After reinstalling the dash and steering column, I have found the steering wheel is slightly off center to the right. The car tracks straight, I’m wondering how “forgiving” are the splines at the steering gearbox? Is it possible to reassemble the column shaft to the gearbox off one spline? The steering wheel was straight before the dash/column work, and other than removing the steering wheel from the column for painting no other disassembly was done. Their are 6 screws the hold the wheel to the mounting hub, the amount of wheel offset is too small to be due to wheel alignment to the hub.

 

There is a punched mark on the shaft under the washer at the hub and a mark on the hub to match up. If they are out of alignment then remove hub and move one or more splines.

 

There's adjustment available near the tie rod ends that does toe in and toe out, but it will also do "steering wheel angle to straight." You would, I think, add some to the right, and take the same from the left, and that should, when the caster pulls the wheels straight, put the steering wheel straight. Someone who knows this better will confirm/correct I am sure.

 

First make sure you installed the column and the steering wheel correctly. Turn the steering wheel from lock to lock count the turns and then divide by2 and turn the wheel back that many turns to see if the steering wheel is entered. Do not worry about tire position when checking this as it can be aligned to make both the steering wheel and the tire position correct. The problem with taking the steering wheel off and just moving it is the turn signal switch will not unlatch when turning correctly.

 

I have this issue as well on my 80 cutlass .after a new jeep shaft, quick ratio steering box, and steering wheel, the wheel is no longer perfectly lined up.so i am going to try the method Matt describes .Just need to figure out which direction to turn each of the tie rod adjusters so as not to throw off the alignment.

 

I had a similar issue. I swapped out a deluxe wheel that was centered for a 4 spoke wheel and I couldn’t get it centered. When I had the alignment done the front end guy said he couldn’t get it aligned with steering wheel centered. He said he could only get one or the other. When I changed to a quick ratio box I was able to get everything to line up. I just made sure the wheels were straight, the steering box was centered and the wheel was centered when I connected the pitman arm to the center link. I think it was off
a tooth before.

 

Then it would have been time for different alignment guy.

 

That's the truth.