Centering steering wheel

Good afternoon guys,

I've got a 1996 Caprice sedan with a pretty complete service history showing that the steering box has been replaced somewhere along the line. As it stands, the steering wheel is, I would guess, a good 30 degrees off center (to the right).

I put the car in the air and was all set to center the wheel with tie rod adjustment, but the sleeves realllyyy do not want to turn (Ohio car). So I got to thinking a couple of things:

1) This is an awful lot of adjustment to be made with the tie rods (could run low on threads). Especially given the fact that I cannot turn them !

2) Is the input shaft / rag joint indexed? Would it be easier to just pull separate the rag joint and put it back together with the wheel straight?


Thanks in advance for your input!

I would check the steering box for centering first. The Pittman arm should point straight front and back with the wheels pointed straight ahead (car going straight). If that is true, the steering wheel is on crooked. The input shaft is keyed with a flat on the shaft (missing teeth corresponding with the intermediate shaft). You can not adjust the alignment of the rag joint. The Pittman arm is keyed to the output shaft of the gearbox. You can also measure the length of both tierods, and compare them. They should be about equal lengths. Another test is to turn the wheel to the left and right with the corresponding turn signal engaged. The turn signal should cancel at about the same place in both directions (ignoring the position of the steering wheel). If this is true you need only to pull the steering wheel when the car is going straight, and put it back on with the center at the top. The steering wheel is not keyed to the column, and can be mounted in the wrong orientation.

To add to Fred's post, the box may be internally damaged. If you mark and count the rotation of the input shaft lock to lock, you can find the center of travel. At that point, the pitman arm should be parallel with the centerline of the vehicle.

This relationship has to be right, because these boxes are variable ratio.

Rev Bob wrote:

To add to Fred's post, the box may be internally damaged. If you mark and count the rotation of the input shaft lock to lock, you can find the center of travel. At that point, the pitman arm should be parallel with the centerline of the vehicle.

This relationship has to be right, because these boxes are variable ratio.

The boxes are not variable ratio. Some are variable feel (FW & RM). They are recirculating ball, and the sector cannot change radius or the balls will bind. The tightest point is at center. because there is pressure on one side or the other of the shaft any time it is off center, which is when the car is turning. The caster puts the pressure on the unit because it tries to make the car go straight, and the slack is no longer a factor, when it is on center, the slack must be at a minimum to keep the wheel from having a dead spot (and they all seem to have a dead spot).

I was told that the gear in my 96 RMW was variable ratio, and it had variable assist.

There are lots of variable ratio GM recirculating ball steering gears, commonly at 16 one and progressively going to about 13 to 1, IIRC

I got my gear from Lee Power Steering and had the it changed to fixed ratio 14 to 1 and with a stiffer torsion bar for more feel and it is wonderful with the variable effort removed.

I think the variable rate gears are in most of the 3-3.5 turn lock to lock cars and trucks.

Here is a typical Lee variable rate GM Saginaw gear.  Not sure if it is the same exact model as mine was, but it does have variable rate.

Thanks for the quick replies gentlemen! The turn signal test is a great idea - I need to pay attention on my way home today.

I took a quick look under the car last night and the pitman & idler arm look pretty straight & parallel to one another when the road wheels are pointed straight (steering wheel crooked). I need to get down there with a helper in the drivers seat to move the wheel a little bit to compare how straight the arms look with the steering wheel straightened out to better judge this.

The tie rods were 'interesting'. They were pretty close to even - judging by how many threads were exposed from the sleeves - basically 10-12 threads on the inner and outer side on both sides of the car, with the exception of the drivers side outer tie rod showing more like 15 threads. Seems weird to me that a given inner and outer side would not be even, but it is what it is. This is a 60K mile car and everything underneath looks original, so maybe that is how they built them that day.

So far everything is pointing to the steering wheel being off center - any tips on how to R&R it without having an airbag explode in

The airbag will not explode. When you remove the connector there is a shorting bar that keeps the bag from being energized. You need a steering wheel puller. Remove the screws holding the airbag from the back of the steering wheel, Then disconnect any electrical connectors. Remove the center nut (3/4"). Install the wheel puller and tighten the center screw until the wheel loosens. Center the wheel, and tighten the center bolt.

The length of the tierods is the important part. Measure them carefully, and write it down. The idler arm, and Pittman arm will always be parallel, because the system is called a parallelogram. The Pittman arm is the one that is important, because it should be (as stated above) parallel to the center axis of the frame when the car is steering straight.

If one tierod is longer than the other, I would assume that the steering wheel may be correct, and the tierods are not properly adjusted. That will show up in the turn signal cancel cam.

Fred, Thanks for all of the great information. I will get under the car again and perform a more precise measurement of the tie rod lengths. The turn signals cancel at a little over 90 degrees turned from straight ahead, so I think that is good news. If the tie rod length checks out, I will be R&Ring the steering wheel.

I had to take the RMW to wake/funeral today and drove separately from DW as there are going to be a lot her family stuff going on after. We got together midlife so I will just be hearing old stories from a time I wasn't involved.

Anyway it is a very rainy do here so had to use the wipers a lot and lots of different speeds.

It reminded me that the spec for steering wheel center is not straight IIRC. It is a number of degrees turned to the right. I set mine to the spec and I found out why it is that way. With it slightly turned you can see the multifuncition left lever with turn signals, wipers, washers, and cruise control. With it straight up you can't see that lever.

Take a look and see if yours is similar for your driving position.

68JCode wrote:

Fred, Thanks for all of the great information.  I will get under the car again and perform a more precise measurement of the tie rod lengths.  The turn signals cancel at a little over 90 degrees turned from straight ahead, so I think that is good news.  If the tie rod length checks out, I will be R&Ring the steering wheel.

It appears that you have found the issue. Recentering the steering wheel is the easiest solution at this point. The rest is a matter of adjustment. The tierod with more threads may have the turnbuckle off center, and the only way that can be rectified is to pull one end, and turn the turnbuckle off of the short thread end, and equal amount on to the tireod with the excess threads. A PITA, but not major issue. You can even leave it where it is until you ever need to replace the tierods.

Well, I learned something today. Pulled the steering wheel and discovered it is indexed to the column as well. There is a 'flat' spot on the splines and also indexing marks on the shaft and hub that strongly encourage you to only install the wheel one way. There is a window in the hub for the airbag harness to pass through and if you start moving the wheel a spline or two things can get pinched pretty quickly.

Anyway, looks like I am back to the tie rod adjustment - any tips on how to free these mothers up? I've already started the PB Blaster ritual, I am figuring on trying to 'spread' the sleeve by putting a cold chisel of appropriate size / taper in the slot and giving it a twist.

Thanks,

Andrew

If you need to put a lot of twist on the sleeve, you might want to consider a second person to "hold ' the tie rod with a tool. The rotating joints at the relay rod and the spindle can be damaged with too much twisting force. You might want to think about new assemblies. They are not that expensive (as these things go).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/264969526006

Try some "freeze-Off" and use it judiciously. You can use some computer "air in a can", but turn the can up side down so you get refrigerant (propellant).

Keep with the penetrating fluids

Buy/rent a tie rod sleeve tool

Don't be afraid to use heat

https://www.google.com/search?q=tie+rod+sleeve+tool&sxsrf=ALiCzsahNSUQfeWqBKNls6mL_QnF3HRaVw:1663291000440&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj20_TpkZj6AhXurYkEHVKkALYQ_AUoAnoECAIQBA&biw=1920&bih=1129&dpr=1

A large channel locks works as well as any tie rod sleeve tool. Be extremely careful with a torch if you have a lot of grease/oil/fluids on the underside of the car, it can cause a fire. Cold will do about the same thing, and is a lot safer. Put your penetrating oil on the day before working on it. The oil is flamable, so be careful with the heat. If one side is not symetrical to the other, take the "different" side apart and make it symetric with the "good" side, but remember to measure them, add the two together, then divide by 2 so you can have even lengths on both sides that puts the tires in the same toe setting.

When you get the wheel centered, take it to a shop for a "toe-n-go". If you trust a shop to do it right, you could take it there, and get the whole thing done as part of the "toe-n-go". They will probably want to charge you extra for taking the tierod apart, and reassembling it.

In my experience the sleeve tools help open the sleeve up, whereas a channel locks or anything else on the outside generally squeezes them together making it harder to turn. However I live in the rust belt, so it usually takes an acetylene torch to make the sleeve orange and then the sleeve tool to spin it with liberal application of penetrating oil. Yes, there are flames

If you grab it in the middle, you do not pinch it on the tierod ends. I am in FL, and rust is not an issue. I can usually turn mine with a pair of ordinary slip-jaw pliers, but the channel locks are easier, especially if they have nice big teeth that grab the split in the turnbuckle. There are also 4 "lumps" on the outside of the turn buckle for the channel locks to grab. If I were in the rustbelt, I would put anti-seize on the threads (all other bolts and nuts as well).