Buick LeSabre 1965 Service Manual page 508

8 - 4 4 STEERING LINKAGE
STEERING GEAR, STEERING COLUMNS AND LINKAGE
SECTION 8-C
MANUAL AND POWER STEERING LINKAGE AND
NON-TILT STEERING COLUMNS
CONTENTS OF SECTION 8-C
Paragraph Subject Page
8-19 Steering Linkage Specification . . . . 8-44
8-20 Description of Steering Linkage . . . 8-44
8-21 Adjustment of Steering
Linkage Idler Arm 8-46
8 - 1 9 STEERING LINKAGE SPECIFICATIONS
a. Tightening Specifications
Use a reliable torque wrench to tighten the parts listed to insure proper tightness without straining or
distorting parts. These specifications are for clean and lightly lubricated threads only; dry or dirty
threads produce increased friction which prevents accurate measurement of tightness.
Part Location
Thread
Size
Torque
Ft. Lbs.
Bolt & Nut Tie Rod Clamp 3/8-24 20-27
Bolt Idler Arm Support to Frame 3/8-24 40-50
Nut Tie Rod Ball Stud to Steering Arm & Intermediate Rod 1/2-20 50-60
Nut Pitman & Idler Arm to Intermediate Rod 1/2-20 50-60
Nut Pitman Arm to Pitman Shaft 7/8-14 90-110
Bushing Idler Arm (Saginaw) 7/8-11 100-115
b. Steering Linkage Specifications Specification
Type Parallelogram
Make
Manual Steering Saginaw Steering
Power Steering Saginaw Steering & Thompson Products
Turning Circle Diameter (Curb to Curb)
Series 45000 39.7 ft.
Series 46000, 48000 43.3 ft.
Series 49000 43.6 ft.
Toe-in, Caster, Camber, etc See Group 7
8 - 2 0 DESCRIPTION OF
STEERING LINKAGE
The parallelogram type steering
linkage is used to connect both
front wheels to the steering gear
pitman arm. The right and left
tie rods are attached to a forged
intermediate rod by ball studs.
The left end of the intermediate
rod is supported by the pitman
arm and the right end by an idler
arm which pivots on a support
attached to the frame. The pitman
and idler arms are always paral-
leled with each other and move
through symmetrical arcs. There
are three different linkage set-
ups. Two manufactured by Sagi-
naw Steering, one for power gears
and the other for manual gears.
The third is manufactured by
Thompson Products and is used
only for power gears. See Fig-
ures 8-67 and 8-68.
The inner and outer tie rod ends,
the idler arm support bushing and
the pitman and idler arm ball
studs are of the permanent lub-
ricated design and do not require
periodic lubrication, on all link-
age assemblies.
However, all the ball studs except
the pitman arm and idler arm ball
studs have removable plugs. If a
squeak develops in a stud on a
high mileage car, the plug may
be removed and a grease fitting
(1/4 - 28) i n s t a l l e d and stud
lubricated as i n s t r u c t e d in
paragraph 1-3.
When assembling the idler arm to
support it must be adjusted as
shown on Figure 8-67. There is
no adjustment of the Thompson
idler arm and support as these
p a r t s are s e r v i c e d as an
assembly.