Steering Wheel Help

[Saltydog]

I installed a new steering box on my 82 this weekend. I say weekend because it took me that long. When putting back together; I aligned wheels, pitman arm, high point on steering box. Only problem is that I had the steering wheel locked. Well as you might expect the wheel is at a half turn to the left look when the car is rolling in the straight foward direction.

My question is..
Is there more than one way to center the steering wheel than taking the steering box off and turning the steering wheel straight and remounting.
I'll tell you it is not an easy 2 hour job for me.

Help if you can
It will be appreciated.
Saltydog

 

[mrvette]

Assuming the idler arm and the pitman arm are pointing straight back toward the rear of the car when wheel is in 'centered' position, you just need lengthen one tie rod by loosinging the clamps and adjusting it, and shorten the other one....

if the arms are NOT pointing straight back, you need to effective loosen the steering wheel and reinstall the flex/rag joint onto the column, maybe possible the box....
for some reason, I can't remember if it was my '72 vette here or another GM car, but it's possible to get that rag joint installed off 90*....

you know, it sounds stupid, BUT, you may want to jack up the front end before doing anything, and seeing the exaxt wheel center agrees with the turn signal cancelling motion, you know, when the wheel flips straight again, the cam in there flips the turn signal off automatically, THAT function should be perfectly symmetrical in its function both right side and left side, IF that don't agree with what you think is wheel straight ahead, someone got that wheel on rong....either on the shaft, or maybe even the wheel on the column hub, hard to do, I agree, but you never know......

GENE

 

[Saltydog]

Hi Gene

Thanks for a reply.

If I lengthen the tie rod method, Will I need a front end alignment ??

Do you know if the steering colunm can be unbolted enough to slide the rag joint apart. Then turn the wheel correctly slide the rag joint backtogether and bolt it
up. I believe your comment about the rag joint being out 90 degrees might be what happened. also the directional signal left turn doesn't function properly as you also stated.

Thanks
Saltydog

 

[wishuwerehere82]

Park the car with the car going straight, unbolt the rag joint and center the steering wheel. Put the bolts back in.
Time= 20 minutes.

 

[bobs77vet]

why not just take off the steering wheel and recenter it? depending on far off it is it may not let your blinkers cancel themselves, but thats all i can think of

 

[wishuwerehere82]

Re doing the rag joint bolts is easier.

 

[joe1975]

I did that rag joint thing,the bolts make it look like they only go one way but just switch them around

 

[bobs77vet]

when we put in the steeroids system my rag joint was a PITA to remove and generally do anything with the bolts were frozen etc etc etc . we even let them soak to no avail...