Squidb
07-10-2025, 06:36 PM
Hey all, I've run into some troubles with my project and I'm hoping I can get pointed in the right direction.
I've got a 1979 Camaro Z28 that I just got done doing a resto mod where I pulled the entire car apart and rebuilt it from the ground up with little expense spared.
Some of the improvements I've made are the following.
- LQ9 6 liter engine
- 4l80e transmission
- vintage air climate
- wilwood brakes
- BMR upper and lower control arms
- Redhead steering box
- Probably more stuff I'm forgetting. This has been such an involved project!
Anyways, it's finally on the road and it runs and drives great with the exception of the steering. The steering just doesn't want to self center. It's not that it pulls in one direction, it's that if you don't manually put the steering wheel exactly in the middle it will drift slightly to one side. It self centers most of the way but it will always be a couple degrees off perfect center causing it to drift. Obviously this makes driving it not very pleasant because I have to constantly make little adjustments to the steering wheel to keep it centered.
I don't suspect it to be an adjustment issue with the box since its a brand new unit from RedHead. I can turn the wheel's back and forth in the air through the full range without any sort of binding. I suppose its a maybe a little stiffer through the travel than a car with a lot of miles just since literally every joint is new but I don't think its enough to cause this issue?
I also don't suspect its an alignment issue. It has 6 degrees of caster which should be more than enough I'd think?
Is it possible that it's because the front tires are too wide? They are 255/45R18 Nitto NT555's which is wider than anything I've run up front on a car like this before. Or is it possibly some other issue that I haven't thought of?
I've got a 1979 Camaro Z28 that I just got done doing a resto mod where I pulled the entire car apart and rebuilt it from the ground up with little expense spared.
Some of the improvements I've made are the following.
- LQ9 6 liter engine
- 4l80e transmission
- vintage air climate
- wilwood brakes
- BMR upper and lower control arms
- Redhead steering box
- Probably more stuff I'm forgetting. This has been such an involved project!
Anyways, it's finally on the road and it runs and drives great with the exception of the steering. The steering just doesn't want to self center. It's not that it pulls in one direction, it's that if you don't manually put the steering wheel exactly in the middle it will drift slightly to one side. It self centers most of the way but it will always be a couple degrees off perfect center causing it to drift. Obviously this makes driving it not very pleasant because I have to constantly make little adjustments to the steering wheel to keep it centered.
I don't suspect it to be an adjustment issue with the box since its a brand new unit from RedHead. I can turn the wheel's back and forth in the air through the full range without any sort of binding. I suppose its a maybe a little stiffer through the travel than a car with a lot of miles just since literally every joint is new but I don't think its enough to cause this issue?
I also don't suspect its an alignment issue. It has 6 degrees of caster which should be more than enough I'd think?
Is it possible that it's because the front tires are too wide? They are 255/45R18 Nitto NT555's which is wider than anything I've run up front on a car like this before. Or is it possibly some other issue that I haven't thought of?