Steering box got loose
Flexing at the steering box mount is not uncommon (although it's not "normal" either), and the stock steering box mounts can and do crack. If the box is flexing about the mount is probably cracked. The steering box mount on my '74 Duster was cracked in several places where the welds gave up, and even the mount itself was cracked. The steering box flexed noticeably from side to side when the wheel was turned. If the wrong bolts were installed and the steering box has been moving around for awhile I would expect that you probably have some cracked welds at the steering box mount. The steering wheel is crooked now because the steering box isn't in the same place now as it was when your alignment was done.
I box in the entire steering box mount when I seam weld the K-frames on my cars to reinforce them.
Pictures of the steering box mount in my Duster (before I fixed it)
This one was already clamped and tacked in the picture, but the crack runs the whole length of the weld between the arrows. It would open up a good 1/4" when the wheel was turned.
Like a dummy I didn't take any pictures of the K frame after I boxed and reinforced it, but here's how I box in the steering mount. The card stock is the pattern for the 1/8" plate I use to box the mount in. Just a triangular shape for the bottom of the mount, kind of a triangle with a rounded upper section that gets folded over for the front.
Flexing at the steering box mount is not uncommon (although it's not "normal" either), and the stock steering box mounts can and do crack. If the box is flexing about the mount is probably cracked. The steering box mount on my '74 Duster was cracked in several places where the welds gave up, and even the mount itself was cracked. The steering box flexed noticeably from side to side when the wheel was turned. If the wrong bolts were installed and the steering box has been moving around for awhile I would expect that you probably have some cracked welds at the steering box mount. The steering wheel is crooked now because the steering box isn't in the same place now as it was when your alignment was done.
I box in the entire steering box mount when I seam weld the K-frames on my cars to reinforce them.
Pictures of the steering box mount in my Duster (before I fixed it)
This one was already clamped and tacked in the picture, but the crack runs the whole length of the weld between the arrows. It would open up a good 1/4" when the wheel was turned.
Like a dummy I didn't take any pictures of the K frame after I boxed and reinforced it, but here's how I box in the steering mount. The card stock is the pattern for the 1/8" plate I use to box the mount in. Just a triangular shape for the bottom of the mount, kind of a triangle with a rounded upper section that gets folded over for the front.