Front wheel shimmy,

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My 1933 1239 has started to have a shimmy problem. The shimmy starts when I hit a bump in the road and if I slowed the car and turned the steering wheel back and forth I can stop it. The car has about 38000 miles from new. I replaced the tie rod ends at about 31000 miles. There is about 2 inches of free play on the rim of the steering wheel. I don’t feel any play top to bottom on the front wheel and front to back play seems to be in the steering gear. What do you suggest that I do to stop the shimmy?

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Did the shimmy start after you replaced the tie rod ends?

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Eddie, in a separate e-mail I’ll send you a copy of an article by Murray Fahnestock titled “Front Wheel Wabble is a Common Problem Which Can Be Cured”. Fahnestock wrote the article for Model T Fords, but the same cure, correcting for too much castor or rake, worked like a charm on a 1930 Model C sedan I used to own. I got an assortment of front axel castor shims from a local alignment shop and experimented with different thicknesses until the problem was solved. It was an easy fix.

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Tony, Could you also e-mail that article to me . I need to try the shims too. Thanks Doug

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Thank you both for your help.

William,

Goodness no, I think I must have about 5000-6000 miles on the car after the tie rod ends were changed. The shimmy started during the last trip I took before it went into storage.

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Resident Pierce-Arrow Engineers:

What role can the shackle bearings play in shimmy?

Tony Costa

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Eddie,

Based on your answer, I would first check the front tire pressures and make sure that they are high enough. I run 45 lbs in all three of my cars (’29,’31 and ’34).

Next I’d check the front shocks to make sure the fluid is up and that they are working.

Next, I would try reducing the toe-in by a quarter turn of the tie rod assembly. My purpose in doing this is to see if you can affect the shimmy by changing the toe-in. My ’31 had a nasty shimmy when I got it and this is how I fixed it.

Bill

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Thanks Bill,

I don’t have the car running yet but as soon as I can drive it I will try both of those ideas. They are so easy I hope one works for me.

I’ll let you all know what I learn.

Stay well, Eddie

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