The person I bought my 69 from had an allignment done, per my request as condition of sale, but the steering wheel is upside down. It's a Grant after market wheel. I figured I would just pull it and reinstall it straight but there are 3 bolts so I can't turn it 180 deg. How did it get so out of wack and can "I" adjust it at home?

Sorry if this is a stupid question.

you can reclock the wheel by pulling the center nut...first, mark the shaft and adapter when the nut is off, at 12 oclock and 6 oclock...then use a puller to remove the adapter, and turn it 180 so the marks line up again...reinstall the nut, then wheel...

Thanks, I'll give that a try tomorrow

Look for a small mark on the shaft, it indicates 12 O'clock position straight up.

Thanks guys, It's straight now.

Chris and David:
My column is original. The spline that you talk about David, means that I can't pull the wheel and re-index it. It's gotta go where it came from. My favorite alignment shop knows this and has a tool for securing the wheel straight ahead prior to toe changes. Also the turn signal system conflicts with the bolts. And don't even ask about that damn snap ring! Too bad it's all still perfect.
Chris, do you have an after market column?

reindexing wont work cuz the shaft has 3 splines in it If memory serves me.
also if you could the turn signals would get all messed up. (cancel cam)

I am a bit confused. All GM 1969 columns were locking columns. You cannot reindex the steering wheel hub because the plastic horn tower that is sticking up through the locking plate in the column is at about the 11 o'clock position when the column is on center.

If you attempt to reclock your steering wheel hub, the horn tower won't line up with the clearance hole in the hub. Or your steering column won't be on center and your turn signals won't cancel properly.

BTW, a competent alignment shop should know how to center the gear, steering column, and steering wheel when they do a front end alignment.

This is a link to a paper that I authored on centering your steering system.
http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/SteeringSystemCenteringC3Rev18MY062.doc

JIML82

I have the same problem but, what I am wodering is if you can unbolt the rag joint at the steering box, rotate the column shaft 180* and bolt it back together. It has been sometime since I replaced my steering box but, as I recall there were 2 alignment pins and 2 bolts. Can this be done ?

I have the same problem but, what I am wodering is if you can unbolt the rag joint at the steering box, rotate the column shaft 180* and bolt it back together. It has been sometime since I replaced my steering box but, as I recall there were 2 alignment pins and 2 bolts. Can this be done ?

That's what I did on my 68. Don't undo the rag joint. Take it off the steering box spline.

The rag joint to the bos has a 3/8 bolt, and a 5/16, cannot flip it 180 deg. unless you drill out the smaller hole

And at least on my 68, as well as on my thirdgen steering box and ragjoint, the splines to the steering box are keyed, it will only go on in one position.

Some of the manual steering boxes are not indexed for the ragjoint and can spline in any orientation.

The rag joint to the bos has a 3/8 bolt, and a 5/16, cannot flip it 180 deg. unless you drill out the smaller hole

I think I read in another thread here that the Chinese repro ragjoints have the hole diameters backwards so that you can ONLY install it 180deg flipped.

JIML82, My steering column sits right now, with the plastic horn tube at 5 O'clock. My original wheel was upside down ! I am installing a Grant wheel, that for some reason seems to install correctly ! I have used three different wheels in the last nine years. (long story). I'm not sure why mine is working out but, it is !

get the wheels pointed straight ahead, and look at the Pitman and idler arms. they should be perfectly straight and parallel. if they are cocked off to one side or the other, take it in and get it PROPERLY aligned.
GM designed the parts so they go together only one way- the right way.

I hate to say it but if your plastic horn tower is coming out at the 5 o'clock position (with your roadwheels straight ahead, your turn signals will not be cancelling properly.

The OEM (Saginaw) flexible coupling had the 5/16 bolt and the 3/8 bolt with the same size shoulder shank. You should be able to swap the bolts and change the steering wheel orientation by 180 degrees. I need to emphasize that these two bolts must be shoulder bolts or they must pass through and clamp onto metal bushings.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/JIML82/FlexCplgAssyPic.jpg
JIML82

My turn signals work fine.

I did the 3rd gen swap, and the shaft coming out of the steering box does not have a flat spot at the 12 o'clock position. Is this a big deal? Since the coupler will only go one way, the bolt head does not wind up being at the 12 o'clock position. Does all that matter?
rj

I did the 3rd gen swap, and the shaft coming out of the steering box does not have a flat spot at the 12 o'clock position. Is this a big deal? Since the coupler will only go one way, the bolt head does not wind up being at the 12 o'clock position. Does all that matter?
rj

What does the coupler index from to make it only go on one way?
David

Hi David, it's never ending man, haha
The power steering box has a flat spot on the shaft, but is isn't at twelve o'clock, the coupler also has a flat spot, and it will only go on one way. I have it back on, and everything is straight, with the steering shaft index now at 12 o'clock, but it doesn't seem like it should have been that way. I had to rework it a tad. I guess it's going to be fine, I hope.
I swear, this has been the most complex modification I've ever been involved in. Nothing went on easy, NOTHING!!! I think it makes a huge difference when you didn't have power steering before the swap, and you have to round up all the parts from aftermarket stuff.
Anyway, have you heard of any 3rd gen boxes that are unusual like mine?
rj

Chris,

Let me simplify this for you. Whoever did you front end alignment had no idea what they were doing. You are relying on their set up and obviously they don't know. Take your car to another suspension shop, no professional alignment shop would have left you steering that far out, nor would they embarass them selves like that. You are making the assumption that they did everything correct except 1 thing. Promise you, that is not correct. Assume you car was never aligned.

A simple check is to measure the tie rod assy on each side. They should have a similar length, and the pitman arm should point straight forward.

The last late model box I worked on had a flat on one side. There are 3 different diameters of coupler and shafts that I know of, two power, and one manual.
David

Depending on your rag joint, you may have to drill out one side of the connecting bolt and replace with larger bolt.
Make your rag joint look like this, this is wheels forward steering centered.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff81/chops101_drums/Cardone2.jpg?t=1204731274

Here is a shot looking down at the gear and flex coupling with the gear on center.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/JIML82/FlexCplgUpperFlangeIn-Car2.jpg
This happens to be a Corvette with a manual steering gear but the concepts that involve having every component on center is the same.

jiml82

i think it was talked about in a few post,but i had a customer install there own pitman arm in 69 camaro and came in with the wheel upside down and want the car aligned.the first thing i saw was when turning the wheel lock to lock.i had 1 1/2 turns left and 2 to 3 turns to the right .so i removed the nut on the pitmarm .change the postion to where i had even turns lock to lock .left to right ....and corrected the toe to center my wheel....i think this is your main problem your pitmarm is in the wrong postion....i would like to meet the guy who aligned the car .if i let a car go like that from my job i would be fired!

There are typically four missing teeth equally spaced (90 degrees apart) on the GM pitman shafts. The pitman arm only has one blocked tooth. So it can assemble in any of the four locations. However, the pitman shaft only rotates 80 some degrees from full lock to full lock. So if you install the pitman arm to the pitman shaft incorrectly you are going to have an arm that is pointing off to the extreme right or left or the arm will be pointing backwards when it is supposed to be forward, etc.

In other words, although you can physically assemble the piman shaft in any of four positions, it is impossible to misassemble the pitman arm on the gear and still attach the relay rod to it.

JIML82

Here is a photo of my stock 67 box and coupler. The coupler is not all the way on to show the groove in the shaft.

The 3rd gen box has a smaller shaft but should still have a flat on it.
http://www.pozziracing.com/Media/psboxcoupler.jpg