68 Steering Shaft Made Wrong?

sbburban · Mar 19, 2014

I am working on a 1968 Camaro with a standard floor shift steering column. I took it all apart, cleaned things up, and replaced a few things. When I put it all together I noticed that the chisel mark on the steering shaft and the permanently attached steering flange at the other end are off. They seem to be off by about one-half of a tooth when I put the steering wheel on. In other words, if I install the steering column with the flange oriented correctly (steering gear box centered and pitman centered) the steering wheel will be turned slightly when the car is going straight (assuming I attached the steering wheel with the chisel mark on the hub aligning with chisel mark on the shaft as you are supposed to do). If I set the steering wheel straight, the steering gear will not be centered while driving straight.

I assume this is a factory mistake because the I have the small block engine version that came with the steering shaft flange permanently attached. The bummer is that the misalignment is about a half a tooth off on the steering wheel hub to shaft teeth so if I try to move the steering wheel one tooth over it is misaligned the other way.

Should I put it all back together, align the front end with the steering wheel straight and not worry that the steering gear is slightly turned when the car is going straight. Or should I get a replacement shaft (which might be pretty hard to find). The other option is to drive the car with the steering wheel slightly turned when going straight but that will have an affect on the position of the turn signal cancelling cam.

So the problem is just with the steering shaft itself. The coupler flange and the chisel mark on the steering wheel end are about one-half a tooth off. I need some help with this one, any advice would be great.

BPOS · Mar 19, 2014

I'm not sure I understand, an am definitely not familiar with chisel marks and such. I do know that it's a simple task to straighten the steering wheel via tie rod adjustment, and in fact it should be standard procedure when you get a front end alignment.

sbburban · Mar 19, 2014

I know this was a bit hard to describe in words so I will post a couple of pictures tonight. In the end I think you are right that the tie rod adjustments can be used to center the steering wheel but my concern is that the steering gear will not be at its center while driving straight. Will there be any funny affects such as it feeling loose. Like I said, I will post some pictures this evening. Thanks for taking a look at my post.
:beers:

sbburban · Mar 20, 2014

Here are the pictures I mentioned. They show the shaft in the foreground whith all the parts laid out, the flange, two views of the alignment and a view of the chisel marks on the steering wheel end of the shaft and the steering wheel hub. The last picture is a little misleading because they are lined up. So the main problem is this slight misalignment between the steering wheel and the coupler flange. What should I do? (If anything)

Everett#2390 · Mar 20, 2014

sbburban said:
What should I do? (If anything)

Put it back together and drive it.
As said, the misalignment will be corrected at the thrust angle alignment performed on the Camaro later.

Stewie · Mar 20, 2014

I have a 68 and the Steering wheel is oriented exactly like that. I purchased it that way and did not notice until I was driving it for a while. It really didn't bother me, but I was always going to have it corrected and never have. Everything works as it should and I have adjusted to driving that way.
I am pretty sure the column on mine has been changed. If there is an easy fix I would be interested.

sbburban · Mar 21, 2014

Thanks for the input. I am sure there is no easy fix. I will install it the way it is. While it might be a while, I will post a message if I run into any problems. Thanks again.

Steptoe · Mar 21, 2014

I know exactrly what u are talking about..
Been there done thatb and tore all my hair out and it grew back grey.
Go back around 12 yrs ago in these forums to a long thread started by me about the steering column and stuff.. It was one of my 1st threads
Off the top of mu head I cant rem why , but it is not a factory mistake

Went somethiong like this
u MUST have the wheels straight ahead...1/2 way between lock to lock... and steering box centered... then fit the pitman arm making sure the flat part in the splines lines up on the steering box shaft.
Slide the column/ shaft down to the steering box and the 2 bolts only fit one way round dont mix them up... and the mark should be either top or bottom.. top I think from memory

JIML82 · Mar 21, 2014

I am quite sure that the splines on the upper steering shaft were randomly rolled into the shaft. So they were not precisely located relative to the splines on the lower shaft where the stamped flange was permanently installed. So all steering columns had the possibility of being "off" by up to 1/2 spline upper end (steering wheel hub) to lower end (stamped flanges on standard non-adjustable columns or detachable flanges on tilt columns.)

So the flat on the gear input shaft, the chisel mark on the end of the upper shaft, all of the splines themselves all had tolerances. So now you have to use the tie rods to finally "fine tune" and bring the steering wheel back to exactly the straight ahead position with the car going straight down the road.

If your front end toe setting is correct, you need to loosen the tie rod adjuster clamps. Now rotate both left and right adjuster tubes the same direction and the exact same amount. This will rotate the steering wheel one direction or the other, (i.e. its location will get better or worse.) If it improves, you are rotating the adjuster tubes the correct direction. If the steering wheel location becomes worse, rotate the adjuster tubes in the opposite direction.

You have to rotate the adjuster tubes the same direction and also the exact same amount, otherwise you will change your front end toe setting and it is off to the alignment shop.

Jim

sbburban · Mar 21, 2014

Thanks for replying Jim. You explained it perfectly. I understand what you are saying about doing the final adjustments with the tie rod adjuster tubes. So, not to beat a dead horse, but that means the pitman arm and therefore the power steering gear box will not be right at center while driving straight. Does that matter? Will there be any "feel" issues with the steering given that the power steering box is not at center while cruising straight?

Unfortunately, I am right in the middle of rebuilding this car. I have thread for the car under the Build Projects forum. All of the steering components from the rag joint down to the tie rods are new. I am converting from manual steering to power steering so even the steering gear box is new-rebuilt. I guess I wanted everything to be perfect (my OCD issues) so I was a little thrown by the steering shaft be off. It will probably be a few months before I am driving the car but if it does anything weird from a steering perspective, i'm sure I'll be back asking questions. Thanks again everybody for your comments!

Steptoe · Mar 21, 2014

I am quite sure that the splines on the upper steering shaft were randomly rolled into the shaft. So they were not precisely located relative to the splines on the lower shaft where the stamped flange was permanently installed.

Nope most definitely incorrect.
When toe ins are set Assuming the pitman is correct
The steering wheel is set on the column with the mark straight up, and the splines also have an area of no splines that match with the steering wheel.
The wheel is then set square mark straight up and locked ... THEN the toe in is set.

DIFFERENT to most other cars where the toe set then the wheel put on straight.

IF this procedure is not followed then the indicator return arms will not work or not work correctly and u will have the steering box straight ahead not in the middle.

If the steering wheel is placed on the splines in the correct position in relation to the splines and the pointer is off, the steering wheel is exactly straight, and the indicators returns work exactly as they should, u have exactly the same turns from middle to lock to lock, and pitman arm splines correct and toe in set by machine.
THEN MAYBE the pointer is not correct.
Every one of the above criteria has to be met to be correct working order.

JIML82 · Mar 22, 2014

If you are really concerned about being able to "fine tune" your system so that it is exactly on-center, here is a tip. Place the steering gear input shaft so that the flat on the shaft is exactly at 12 o'clock. The flat was machined at Saginaw with the input shaft on center. so the gear is now right on center.

Take the flexible coupling assembly, match the machined flat in the coupling "bowtie" flange to the flat on the input shaft. But now see if you can assemble the the coupling flange one serration CW or CCW from that on-center position. Usually there is enough tolerance to allow the coupling assembly to assemble to the gear maybe two ways.

Now go back up to the steering wheel and hub and see if you now can move the hub over one serration to get the steering wheel back on center.

You have a 1967-68 steering column, so the cancelling cam is keyed by the plastic horn tower as it passes up through the steering wheel hub. When the steering wheel is straight, the cancelling cam is positioned exactly in the correct location.

This may help get things more on center.

However, you still may have to tweek the tie rod adjusters to get the steering wheel exactly on center as you drive down the road. Indeed this will move the steering gear slightly off of its true center point. But the "sweet spot" right on the gear center has enough tolerance to allow for this minor tie rod adjustment.

BTW, from a practical standpoint, you cannot assemble the pitman arm incorrectly to the steering gear pitman shaft. There are four possible locations (90 degree apart) that the arm can be assembled to the shaft. One is correct, one will have the arm aiming directly at the engine. One will have it pointing at the driver front wheel. One will have it pointing toward the rear of the car. Three of the four locations are impossible. Only the one where the arm is pointing straight ahead is correct.

sbburban · Mar 24, 2014

Great tip Jim! Turns out the coupler CAN be installed in a tooth off from the flat spot. This nearly matches up with the steering wheel/steering shaft being a spline tooth off. Thanks again for the tip - that was perfect!:hurray:

JIML82 · Mar 24, 2014

Glad to be of help. I was the engineering supervisor at Saginaw Steering Gear Div, GMC and I had a design group responsible for the flexible coupling assembly back in the late 60s and 70s. I can recall the design fit up of the bow tie flange on the flexible coupling assembly to the steering gear input shaft splines.

Just like the flexible coupling pinch bolt(s) had a GM part number 7807271. Don't ask me why that number stuck in my mind all these years.

Amazing what trivia sticks in your mind over 45 years.
Jim

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