10 inches of left/right
movement measured at the top of the box to the adjacent wheel well.
Welding up the crack in place was not too difficult using a wire feed MIG
welder. Be sure to take all the necessary precautions while welding in the
vicinity of the gas tank. Just make sure there are no fuel vapors present and
use wet rags to shield the area. Keep a garden hose and fire extinguisher
within reach as well.
After welding, a repeat test still produced .05 inches of movement. You can see
flexing of the insufficiently thin metal of the steering box mount. In a
complete frame up restoration, that's one area that should be strengthened.
Next came the addition of a diagonal cross brace from the steering box to the
hull. I used a 1/4 x 3/4 x 18 inch bar attached to a front bolt on the steering
box that angles down to a vertical bar for the heater core. I think the
Amphicars differ somewhat in this area. Some people have talked about attaching
the bar to where the fuel shut off solenoid is mounted. On all three of my '64s
(very close s/n's) that solenoid is attached to one of the master brake cylinder
bolts. The only convenient place to attach the diagonal brace was to the heater
brace just above the frame. One drill hole was required. That arrangement
resulted in a very solid steering box. Movement now is only .005 inch
as accurately measured with a dial indicator - quite an improvement!
A road test also proved nothing short of amazing. I previously experienced a
frequent shimmy in the steering wheel while driving. On occasion the shimmy was
so violent I would hit the brakes to slow down - very scary. I'm happy to say
the steering feels rock solid now with no shimmy. The car tracks better too.
Sometimes we have the propensity to live with things that don't quite seem right
but just justify it by thinking it's probably normal for an old car. That's
probably fine unless it's a safety issue. Brakes, steering, tires, fuel and of
course, the bilge pump, are areas that should be safe and road/sea worthy.
Happy driving and boating,
Ken Chambers, CA
As discussed previously on this list we know the steering box mount is prone to
cracking probably due to the under engineered design in general as shown in the
numbers below.
My '64 has about 30K miles on the meter. Obviously, higher mileage cars would
likely have more cracking but they all suffer from weak and flexing mounts.
BTW, is 30K miles on the high side for an Amphicar? That topic in itself would
make for interesting information. How about a poll to find out what kind of
mileage is on our fleet?
The broken weld on my steering box mount was located at the bottom rear portion
of the plate facing the left wheel well opposite the steering box itself. The
movement was quite evident with someone turning the steering wheel. It was
rather shocking to see just how much the box actually moved. Turning the wheel
a half turn left and right resulted in a whopping .10 inches of left/right
movement measured at the top of the box to the adjacent wheel well.
Welding up the crack in place was not too difficult using a wire feed MIG
welder. Be sure to take all the necessary precautions while welding in the
vicinity of the gas tank. Just make sure there are no fuel vapors present and
use wet rags to shield the area. Keep a garden hose and fire extinguisher
within reach as well.
After welding, a repeat test still produced .05 inches of movement. You can see
flexing of the insufficiently thin metal of the steering box mount. In a
complete frame up restoration, that's one area that should be strengthened.
Next came the addition of a diagonal cross brace from the steering box to the
hull. I used a 1/4 x 3/4 x 18 inch bar attached to a front bolt on the steering
box that angles down to a vertical bar for the heater core. I think the
Amphicars differ somewhat in this area. Some people have talked about attaching
the bar to where the fuel shut off solenoid is mounted. On all three of my '64s
(very close s/n's) that solenoid is attached to one of the master brake cylinder
bolts. The only convenient place to attach the diagonal brace was to the heater
brace just above the frame. One drill hole was required. That arrangement
resulted in a very solid steering box. Movement now is only .005 inch
as accurately measured with a dial indicator - quite an improvement!
A road test also proved nothing short of amazing. I previously experienced a
frequent shimmy in the steering wheel while driving. On occasion the shimmy was
so violent I would hit the brakes to slow down - very scary. I'm happy to say
the steering feels rock solid now with no shimmy. The car tracks better too.
Sometimes we have the propensity to live with things that don't quite seem right
but just justify it by thinking it's probably normal for an old car. That's
probably fine unless it's a safety issue. Brakes, steering, tires, fuel and of
course, the bilge pump, are areas that should be safe and road/sea worthy.
Happy driving and boating,
Ken Chambers, CA
