steering wheel centering

[bigchillcar]

Swapped in a three-spoke oem wheel in my '74 and it won't get precisely centered with the road wheels. Based on how the splines link up, it's either a couple degrees left or right. Myself and members of this BBS would likely be the only humans to even notice, but I want it right.

Looks like the trick is too loosen the bolt/nut just above the u-joint in the smuggler's box. There's a black plastic cover extending from behind the instrument panel, etc. that makes access difficult. It's a little stubborn to try and remove, so I'm trying to do the job bending up a little to gain access with two 13 mm wrenches. Will this solve the problem?
Ryan

[Rot 911]

A much easier way is to adjust your toe on both tires the same amount. For example adjust both of them so the tires turn 1/8" to the left if the wheel needs to go to the right. This means turning on side toe in and one side toe out.

[bigchillcar]

Kurt,
Will I need any special equipment? Does it take an alignment shop? I'll run a search thread on how to...
Thanks,
Ryan

[Rot 911]

Shouldn't take you 5 minutes using two wrenches. You don't even need to jack the car up. Slide your head under the car from behind one of the front tires. Look for your outer tie rod (the one closest to the tire). Here is an exploded diagram:

Loosen up nut "A". Edit: you will probably need to loosen up the unmarked nut also. Now using a wrench on the flat portion of the rod which I marked B you can turn the rod in either direction. One way will make the front of the tire turn in and the other way will make it turn out. Just make sure you turn the outer tie rod on each side the same amount. I would start with 1/2 turn. NOTE: to keep your alignment correct turn one tie rod in 1/2 turn in and the other out 1/2 turn. So if you were looking down at the tops of the front tires they would go from this: l l to this: / / Get it? When done remember to tighten the nut back up.

[bigchillcar]

Ah...very nice, Kurt! I think I understand. If I center the wheel while driving, the car attempts to pull to the right. So, I should try to adjust by turning the driver's side tie rod in a direction 'out' (1/2 turn) and the passenger side tie rod (1/2 turn) in. Tighten 'em up and road test...if still pulling, but not as much, try another half a degree each?
Ryan

[Noel]

I see worn front tires in your future.

[BGCarrera32]

It's a little stubborn to try and remove, so I'm trying to do the job bending up a little to gain access with two 13 mm wrenches.

Look further down the line and there is another one right under the smugglers box cover where the rack attaches to the shaft. Go at that one- much easier to access. Make *darned* sure you get it tightened back up properly after adjusting or you may lose steering control (duh).

If you center your wheel while driving and it pulls right, doesn't necessarily mean your toe is off, especially if it was fine with your old wheel. I wouldn't mess with the alignment...

[bigchillcar]

Noel,
Yes, reflecting on this I have the same concern. Is there something I should concurrently or do you recommend my alternative and adjust the steering linkage above the u-joint?
Ryan

[Rot 911]

Ah Ryan, don't be such a big chicken! I have done all my own alignments with no problems. Keep in mind, if you do exactly as I described the toe doesn't actually change. You have just changed the relationship to the steering wheel. If you doubt my methods, I can only say I base them on a guide that I and others on this board have used. I would be willing to say my alignments are probably as good as what you will find at most alignment shops if not better.

[bigchillcar]

BGC32,
Yep, the bolt below the u-joint. I tried it before the upper, but may have given up prematurely. The lower part is splined together for tightness, but the upper isn't...I figured if I could loosen the upper nut it would turn easier than the more resisting splined lower one. Should I try again and loosen more, even if I have to pull them apart in order to turn a few degrees?
Ryan

[bigchillcar]

Kurt,
Yes, I just finished reading the thread a little while ago about Ray Scruggs alignment booklet we got from RoninLB. I think I see what you mean, the front wheels will track straight regardless, as long as what you do on one side is matched on the other side, then only the relation to the steering wheel (desired) changes.
Ryan

[Wavey]

Kurt's right, you're not changing the alignment, you're just rotating the steering column relative to the tie rods. The toe-in stays the same.

The job can be made easier by making a chalk mark (while driving) on the steering wheel hub and the turn signal switch cover to indicate where the steering wheel is when the car is going straight down the road. Then when you're back in the shop, just get this mark aligned again, and adjust the tierods until the steering wheel is centered.

[BGCarrera32]

Moving your tie rods relative to each other is no biggie, its just A LOT easier to hit that u-joint on the column IMO. I don't recall if my lower one is splined but if it is I stand corrected.

My upper one really cracked loose fairly easy, but I had the cover removed for access. Then just rotate the wheel a tad once that bolt is loose...might help to have an assistant observe the shaft once you've loosend your culprit to make sure it doesn't rotate as you're rotating the wheel for centering...

I had to loosen these guys up when I put my bump steer spacers in to raise the rack when I lowered my car.

[Wavey]

Isn't everything on the steering column splined? I might be wrong about that...

The difference between the two methods is that the splines limit you to fixed choices, none of which may be right, whereas the tierods are infinitely adjustable and you can get it exactly right.

[targa911man]

I have had great success using the "Home Alignment" guide Kurt pictures.

[Boss]

I don't think you are going to be able to fix your problem a the u-joint. The pinch bolt goes through a groove milled in the shaft so there is only one relative position of shaft and u-joint where the bolt will go in. This also serves to prevent the shaft from coming out of the u-joint unless the bolt is removed.

As others have noted, the correct fix is adjusting the tie rods.

[bigchillcar]

Thanks, Boss,
I was wondering if it mattered which approach I took in the overal scheme of things. I'm glad to know that if that bolt fails, something will try to hold it all together, so in retrospect I'm glad I couldn't get that method to work without going to a whole lot of trouble.

I should be able to do this job this evening. Toe for my '74 should be 0 degrees, so as long as I keep the adjustments equal, total toe will remain (assuming which I am that it's set correctly right now...haven't noted any unusual tire wear patterns).
Ryan

[ron69912t]

Ryan:
Why not take off your steering wheel again and move it over a notch or two on its spline, in the right direction, then re-install it?

Ron D

[bigchillcar]

UPDATE:

Guys, thanks for all the help...the job is done and the wheel/road wheels are straight! I found that I had to use my hydraulic jack/jack stands to be able to get good access (6'2" and 240lbs don't fit too well underneath). So, I loosened the tie rod bolts and wound up needing only a half turn on each side...tried a whole turn at first and everything was offset to the opposite side! Anyway, after I figured out that the inner bolts are turned the same direction as the outer (after wd-40, torch...duh) things went quickly.

While underneath, I removed the stone guard to find one of my boots had come loose on one end on my rack and pinion unit...good opportunity to clean, repack and tie clip back in place. No telling how long it had been that way.

Ron:
That was the forst thing I tried when I first installed the wheel, but there was no 'center'..it was either a couple degrees left or right no matter what splines I used.
Ryan