play out of steering on a 57 with power steering

[ian smith]

hi would anyone know if play can be taken out of an original 57 with factory power steering?

[Rick_L]

Well maybe. Welcome to the site!

The first thing you should do is inspect the entire steering linkage and front suspension to determine if any components need to be replaced. This includes the idler arm, tie rod ends, ball joints, and the pitman arm to center link joint.

Once you've confirmed that all these items are good, then you can move on to the steering box. The steering box is the same whether it's power or manual. First check to see if there is lube in the box. You should use grease not oil in it, per the service bulletin from when the car was relatively new. Move the steering wheel and see if the pitman arm moves immediately or with some delay or slop. The box can be adjusted but often if there is slop it is worn out.

A shop manual will help you through all this - available online or a printed copy from most 55-57 parts places. Any questions just post again.