FIAT 500 1972 1.G Manual Online
Manufacturer: FIAT, Model Year: 1972, Model line: 500, Model: FIAT 500 1972 1.GPages: 128, PDF Size: 9.01 MB
Page 81 of 128

LEAF  SPRING  RESILIENT  SUPPORTS
FIG 8 : 1  Front suspension
SHOCK ABSORBER
SWINGING ARM
SWINGING
ARM
 PIN
KING PIN
LEAF SPRING
KING PIN
HOUSING
FIG 8 : 2  Right front suspension
hydraulic jack slowly so allowing the spring to be
lowered from the underside of the vehicle.
8 Using Fiat wrench A.56030, disconnect the hydraulic
shock absorber from  the kingpin housing. Also remove
the swinging arm pin mounting nuts and remove the
pin.
9 Using Fiat drift A.66056 or a suitably sized drift
remove the 'estenblock' from the kingpin  housing.
Using a suitably sized punch remove the block pin
from the kingpin, remove the lower plug and take off
the kingpin.
88FIG 8 : 4  Section through one spring mounting Key to  Fig 8 : 3 1 Kingpin housing 2 Estendblock
3 Pin, swinging arm to kingpin housing 4 Half-arm
5 and  6  Nut and splitpin  7 Screw, welded on body
8 Nut, mounting, pin 13 to body 9 Rubber buffer
mounting nut  10 Body panel 11 and 12 Camber and
castor adjustment shims 13 Pin, swinging arm to body
14 Spacer  15 Cups, for rubber bush  16 Rubber bush FIG 8 :3  Section through left swinging arm
Description:
The spring comprises a main leaf and four assister
leaves. Specially shaped polyethylene insulation strips
are fitted between the leaves which are held together by a
centre bolt and  two elastically mounted side clips as
shown in FIG 8 : 1. The leaf spring  is attached to the 8 : 3 Leaf spring 
Page 82 of 128

3
440.9* 2
220.5
5.3936 ± .2362
   When  testing  the  spring  never  exceed  440.9  lbs  load.4.9212 ± .23622.23 ±.10in/100 lbs inFlexibility, between
pos. 2 and pos. 3 Elastic give-in from pos. 2
Camber
in lbs PositionLoad P
FRONT LEAF SPRING, LOADED AT CENTER
125 ± 6  mm FREE  SPRING
60 mm
(2.3622")
137 ± 6 mm (5.3936" ± .2362")
FRONT LEAF SPRING, INSTALLED ON CAR
Flexibility between
pos. 1 and pos. 3 Elastic give-in from pos. 1 Camber
Load P
Position
lbs in
1Initial load for flexibi-
lity check-up  .  .220.5in in/100 lbs
2
Static l o a d ....
297.6
1.1023
±.1181
1.55 ± .07
1.7125±.0984
330.7 Final load for flexibi-
lity check-up . . 3
4Metal-to-metal deflec-
tion load ....451.9
Spring specifications are intended at assembly conditions,  i. e., with pre-compressed rubber pads  and  without  bumpers. Give-in
check-up must  be   c arried out by loading both eyes  simultaneously.
FIG 8 : 5  Spring deflection test
F50089 
Page 83 of 128

FIG 8:6  Swinging arm components
Key to  Fig8:6  1  Half-arms  2  Pin, arm to body mounting
3 Pin, arm to kingpin housing mounting 4 and 5 Washer and
nut 6 and 8 Cups, rubber bushes 7 Rubber bushes
9 and  10  Sptitpins and nuts, mounting, pin  (2) to arms
TOOL  A.66054
PULLER  A.40005/
FIG 8 : 7  Removal  of rubber bushes  by  universal puller
A.40005 and arm retainer tool A.66054
DRIFT ROD
A.66056
FIG 8:8  Drift rod A.66056 for  kingpin housing  Estend-
block' removal and installation
90Inspection:
Thoroughly clean  the half arms and dry using a com-
pressed air jet. Then proceed as follows:
1 Thoroughly inspect the half arms to ensure that they
are not distorted or show signs of cracking which, if
evident, should be renewed. Compare the t w o  half
arms to ensure that they have the same inclination and
that the  holes are  not elongated  but are true and
properly aligned. kingpin housings by 'estendblocks' which are fitted in the
main leaf eyes. A specially shaped rubber buffer is
mounted on the spring centre bolt.
Leaf spring  inspection  and repair:
To dismantle the leaf spring assembly remove the t w o
side clips and the centre bolt. Thoroughly wash all parts
and to inspect proceed  as follows:
1 Inspect carefully to check that the leaves are not
broken  or show signs of cracking which, if evident,
the leaf must be renewed.  It should be noted that the
third spring leaf is not available as a service replace-
ment part which means that if this leaf is damaged the
whole spring must be renewed.
2 Check that there  is no paint or underseal present
between the leaves which, if evident, must be removed.
3  Ensure that the mating surfaces of the leaves are
perfectly smooth  and clean.  If there are signs of
rusting or slight indentations, these areas must be
cleaned using a file. Any deep indentations will be a
source of weakness and the leaf must be renewed.
4  The 'estendblocks' are press fitted into the main leaf
eyes and must be thoroughly inspected for excessive
wear, signs of seizure and dry operation of the rubber
parts. The 'estendblocks' should be renewed if there
is any doubt as to their condition.  To remove and
replace the 'estendblocks' use Fiat .drift A.66056 or a
suitably sized  drift as shown  in FIG 8 : 8 .
5 Check the condition of all rubber pads, the centre
buffer and the polyethylene linings for signs of wear,
cracking or splits and,  if evident, new parts must be
fitted.
6 Once the spring has been reassembled it should be
tested by loading as shown  in FIG 8 : 5 .
8:4 Swinging arms
Description:
The swinging arms comprise t w o pressed steel sheet
half arms which are joined by two pins, one on the
kingpin housing and the other on the  body  (see FIG
8:6) . Rubber bushes ('flanblocks') are press fitted into
the half arms for the attachment of the swinging arm pin
to the body as shown  in FIG 8 : 6 .
Dismantling:
1 Clamp the swinging arm into a vice and fit Fiat tool
A.66054 as shown in FIG 8 : 7. Remove the splitpin
and nut securing the half arms onto their pin.
2  Using a universal t w o leg puller or Fiat puller A.40005
together with  items 1 and 5 pull out the rubber bushes
as shown  in FIG 8 : 7. Remove tool A.66054 insert it
on the other half arm and  repeat the operation
performed for the bush removal on the first arm. 
Page 84 of 128

2  Check that the surface of the pin that is in contact with
the camber and castor adjuster shims does not show
any signs of indentation or roughness which could
affect the  accuracy of adjustment on reassembly. If
there are any signs of rust or small  markings these
should be smoothed out using a file.
3 Inspect the condition of the half arm  bushes, the inner
surface of which must not show signs of seizure and
the clearance of the bush to pin must not be greater
than .01 57 inch. Upon initial assembly the fit clearance
is .00059 to .0059 inch. Ensure t h a t the rubber parts
of the bush are not torn, cracked or show signs of
weakness which, if evident, must be renewed.
4 Use  Fiat tool A.66058  or a suitably sized drift for
refitting the rubber bushes into the swinging arms.
Upon reassembly it should be observed that the
tightening of the two swinging arms m o u n t i n g nuts 5
(see FIG 8 : 3) , must be carried out whilst keeping
the axis of the swinging arm and the pin hole for the
screws 7  on the same plane otherwise distortion can
occur.
8 : 5 Kingpin housing
1  To remove and replace the  'estendblocks' use Fiat
tool A.66056 as shown in FIG 8 : 8. Ensure t h a t the
'estendblocks' is not worn and that there are  no signs
of seizure on its inner surface,  or that the rubber has
hardened. Renew if necessary.
2 Check that the kingpin to bush clearance is not
greater than .0079 inch. The clearance when fitted
new is .00063 to .00213 inch.  If the clearance is
excessive the t w o bushes must be renewed and also
the kingpin  if excessive wear is evident. To remove and
refit the kingpin bushes use Fiat tool A.66016  and
after reassembly the bushes must be accurately
refaced using a reamer set to a diameter of .5912 to
.5922 inch. If considered necessary use Fiat Fixture
C.1004 to check that the kingpin housing has not been
distorted which, if evident, the housing must be
renewed.
3  Whilst the kingpin assembly is being inspected ensure
that the  lubrication hole is free to allow the passage of
oil.
4  To prevent incorrect loading of the 'estendblocks' that
is press fitted into the kingpin housing, the housing
to swinging arm pin nut must be tightened with the
parts so arranged that the angle between the swinging
arm plane and the housing axis is approximately
95 deg.  as shown  in FIG 8:14.
8:6 Steering knuckle and wheel hub
Dismantling:
1 To remove the wheel hub cap use Fiat puller A.46023
as shown in FIG 8 : 9 .
2  Using a universal t w o leg puller or Fiat puller A.40005
together with items 1 and 9 remove the wheel hub/
drum assembly having first extracted the splitpin and
released the hub retaining nut (see FIG 8:10). Later
models have a staked nut w i t h no splitpin. The nut
should be freed with a punch and discarded.
3 Remove the outer roller bearing, the oil seal and the
inner roller bearing outer race from the drum  and  pull
out the  steering  knuckle inner roller bearing inner ring
using Fiat puller A.46000
F500PULLER
A.46023
FIG 8 : 9 Removing right front wheel  hub cap by
remover A.46023
UNIVERSAL PULLER A. 40005/
FIG 8:10 Removing left front wheel brake drum by
puller A.40005
4 Release the t w o brake to steering knuckle mounting
nuts and remove the complete brake housing flange.
5 To  remove the steering knuckle from the kingpin
housing, remove the 'estendblock' from the kingpin
housing using Fiat drift A.66056 or a suitably sized
drift as shown  in FIG 8 : 8.
6 Using a suitably sized punch drive the lockpin from the
kingpin, remove the lower plug and slide off the
kingpin. The steering knuckle is then disengaged
together with  the snap ring, two thrust washers and a
shoulder ring.
Inspection:
Thoroughly clean  all  parts and dry using a compressed
air jet  and  to inspect proceed as follows:
1 Check that the steering knuckle and steering  arm show
91 
Page 85 of 128

1
2
6
3
8
11
13
17
19
22
25
27
29
31
33
36
35 323430 28
26
24232120 ,1816 15 14 12 10 .9 .15 4
FIG 8:11 Sectional view of shock absorber
Key to  Fig  8:11 1 Threaded shank, floor mounting
2 R o d  3 Cylinder upper blanking threaded ring
4 Seal housing 5 Rod seal 6 Tab spring 7 Spring cup
8 Gasket packing spring 9 Casing gasket  10 Vapour
pocket drain and chamber 11 Rod guide bush
12 Vapour pocket drain capillary hole 13 Dust shield
92
14 Casing  15 Working cylinder 16 Vapour pocket drain
passage 17 Valve lift limiting disc 18 Fluid passage orifice
19 Valve lift adjustment washer 20 Valve star-shaped spring
21 Inlet valve  22 Piston  23 Compression ring
24 Inlet valve holes in piston 25 Rebound valve holes
in piston  26 Rebound valve 27 Valve guide cup
28 Rebound valve spring  29  Piston mounting plug
30 Compensating valve 31 Compensating valve annular
passage 32 Compensating-and-compression valve carrier
plug 33 Compression valve 34 Compression valve orifices
35 Lower plug  36 Threaded shank, lower mounting
FIXTURE
FIG 8:12 Leaf spring position under full static loads'
on fixture A.66061 or A.74061
no signs of distortion or cracking which, if evident,
new parts must be fitted.
2 Check the steering knuckle surfaces, that are in con-
tact with the bearing inner races for any signs of
scoring or seizure.
3 Inspect the condition of the two upper thrust rings and
of the  lower packing  ring. Parts which show sign of
excessive wear must be renewed. Lower packing rings
are supplied  in service in the thicknesses tabulated
below.
Once the items have been reassembled no appreciable
clearance should  be evident between the steering
knuckle and the kingpin housing. This adjustment
is obtained  by  installing the lower packing ring of
suitable size.
4 Check that the seating on the drums for the roller
bearing outer races are smooth as no clearance is
allowable between the races and their seatings. Care-
fully inspect that the  bearing cages and  the rollers
show no signs of chipping, breakage, or discolouration
due to overheating.
5 Carefully inspect the seal which must not be torn and  it
should locate perfectly both on the drum and the
steering knuckles.
Reassembly:
Reassembly is the reverse procedure to dismantling.
OversizesUnder-
sizes
.002 .004 .006 .008 .010 .012
.0979 .1016 .1036 .1056 .1076 .1095
.100 .102 .104 .106 .108 .110
.002 .004
.0957 .0938
.096 .094
Stand.
in.
in..0977
in..098 
Page 86 of 128

8 : 7 Hydraulic damper:
Description:
The front and rear  shock absorbers are of the telescopic
double acting type. Their dampening action takes place
directly on the suspension without the use of any
intermediate linkage. The shock absorber comprises a
cylindrical body formed by to coaxial tubes 14 and 15
(see FIG 8:11), the inner tube acting  as the working
cylinder and the outer one as a casing. The fluid reservoir
being located between the two sections. A third outer
cylinder 13 shields the rod  2 from  any road dirt.
On the top the cylinder body is enclosed  by a bush  1 1 ,
oil seals 5 and 9 and a housing 4. The rod 2 slides through
the seals 5, the upper end  is fixed  into the vehicle body
floor and  its  lower end carries the piston 22 on which
rebound 26 and inlet valves 21  are arranged.
The bottom of the shock absorber is closed by a plug
35 with a threaded shank 36 for the shock absorber to  be
mounted onto the suspension unit. The cylinder 15 and
carrier plug 32 is mounted with a compensation valve
30 and a compression valve 33. The piston is provided
with two rows of orifices. The internal row is blanked
underneath by the rebound valve which operates
downwards. The external row is blanked by the inlet
valve which opens upwards. Hydraulic shock absorbers
fitted since March 1959 are provided w i t h a vapour
pocket bleeder from the cylinder exterior. The bleeder
device comprises a  capillary 
hole 12 interconnecting the
inner cylinder 15 with the  upper chamber 10 and also a
passage tube  16 from the upper chamber to the fluid
reservoir. Any vapour pockets in the pressure cylinder
are excluded  past the capillary hole 12 into the chamber
10 from  which they flow downwards during shock
absorber operation through the passage 16 in a light
fluid stream and  up to the top of the reservoir with the
reservoir fluid.
Dismantling and inspection:
Normally during service if a shock absorber becomes
weak in operation then a new unit should be fitted.
Should however, it be necessary for the original unit to
be overhauled proceed as follows:
1  Thoroughly clean the outer casing in petrol and  blow
dry using a compressed air jet.
2 Firmly clamp the  lower shank of the shock absorber
in a vice and telescope upwards the outer casing  and
using Fiat wrench A.56024  unscrew the upper
threaded ring 3 (see FIG 8:11).
3 Remove the shock absorber from the vice and carefully
remove the inner cylinder 15 using a screwdriver
inserted in the cylinder bottom chamfer and  remove
the lower plug 32 which carries the compression and
compensation valves.
4 Push the rod i n t o the cylinder 15 and clamp the upper
shank in a vice. Unscrew the plug 29, and carefully
remove the piston 22 together with  the  inlet and
rebound valves. Withdraw the rod 2 from the cylinder
15 and  remove the seal gasket, the housing, and
threaded ring. Thoroughly wash  all parts in petrol and
carefully blow dry using a c
ompressed air jet. The
following parts should be inspected as follows.
Check that the inlet, rebound and compensation valve
discs are not deformed or show signs of cracking.
F50093 Inspect the surfaces of the piston, the seal ring and the
compression valve to ensure that they are smooth and
hydraulic fluid tight. Check that the  rebound and
compression valve springs and upper seal gasket
springs are not broken or weak.  Carefully inspect the
t w o seal gaskets for damage or wear and it is recom-
mended that they are renewed upon reassembly.
Check that the  rod  and  the cylinders show no sign of
deformation and that the  air pocket evacuating
passage is not blocked. Also check that the  capillary
hole 12 is not blocked. Any parts which show signs
of wear or damage  must be renewed.
Reassembly:
Reassembly of the shock absorber is the reverse
procedure to dismantling. Special care must be taken
when refilling the shock absorber w i t h Fiat SA1  oil
otherwise its operating characteristics will be altered.
The hydraulic fluid capacity for the front shock
absorbers is .112 imperial quarts.
The hydraulic capacity for the rear  shock absorbers is
.088 imperial quarts. Only Fiat—SA1 oil must be
used.
To insert the components into the shock absorber
body proceed as follows:
1 Mount the piston on the rod, and insert the piston and
rod assembly into the cylinder 15  (see FIG 8:11).
2 Push the piston against the  bush  11  and then very
carefully pour the correct amount of  hydraulic fluid
up to about j  inch from the edge.
3   Press  f i t  t h e  plug 32 and pour the remaining fluid  into
the casing 14.
4 Insert the cylinder 15 into the casing 14 and tighten
the upper threaded ring 3.
8 :8  Front suspension assembly and installation
1 Attach Fiat fixture A.66061 to the springs as shown
in FIG 8:12 and  load  it using the centre screw on the
fixture until the index 'Nuova 500' appears below
the crossbeam lower edge.  It is in this position the
spring attains the full static load setting as on the FIG 8:13  Installing  right  front wheel  hub cap by tool
A.66059TOOL
A.66059 
Page 87 of 128

FIG 8:14 Swing arm setting
car. Ensure t h a t the  upper elastic supports on the
studs projecting from the underside of the vehicle
body are correctly located and insert the spring. Fit
the two support lower caps w i t h elastic pads and
screw onto the stud nuts to a torque wrench setting
of 28.9 Ib/ft.
2  Assemble the brake housing flange onto the steering
knuckle and tighten the nuts to  a torque wrench
setting of 14.5 Ib/ft.
3  Assemble the roller bearings and seal into the drum
hub. Pack the bearings and fill the recess between the
bearings w i t h Fiat  MR3 grease or an equivalent, and
lightly smear the stub axle. Fit the drum assembly over
the stub axle and  replace the washer and nut. Note
that from vehcle number 043624 the  righthand  hub
has a  lefthand thread, the nut being identified by a
circular groove on the outside face.  On hubs locked
with a splitpin, tighten the nut to 21.7 Ib/ft, back it off
by approximately 60 deg.  (one flat)  and fit the splitpin.
On the later pattern hub, with no splitpin, fit a  new nut
and make sure it screws in freely. Tighten it to 14.5
Ib/ft, while rocking the  hub four or five times to make
sure the  bearing  is properly seated. Undo the nut
completely, then tighten it again to 5.1 Ib/ft. Back it
off 30 deg.  (half a flat)  and lock it by staking the rim
into the stub axle spline. Hub end play should  be
.001 to .0039 inch.
4 Using  Fiat tool A.66059 as shown in FIG 8:13,
reassemble the cap to the hub. Also reassemble the
steering  knuckle to the kingpin housing replacing
the t w o  upper 
thrust rings, the snap ring and the
lower packing ring whose thickness has already been
selected as detailed in Section 8:6 to take up any
play between the knuckle and the kingpin housing.
Secure the steering knuckle pin with the cotter.
5 Reconnect the swinging  arm to the wheel assembly
using the special  nut and bolt. The nut must be
screwed onto the bolt A (see FIG 8:14), by arranging
the  parts so that the  angle  between the  arm  plane
and the kingpin housing is approximately 95 deg. as
shown in FIG 8:14. Tighten the nut to a torque
wrench setting of 39.8 Ib/ft.
94
Key to  Fig 8:15(9° = Kingpin  housing castor angle) FIG 8:15  Section through steering knuckle and  leaf
spring mounting at kingpin 
Page 88 of 128

VERTICAL  LINE DB
S
EB
OIL  SUMPF
GF
FIG 8:16 Castor, camber angles
6 Insert the swinging arm pin onto the two studs that
are welded  to the  body sides so as to support the
front suspension and wheel assembly.
7 Reconnect the kingpin housing to the spring eye by
inserting the bolt and tightening the self-locking nut
to a torque wrench setting of 28.9 Ib/ft. It is important
that during this operation the spring is always kept
in the 'set' position by fixture A.66061  so as to
ensure correct assembly and prevent excessive strain
on the 'estendblocks'.
8  Slide off the swinging arm and insert the  spacers and
shims S (see FIG 8:16) onto  the studs ensuring
that the resulting thickness is the same as was found
during dismantling. Reattach the swinging arm.
Screw on the nuts securing the pin to the body and
tighten to a torque wrench setting of 28.9 Ib/ft.
9  Refit the shock absorber securing it to the kingpin
housing and to the body inserting the plain washer
between the rubber pad and the toothed washer.
10 Carefully remove Fiat fixture A.66061, connect the
steering rods, hydraulic brake pipes and refit wheels.
Remove the wooden plug from the brake fluid tank
inlet opening.  Carefully raise the vehicle using a
garage hydraulic jack, remove the axle stands and
lower slowly to the ground.
11  When both left- and righthand suspension units have
been  refitted  to the vehicle the front end steering
geometry must be checked and adjusted.
8:9 Steering geometry
Checking of the front wheel geometry is necessary
95
F500
if either excessive tyre wear or irregular steering per-
formance is noticed or if the front suspension assembly
has been dismantled for repair. The values for the front
end setting under a normal static load normally con-
sidered to comprise four passengers should be as
follows:
Camber angle — 1 d e g . ± 20'
Castor angle  —  9 deg.± 1 deg.
The camber angle shown in FIG 8:14 and the castor
angle shown  in FIG 8 : 1 6 adjustments are performed by
inserting shims S (see FIG 8 : 1 6 ) between the swinging
arm pin and the spacers on the studs that are welded to
the body at points D and E (see FIG 8:16). Shims .0197
inch thick are supplied in service to enable the castor and
camber angles to  be adjusted.
It is suggested that the castor and camber angles are
checked at the local agents as specialised equipment is
necessary for completion of these checks.
Adjustment of castor angle:
Slacken the t w o nuts securing the swinging arm pin
to the body and  proceed  as follows:
1  If the castor angle  requires to  be  increased (see FIG
8:16)  move the shims S from the rear  screw E to the
front screw D.
2  If the castor angle requires to  be reduced  (see FIG
8:16)  move the shims from the front screw D to the
rear  screw E.
Adjustment of camber angle:
Slacken the t w o nuts securing the swinging arm pin DE
A
C 
Page 89 of 128

to the  body and  proceed  as follows:
1  If the camber angle requires to be increased (see FIG
8:16)  add the same number of shims S on  both
screws D and E.
2  If the camber angle requires to be reduced (see FIG
8:16)  remove the same number of shims from both
screws D and E.
The addition or removal  of shims at the t w o points D
and E permits camber adjustment to  be  made without
any disturbing  of the castor angle.
8:10 Modifications
Checking and adjusting castor and  camber angles:
When checking the castor and camber angle the
static loading should  be such that the distance between
the semi-elliptic spring mountings G (see FIG 8:16)
and the floor level to be approximately 6.81 inches, also a
distance between the lowermost portion of the sump and
the floor level  of approximately 6.14 inch for the Model
500D. For the 500 Station Wagon version the distance
between centre rear  bracket for jacking-up the vehicle
and the floor level should be approximately 8.90 inches.
All other front wheel alignment specifications are the
same as for the remaining 500 saloon  models.
8:11 Fault diagnosis
(a) Wheel bounce
1 Tyre casing faulty
2  Uneven tyre pressures
3  Wheels out of balance
4 Semi-elliptic mounting spring worn5 Weak or seized shock absorber
6 Wheel rim or tyre misaligned
(b) Suspension noise
1 Lack of lubrication
2 Noisy or inoperative shock absorbers
3 Worn or loose wheel bearings
(c) Pull to one side
1 Low or uneven tyre pressures
2 Incorrect front wheel alignment
3 Suspension arms distorted
4  Inoperative shock absorbers
5 Brakes binding
(d) Excessive t y r e wear
1 Incorrect tyre rotation during servicing periods
2 Incorrect camber angle
3 Incorrect toe-in
4 Incorrect tyre inflation
5 Excessive play at wheel bearings
6 Wheel wobble
7 Stiff suspension arms
8  Brakes out of adjustment
(e) Wheel wobble
1 Uneven tyre pressures
2 Loose or worn wheel bearings
3 Inoperative shock absorbers
4 Loose steering knuckle or kingpin housing
5 Incorrect front wheel alignment
6 Control arm rubber bushings, or kingpin housing and
semi-elliptic spring 'estendblock' worn
96 
Page 90 of 128

CHAPTER 9
THE STEERING SYSTEM
9 : 5 Relay lever and support
9 : 6 Steering rods
9 : 7 Front wheel toe-in
9 : 8 Fault diagnosis 9:1 Description
9 : 2 Steering wheel removal and refitting
9 : 3 Steering box removal and refitting
9 : 4 Steering box dismantling  and reassembly
9:1 Description
The steering gear fitted to the new 500 range of
vehicles is of the worm screw and sector type with a
steering ratio of 1:13. The steering gearbox is located on
the front lefthand side of the dash wall on the scuttle as
shown in FIG 9:1. The steering gear comprises a pitman
arm and relay lever pivoting on a pin supported on the
body. A central track rod connects the pitman arm to the
relay lever. T w o track rods connect the pitman arm and
relay lever to the knuckle arms.
9:2 Steering wheel removal and refitting
To remove the steering wheel proceed as follows:
1 Disconnect the battery positive terminal  clamp and
remove the  horn control  from the steering wheel.
2 Remove the cable from the push button seating and the
cable insulation sleeve.
3  Using a suitably sized  box spanner or Fiat wrench
A.8279 unscrew the steering wheel to shaft nut as
shown in FIG 9:2.
4  Using the palm of the hands against the back of the
steering wheel rim gently tap the steering wheel
forwards so releasing it from the inner shaft.
F50097 5 Reassembly is the reverse procedure to dismantling.
Care should be taken to ensure that the front wheels
are located in the straight ahead position when the
steering wheel is being replaced otherwise the steering
wheel spokes will not be correctly positioned.
9 : 3 Steering box removal and refitting
To remove the steering  box from the vehicle proceed
as follows:
1 From inside the vehicle remove the steering column
clamp bolt 6  (see FIG 9 : 3) after flattening the  lock-
washer 7.
2 From the underside of the vehicle remove the t w o
tie rod locking nuts from the pitman arm and then using
Fiat tool  A.46006 or a suitable t w o leg puller withdraw
the pins from the seats.
3 Remove the three nuts holding the steering box to the
body panel.  Ease out the worm screw from the
steering shaft and  lift away the steering box.
4  To refit the steering  box is the reverse procedure to
dismantling. The steering box to body mounting nuts
should be tightened to a torque wrench setting of
14 Ib/ft to 18 Ib/ft.