Steering wheel upside down...

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Logan

Logan

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I rebuilt the front end on my '71 Dart Swinger. Got everything back together and the 3-spoke steering wheel seems upside down to me. Seems it would be easier to read the instruments if one spoke was pointed down instead of straight up. Will the steering wheel spline allow it to be rotated 180 degrees?
 
Yeah you're not supposed to have a spoke up in center. I don't know how it went back together 1/2 round wrong but there are a couple different places it can happen.
You'll first need to rotate the steering gear end to end and finds its center then see where the steering wheel is and where the tires are aimed in relation to center of the gearbox.
 
RedFish said:
Yeah you're not supposed to have a spoke up in center. I don't know how it went back together 1/2 round wrong but there are a couple different places it can happen.
You'll first need to rotate the steering gear end to end and finds its center then see where the steering wheel is and where the tires are aimed in relation to center of the gearbox.
Click to expand...

Example: 4.5 turns from lock to lock, divide in half and that should be where the steering wheel goes on.
THEN, the rest of the steering components are supposed to be adjusted for wheels facing straight ahead.
Almost no one does it, but this is the correct way.
(It's also why alignment shops tie or lock the steering wheel straight before they start the adjustments of the alignment.)

Also if it's not done this way your turn signal cancel cam is out of place, and turns your signals off in strange places in relationship to the centering of the steering after coming out of a corner.
 
Disconnect/Open up the steering coupler and rotate the steeringwheel to it's original position (after checking everything is in spec on the steeringlinkage ofcourse).
 
As I recall, the stock steering wheel will only go on the column one way, there is a master spline that has to line up.

At least on my car, the pot coupler has a notch on the end of it that is supposed to line up with the master spline on the box, but the coupler doesn't have a master spline and can go on anywhere. If that isn't line up, the steering wheel will be off. Shouldn't take anything more than pulling the column and lining the master spline up with the notch in the coupler.

No need to count turns, any other rotation needs to be taken care of with the tie-rods.
 
Thanks everyone for your input.

I have a '74 K member ('71 car) and Firm Feel power steering box and fast ratio pitman/idler arms. (All parts are 'new' to the car.)

When I crank all the way to the right, the nub on the right spindle stops rotation against the lower control arm. When cranking all the way left, the left nub contacts the left LCA. Total steering wheel rotation between L & R is 2.5 turns. Rotating the steering wheel 1.25 turns from either end has the steering wheel spoke 'up' and the wheels straight ahead.

Thanks TrailBeast for bringing up directional signals. I notice the signals will not cancel except for really sharp turns which suggests steering shaft is 180 degrees out.

It looks like BigBlockMopar's recommendation should fix my problem although I never took the coupler apart.

Thanks again.
 
Logan said:
Thanks everyone for your input.

I have a '74 K member ('71 car) and Firm Feel power steering box and fast ratio pitman/idler arms. (All parts are 'new' to the car.)

When I crank all the way to the right, the nub on the right spindle stops rotation against the lower control arm. When cranking all the way left, the left nub contacts the left LCA. Total steering wheel rotation between L & R is 2.5 turns. Rotating the steering wheel 1.25 turns from either end has the steering wheel spoke 'up' and the wheels straight ahead.

Thanks TrailBeast for bringing up directional signals. I notice the signals will not cancel except for really sharp turns which suggests steering shaft is 180 degrees out.

It looks like BigBlockMopar's recommendation should fix my problem although I never took the coupler apart.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Some shafts have a locating spline as DionR said but some don't, so you may very well be able to pop it off and just spin it around. (my 73 Swinger does not have a locating splined shaft) so I was able to put the wheel wherever I wanted.
 
I wouldn't take the coupler apart. I've never done it, but I hear they can be a bear to get the seal retainer back on.

Center up your steering and pull the column and coupler together. Turn your steering wheel until it is right and slide it back on the box. Since you have it together and it isn't square now, I doubt you will have a master spline that needs to be lined up.

If there is a master spline on the box, and a notch on the couple, line those up, otherwise just eyeball it.

The notch can be seen at the very end of the coupler in this picture. Almost looks like the couple got bonked, but it is supposed to be there. Not certain it is in all cases, but it was on mine.

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I think (ut am not certain) that the box has a master spline but the coupler does not. Thus, they can be assembled any way you want. But the notch is supposed to line up with the master spline on the box.
 
when assembling the steering shaft the little notch in the outer coupling body ( always denoting its master spline inside ) should be in line with the master spline at upper/wheel end of the shaft.
I haven't seen a shaft that didn't come with a master spline but I have filed a few master splines away so I could put the wheel on at any position I need.
 
RedFish said:
when assembling the steering shaft the little notch in the outer coupling body ( always denoting its master spline inside ) should be in line with the master spline at upper/wheel end of the shaft.
I haven't seen a shaft that didn't come with a master spline but I have filed a few master splines away so I could put the wheel on at any position I need.
Click to expand...

Mine has a small groove/notch in the end of the shaft and one on the hub for centering but no locating spline.
I recently replaced my steering wheel with an aftermarket (Forever Sharp) and it came with a new hub specific to this model and year that didn't have a locator spline either.
 
You cannot just make adjustment to correct a wheel or column that is installed incorrectly on the gear box.
The teeth on the pitman shaft & the worm gear ball nut are designed to be centered properly. The teeth can be of different depth & angles(variable ratio) for straight line stability & to reduce road shock & kickback. If it's not correctly centered & you try to compensate by just adjusting tie rods you will not have the proper position in the box & this can also affect the steering lash.
You gotta line up the column & the steering shaft on the box. Tie rods are for toe adjustment & minor adjustment to center the wheel.
 
Thanks for all the comments on my original post. Thought I'd provide a follow up for anyone in the future performing a 'search' for steering wheel, column, coupler or roll pin.

I ended up getting the coupler rebuild kit from ebay and pulling the column. I painted the coupler and stopped there so it could dry and I plan to reassemble tomorrow.

There are two 'blow up' drawings floating around on FABO showing the coupler. One shows a tiny pin that holds the assembly together- the other dosen't. I didn't know this pin existed and wondered why it wouldn't come apart. I searched FABO and learned of its existence and how it had to be pushed out of the coupler body from the inside. With the power brake booster in the way this seemed difficult until I remembered having a brake adjuster tool in my box. I slipped it in, rocked it back and out it came.

Another tool that helped remove the large roll pin was a 2' long piece of 3/8" rebar with one end ground down to slightly less than the roll pin diameter. Aim the car's wheels straight ahead, place the tool into the center of the roll pin hole and tap away. There is a land that the tool can contact if it isn't centered so if the roll pin doesn't come out easily, it isn't centered. No need for heavy hammer blows.

My car has master splines in the pitman arm, steering wheel and coupler so I expect to cure the upside down steering wheel by assembling the steering-shaft-to-coupler 180 degrees from previous.
 

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You may be set for a cursing session. If you very very carefully removed the original cap from that coupler you could reuse/reinstall it. Creating the "bottle cap like" crimping on the new replacement cap isn't easy. Worst case scenario... You think its good to go, then while driving the roll pin back in, the cap jumps off. Good luck
 
I've read here on the forum somewhere, you can replace that silly coupler and install a Borgesen u joint. look up Borgesen steering on the web, there is a whole list of steering components. i'v got mien all apart, might go that route myself. just wondering about vibration and flexibility, as the old coupler has a in and out movement. this might have something to do with suspension compensation..?
 
Just to help anyone with a similar problem... Turns out the pitman arm wasn't clocked properly as Dano suggested. The Firm Feel pitman arm doesn't have a master spline and I had it a couple of teeth off. Because the 'fast ratio' pitman arm was longer than standard, it allowed the wheels to turn hard left and hard right BUT the box wasn't centered with the wheels straight ahead. Once it was clocked properly, the steering wheel and tires were both straight and the tie rod ends had an equal amount of exposed threads.

As for keeping the coupler cover from coming off, I installed the coupler on the steering shaft with the column out of the car. It's relatively easy to get the cover on tight on the work bench. Then, I just pointed the wheels straight ahead slid it on the master spline with the steering wheel spokes positioned properly.

Thanks to all who commented.
 
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