Recaro Seat Controls

[Chief Blaze]

I have a 1984  Avanti with Recaro Seats (Manual Controls).  1984 Owner manual (thank you for that post) says there is a separate owner manual in glove box for more info. on the seat controls.  "For additional information see the Seating Booklet in the glove compartment."   Anyone have a copy of that booklet?  Or, simply a description of the seat controls functions would do fine.  Could not find a post to this subject.

I will be doing a front end rebuild soon,  King pins, bushings, etc.  What is the front end running gear in this 1984?  Is it same as 1984 Caprice, Monte Carlo? Etc.  Complete Kits from where?  Help appreciated.

[studegary]

The front end in your 1984 Avanti has nothing to do with GM/Chevrolet, it is all Studebaker.  Avanti went with a GM chassis for the 1987 model year.  

How many miles on your Avanti?  Has it been maintained?  Why are you planning on replacing everything?  It most likely does not need things like king pins.  It may need bushings/bearings.  I do not see any fresh grease.  Properly lubricate everything (grease out of the top of the king pins) and check for tightness (center pivot cinch bolt- 75 foot-pounds).  Then, go through the system and determine if anything is worn out and just replace those items.  Parts from SI and other Studebaker vendors.  

[Chief Blaze]

Studegary:  i did not know of your  response to my questions and only saw it today. 

Thank you and very sorry for the long delay in thanking you.

I bought the 84 about two months ago. 

Previous owner is in Missouri.  He changed the 305 to a 350.

All computers and smog controls are disconnected.  No cat converters either.

Not sure about the frequency of his lube jobs.  As you say, the zircs are dry!  Best guess....not lubed often enough!

My guess is that is why wear and steering drift is present.

Rubber bushings at the control arms are cracked and dry.

The car has 33,000 actual miles (verified by car fax and records of the car and previous owners here on the forum).

Today I tried to remove the Bell Crank to check for wear.  Could not get it to come out the bottom of the cross member frame..

After looking at the Stude. Intl. parts manuals for bell cranks, i now see there is a bolt through an indentation on the shaft above the frame cross member.\

Since I did not remove that bolt,, that probably explains why the shaft would not come out the bottom.

FYI:  I drag raced Studebakers in the 60s (1955 Commander V8) but never did any front end work so this is all new to me.

i note that the oil pan is very close to the top of the bell crank mechanism so that bell crank probably has to come out through the bottom.

The Center cinch bolt (I believe you refer to the one on the bell crank?) is tight and has two thrush washers under the nut.

It was tight when I started the disassembly.  And is now re tightened.

I did not find a lot of play in that bell crank but was unable to take it all he way out to inspect the bearings or bushings. 

Not sure which bearing or bushings  it has?

I will definitely replace with a S.I. roller bearing unit if I replace it.  But must get it out to inspect for wear first.

The car has a tendency to drift with quite a bit of play in the steering wheel.

Elsewhere on this forum are instructions on tightening the adjustment(s) at the gear box.

I have not tried that yet.

This car has power steering.

Your advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Blaze

[studegary]

It is probably the grease fitting (Zerk) in the center of the assembly, that you access through the frame, that you did not remove and are therefore hung up on.  Probably, like the rest, it has not been recently greased.  With that mileage, I would try a good/complete grease job even before disassembling anything, let alone replacing parts.  

I too, drag raced a Studebaker around 1960 and then helped to build a chapter's drag race Studebaker in the early 1970s.  

[Chief Blaze]

Hi Gary:  Update:  The Bell steering unit is All good.  I finally got it removed, taken apart, reassembled and installed.. 

The upper pinch bolt was what hung it up (DUHHHH).  Once that was removed and the Zirk fitting was

removed the Bell Unit almost fell out into my hands.

Euraka!  This one has the much desired roller bearing setup.

It had been greased but needed a good cleaning and more grease when done.

It worked fairly well when first removed, it works very well now.

i ordered the extra long zirk fitting from SI just now.  That lube location will not be missed in the future.

I checked all the steering linkages for play and found none.

Evidence found of lubrication in all the joints I saw.

I think any king  pin play is minimal so I may have dodged that $$ Bullet.

I still have not had a response from the P.O.^ in Missouri so don't know the his lube schedule.

*Dale E. Long, Bonne Terre, MO.  I understand he is/was a member of AOI or SDC but I have not found him on the forum.

This latest is good news but is still  leaving me with about a 15 degree steering play. and an off-center steering wheel.

Slight drift at speed.  Annoying but do-able.

I am pretty sure my next move is that Saginaw steering box.  There are some good videos out there

on those boxes.  Everything from the side adjustment to full rebuild..

Maybe (Hopefully) the steering slop will be just an adjustment!

FYI:  This car does have power steering. and an after market Nardi steering wheel.

I am probably going to take a whack at the steering box over the 4th of July weekend.

Any thoughts?  

Thanks

 

[studegary]

It sounds like your steering is not properly centered.  It may be at the pittman arm, or more likely, just that someone adjusted the toe in all from one side and did not keep the system balanced (straight).