magiusavvail

I have a problem with my '66 Mustang. The steering feels loose, and when I'm going fast - fast for me at the moment is a whopping 70-80mph! Har - it wobbles and sways, especially if it's windy. It's hard to keep it straight.

Is that an alignment issue?

67mustang302

If nothing in the steering is worn out, then it's most likely alignment related. If it's aligned to factory 66 specs then it's aligned poorly. The factory specs were for bias ply tires, not radials, and the factory specs sucked even for bias ply tires. It makes for a loose, unresponsive, understeering nightmare.

F14chuck

Could also be a sloppy steering box or any other worn out suspension part. I'd get it all checked out.

HGC

There are a lot of steering parts which can wear and cause sloppiness. Actually in cars of the sixties some amount of play was normal, but not swaying and wobbling. How many miles are on it? That is one good looking car. Mine is original too, but needs a little work.

Starfury

Definitely needs to be checked out at a suspension/alignment shop. Wouldn't suprise me at all if you had some suspension parts that needed to be replaced. Any competent alignment shop will check your suspension/steering before aligning the car, because there's no point trying to align a car with loose parts.

When you take it in to get it checked out and aligned, make sure the shop you take it to is familiar with shim type alignments. Not many cars still use shims behind the UCA's, so many younger alignment techs aren't familiar with how to properly align such vehicles. Realize that this may cost a bit more than a standard alignment.

Also, tell them to align it to these specs:
2-1/2* positive caster
-0.5* camber (or closer to 0* if you do mostly freeway driving)
1/8" (that's inch, not degrees)total toe in

As was mentioned previously, the factory alignment specs are designed for bias ply tires, not the radials you most likely have on the car. These specs will help keep the tires on the road during cornering and should provide decent handling while keeping the car stable at speed.

Daze

To add to what Starfury said aligning these cars is not an exact science so make sure you have a shop willing to do it the way you want it done. also sense it is not always exact and sometimes some things cant be achieved it is a good idea to have the shop know what is most important so print out the following and take it with you

Please align to these specs “1960-1966 Mustang and Falcon Performance Alignment with Shelby drop�.

These specifications are in order of importance.

1. NO more than .25 degrees difference between driver’s side and passenger’s side.

2. +2.0 to +3.5 degrees caster.
NOTE: for cars with Adjustable strut rods. Please attain as much caster as possible using the shims (at least 1.5 to 2.0 degrees), and then use the adjustable strut rods to increase the caster and make the sides the same. Also, please note that the caster difference between the driver’s side and passenger’s side needs to have no more .25 degrees difference prior to the adjustment of the strut rods.

3. -.5 to 0 degrees camber. No positive camber, please. There is no problem having a slight variation from driver’s side to passenger’s side to account for the crown in the road.

4. 1/16" to 1/8� toe in

If you run into any problems attaining these specs, please call me (your phone number here).

Also I have herd of several times where shops tried to adjust caster by loosening the strut rod nuts, which is NOT how you align a first generation Mustang. So take a wrench with you when you pick up the car and check that first!!! Lastly get a before and after print out so you know exactly what they did to your car.

magiusavvail

Thanks guys, I appreciate it. I'm going to go this Saturday to have it looked at, I hope.

I do more freeway driving than anything, and the amount of miles on the car is unsure. The speedometer doesn't go over 99,999 miles, but it's around 37k.

It's also manual steering - I realize I probably should've put that in with my first post, does it change any of the adjustment numbers?