MikeT

Just got my car back from the alignment shop and the steering wheel is still turned toward the right just a little. Is there a way to correct this without taking it back to the shop? I tried to take the steering wheel off and adjust it that way, but it's like between 2 spots on the steering colum.
Mike

Neo Fender

Jim Shea can answer this one.

Easy Mike

Take it back to the shop. The alignment folks should have centered your steering wheel BEFORE making their alignment changes.
:)


[Modified by Easy Mike, 9:58 AM 11/8/2001]

daily_driver

if you have play in your steering gear then it will still be off after an alignment..

or if those fools didnt do the alignment right!!!! they should center the gear before making the adjustments..... (flat spot up)

but like i said, if you have lotsa play in the wheel then u cant expect an alignment to center it (rag joint and play in gear)

daily_driver

btw: dont do a bubba and take the steering wheel off!!! rememeber you have turn signal cancecling cams and they need to be aligned good too!!!

dont do a bubba!!

:conehead :conehead

MikeT

There is no play at all in the steering. I'm happy with that! Shop just didn't "true" the steering wheel before they aligned it. Anyway, it's a long way to where I had it aligned. Is there anyway I can do it without messing up the alignment? The car is tracking straight and true, it's just the steering wheel.

daily_driver

well dunno if this will change toe in/ and all that crap.....

but if you turn the tie rod sleeves the same number of turns on one side and on the other side turn it in the opposite direction the same # of turns then you can "walk" your steering wheel over to its rightful position........

its kinda a PITA to do though cuase of the trial and error.....

jimduchek

By 'flat spot up' what are you referring to?

Jim

daily_driver

if your steering gear is centered CORRECTLY then that point of center will be when the flat spot of the input shaft is "up"...

this flat spot fits into the steering coupling flange only 1 way---up (when steering wheel is centered--ahead direction

Jim Shea

First, the alignment shop should have set your steering gear exactly on center when your car is tracking straight down the road. Here is a check to make sure that they did the procedure correctly.

Turn your steering wheel from lock to lock and count the total number of turns. Now go to full lock and rotate the steering wheel back exactly one half the number of turns. Your car should now track straight ahead and your steering wheel should be off by the small amount that you describe.

In order to center the steering wheel by a small amount, you need to adjust the tie rods. (The Corvette shop manual says that you should not adjust the steering wheel rim by more than one inch using the tie rod procedure.) More than one inch will require reindexing the steering wheel hub on the steering column.

If your steering wheel needs to be rotated clockwise in order to bring it on center, you will need to shorten the left tie rod assembly (driver side) and lengthen the right tie rod assembly (pass side). If the steering wheel needs to be adjusted counterclockwise, the left tie rod assembly will need to be lengthened and the right shortened. The shop manual says to loosen the tie rod adjuster tube clamps on both tie rods, then turn both tubes an equal number of turns in the SAME direction. Turning the sleeves an unequal number of turns or in different directions will disturb the toe-in setting of the road wheels.

For more detailed instructions go to http://www.corvettefaq.com and look under Suspension and Steering. You can download the following papers:

Adjusting Steering Linkage Tie Rods
Adjusting Steering Linkage Tie Rods Pictures
Steering Gear Adjustment - (In Vehicle) Pages 3 and 4

daily_driver

doh!!

same direction!!!

jim is it the same direction for both the stock sleeves and vette brakes heavy duty tubular ones??

brain fart......

:conehead :conehead :jester :jester

Jim Shea

I would think so. But I have never seen the heavy duty parts.

There is one problem however. The individual tie rod assemblies have identical studs on each end. This means that each tie rod can be turned end for end and that it will still attach properly to the relay rod and to the steering arm on the knuckle.

The tie rod assembly consists of an adjuster sleeve and two tie rod ends. There is a right hand thread on one end of the adjuster sleeve and a left hand thread on the other. So even though the tie rod end studs are the same, you can have a right hand thread or a left hand thread oriented inboard toward the relay rod or outboard toward the steering arm. When the two tie rods are connected to the relay rod they should be oriented such that the same hand thread on each tie rod is outboard toward the steering arms. This will cause one tie rod assembly to shorten and the other one to lengthen if the adjuster sleeves are rotated the same direction.

A sketch that I attached to the Corvette tie rod AIM sheet may explain the above more clearly. Go to http://www.corvettefaq.com. Look under Suspension and Steering. Download - Adjusting Steering Linkage Tie Rods Pictures.