adjusting steering wheel?
Thread Starter
Navigator
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Regina Saskatchewan
adjusting steering wheel?
My steering wheel is about 15 degrees off center, is there an easy way to adjust it to the 12 o'clock position.
It's on an 80' with tilt/telescope.
Thanks!
It's on an 80' with tilt/telescope.
Thanks!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,310
Likes: 1
Re: adjusting steering wheel? (cpf)
I don't know about your '80, but on my '77 getting the steering wheel off is not too hard (you can borrow a steering wheel puller from the local auto parts store and definitely should use it), but you do have to go through the horn and T&T setup to get the steering wheel off.
Do you know why it's not correct? If you haven't had an alignment for a while, you may want to consider that first. A bad alignment or worn suspension/steering components can cause the misalignment of the steering wheel.
Do you know why it's not correct? If you haven't had an alignment for a while, you may want to consider that first. A bad alignment or worn suspension/steering components can cause the misalignment of the steering wheel.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 922
Likes: 0
From: Maine
Re: adjusting steering wheel? (jerryp58)
This is usually corrected by loosening tie-rod ends on one side and tightening the other side by the same amount. It's probably worthwhile making sure that something isn't worn out under there. I wouldn't pull the steering wheel.
Racer
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 387
Likes: 0
From: Lombard IL
Re: adjusting steering wheel? (cpf)
I have the same problem and disassembled everything to the point were I would need to pull the wheel. But I remembered I needed to verify the steering wheel was off, not the stearing itself.
I think my problem was the result of the previous owner's complete interior restoration. I think the first thing you need to do is determine the center of the steering. Some people same just drive the car on a flat surface and the steering will naturally far into the center. Others say turn the wheel completely in both directions noting the total degrees of turn and divide in half (much like degreeing a cam).
I think my problem was the result of the previous owner's complete interior restoration. I think the first thing you need to do is determine the center of the steering. Some people same just drive the car on a flat surface and the steering will naturally far into the center. Others say turn the wheel completely in both directions noting the total degrees of turn and divide in half (much like degreeing a cam).
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 883
Likes: 2
From: Hilton Head SC
Re: adjusting steering wheel? (cpf)
Steering wheel centering is done by adjusting the tie rods. There is an excellent paper posted on the Corvette FAQ website which explains the procedure. If you turn the wheels full travel in each direction, you can do this without even jacking up the car. Getting the final adjustment exact takes some trial and error. Moving the steering wheel about 15 degrees should take about 1/4 turn of the tie rods. I suggest putting masking tape around them and marking them with an ink marker. As long as you always move them the same amount in the same direction, you can't screw up.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,411
Likes: 2
From: St. Louis, Missouri
Re: adjusting steering wheel? (JSB69)
The steering wheel hub is splined but isn't keyed. It has index marks on the shaft and hub. You could try rotating the wheel a spline or two but the correct way is to do it via the front end. Whenever a car is aligned at the shop, centering the steering wheel is part of the procedure.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,374
Likes: 6,373
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Re: adjusting steering wheel? (cpf)
Don't pull the steering wheel. As the guys correctly state, the steering wheel position is adjusted with the tie rod ends, and it is normally set up when the front end is aligned. However, many alignment guys don't bother checking it, so it gets cocked as yours is.
You can correct it easily without altering your alignment. By turning the tie rod end sleeve on one side of the car one way, you simply turn the tie rod end sleeve on the other side of the car the opposite way. Thus, if you, for example, turn the driver's side tie rod sleeve to shorten the steering linkage, thus turning the driver's side wheel out, you turn the tie rod end sleeve on the passenger side to lengthen the steering linkage the same amount, thus turning the passenger side wheel in. This will change the alignment of the steering wheel without altering your front end alignment if you turn both sleeves the same amount.
Suggest you mark the sleeves with relation to the tie rods and center link before your turn them.... it's easy to get confused and forget which way you rotated the sleeve....
You can correct it easily without altering your alignment. By turning the tie rod end sleeve on one side of the car one way, you simply turn the tie rod end sleeve on the other side of the car the opposite way. Thus, if you, for example, turn the driver's side tie rod sleeve to shorten the steering linkage, thus turning the driver's side wheel out, you turn the tie rod end sleeve on the passenger side to lengthen the steering linkage the same amount, thus turning the passenger side wheel in. This will change the alignment of the steering wheel without altering your front end alignment if you turn both sleeves the same amount.
Suggest you mark the sleeves with relation to the tie rods and center link before your turn them.... it's easy to get confused and forget which way you rotated the sleeve....
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,456
Likes: 6
From: Spicewood, Texas, USA TX-Texas
Re: adjusting steering wheel? (jerryp58)
With all due respect to the guys saying to remove the wheel and rotate it, I have to say that is INCORRECT. I have this bit of knowledge because I took my 66 Chevy into a Chevrolet dealer and was victimized by two idiots fresh from the asylum or the jungle or something.
The first sign of trouble was these two DID NOT KNOW how to pull the steering wheel, so one got in the driver's seat and one stood in the rear floorboard area behind the driver seat, and both pulled the wheel into a bowtie trying to get it off. Then once they found they needed a puller to get the wheel off, they found the wheel would only go back IN ONE POSITION. If you examine the steering shaft carefully, you will see that ONE ONLY spline is missing. The same is true on the wheel. Unless you line up those two missing splines, the wheel AIN'T going on there.
As others have said, adjusting the tie-rod ends by the same amount is the way to center the wheel. Before you do anything, I would check the steering gear to make sure that it is in its "center" position. There is a procedure in the Chassis Service Manual for this.
[Modified by Chuck Sangerhausen, 1:15 PM 8/21/2001]
The first sign of trouble was these two DID NOT KNOW how to pull the steering wheel, so one got in the driver's seat and one stood in the rear floorboard area behind the driver seat, and both pulled the wheel into a bowtie trying to get it off. Then once they found they needed a puller to get the wheel off, they found the wheel would only go back IN ONE POSITION. If you examine the steering shaft carefully, you will see that ONE ONLY spline is missing. The same is true on the wheel. Unless you line up those two missing splines, the wheel AIN'T going on there.
As others have said, adjusting the tie-rod ends by the same amount is the way to center the wheel. Before you do anything, I would check the steering gear to make sure that it is in its "center" position. There is a procedure in the Chassis Service Manual for this.
[Modified by Chuck Sangerhausen, 1:15 PM 8/21/2001]
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
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From: Saginaw Michigan
Re: adjusting steering wheel? (lars)
Correction on centering the steering gear and steering wheel.
The Corvette Shop Manual is very specific about this!
Loosen adjusting sleeve clamps on both left and right hand tie rods, then turn both sleeves an equal number of turns in the same direction to bring the gear back on high point.
Caution: Turning sleeves an unequal number of turns or in different directions will disturb the toe-in setting of the wheel.
So do not adjust them in opposite directions as Lars indicates.
Jim Shea
The Corvette Shop Manual is very specific about this!
Loosen adjusting sleeve clamps on both left and right hand tie rods, then turn both sleeves an equal number of turns in the same direction to bring the gear back on high point.
Caution: Turning sleeves an unequal number of turns or in different directions will disturb the toe-in setting of the wheel.
So do not adjust them in opposite directions as Lars indicates.
Jim Shea
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,374
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From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Re: adjusting steering wheel? (Jim Shea)
Just to clarify...
When I stated to turn them in opposite directions, the intent with the word "opposite" is to make sure that the one wheel gets turned "in", and the other wheel gets turned "out", thereby keeping the relationship between the wheels the same. In doing this, the one tie rod sleeve gets turned such as to shorten the steering linkage, and the other rod sleeve gets turned such as to lengthen the linkage the same amount. Thus, they are turned "equal but opposite." Rather than take for granted that turning the sleeves in either direction will result in the linkage being shortened or lengthened, I like to look at the mating threads to see which way the sleeves need to be turned to achieve the goal. Either way, just shorten the one and lengthen the other, and do them both the same amount.
When I stated to turn them in opposite directions, the intent with the word "opposite" is to make sure that the one wheel gets turned "in", and the other wheel gets turned "out", thereby keeping the relationship between the wheels the same. In doing this, the one tie rod sleeve gets turned such as to shorten the steering linkage, and the other rod sleeve gets turned such as to lengthen the linkage the same amount. Thus, they are turned "equal but opposite." Rather than take for granted that turning the sleeves in either direction will result in the linkage being shortened or lengthened, I like to look at the mating threads to see which way the sleeves need to be turned to achieve the goal. Either way, just shorten the one and lengthen the other, and do them both the same amount.
