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I'm sure this has come up many times, but, what's the best way, or only way to center the wheel without changing the allignment? The blinker is off on left turns as well. I've looked at Youtube but just a lot of Jeeps and guys centering the wheel but knocking the toe out.
Put the steering wheel perfectly centered and secure it there. Make the tie-rods the same length as each other with equal amount of threads on each end (4) inside the centering sleeve and then adjust the toe.
Don't remove the steering wheel to re-clock the spines but unfortunately it sounds as though someone may have done that.
With your steering wheel on center, is it equal degrees left vs right from center to cancel the turn signal? If yes, great. If no the steering wheel has been reclocked using the splines.
Take the horn pad off and look at the match marks on the steering wheel hub and shaft. If they're off, pull the wheel and reinstall it so the marks are aligned. If they're aligned properly, suggest taking it in for alignment. Make sure alignment shop knows what they're doing for you and why.
Too many shops don't bother centering the wheel when they set toe.
The steering shaft has a preferred orientation - there is a scribe mark on the upper end of the shaft that indicates 12 o'clock when the wheels are straight ahead. The steering wheel SHOULD only go on one way. Note the scribe mark in this photo (this is not an Olds wheel, so ignore the horn contact in the hub).
If the scribe mark is not straight up when the wheels point straight ahead, you need to adjust the tie rods to correct this. There is no other way to do this correctly. If you just had the car aligned and the shop returned it like this, have them do it right. The right way to do this is to lift the front wheels, then turn the steering box all the way from lock to lock, counting the turns. Come back exactly half way. Now the box is centered. Be sure the scribe mark points straight up at this point. Then adjust the tie rods (make one side longer and one shorter by exactly the same amount) to get the wheels back straight ahead.
Note that this assumes that the steering shaft and rag joint are clocked correctly on the column and steering box. They SHOULD only go on one way. Olds took great pains to make it difficult to screw this up on the assembly line, but non-stock parts can vary.
Find the point where the turn signals cancel the same on both sides. Your steering wheel should be in the straight up position at that same place. Once you have the center, you can adjust both tierods the same amount in opposition to each other. You may or may not have opposite threads on each side of the car. Make sure one is extending and the other is retracting. Mark the original alignment of the turnbuckles before loosening the turnbuckle bolts. Rotate the turnbuckles equal amounts, one extending, and one retracting. Test it occasionally by moving the car back and front a couple of yards to see if the car goes straight with the wheel centered. Once you have the car going straight with the wheel centered, you can tighten the turnbuckle bolts. Be careful that you do not rotate the turnbuckles when tightening the bolts. One quarter turn of the turnbuckle equals about a quarter inch of wheel rotation. Yours may vary a little, so check it as you go.
Find the point where the turn signals cancel the same on both sides. Your steering wheel should be in the straight up position at that same place.
Yes, but that's what you get if you align that scribe mark straight up. The issue is ensuring that the steering box is centered, which may or may not correspond to the shaft being centered if things were not reassembled properly. The factory went through a lot of trouble to make this easy to do quickly on the assembly line. As for adjusting the tie rods, all you have to do is turn each adjusting sleeve the same amount in opposite directions. This keeps the toe setting the same. As I noted above, if this alignment was done at a shop, they are responsible for getting it right anyway.
Yes, but that's what you get if you align that scribe mark straight up. The issue is ensuring that the steering box is centered, which may or may not correspond to the shaft being centered if things were not reassembled properly. The factory went through a lot of trouble to make this easy to do quickly on the assembly line. As for adjusting the tie rods, all you have to do is turn each adjusting sleeve the same amount in opposite directions. This keeps the toe setting the same. As I noted above, if this alignment was done at a shop, they are responsible for getting it right anyway.
I stated that the first thing to do is to find the center point between where the turn signals cancel. If the steering wheel is centered, you already have the wheel on correctly in relation to the column. In assembling steering linkages, the input shaft of the steering box usually has a key in the splines, and usually the column can only be assembled to the intermediate shaft in one of two positions (one of them is obviously wrong). So, if the wheel is centered between the two turn signal cancel points, and since the rest of the mechanism can only be assembled in one of two positions, you can judge that the wheel is on correctly, and proceed to adjust the turnbuckles to make the car go straight when the wheel is centered. I always check the actions of the turnbuckles, because there is no guarantee that they must be turned in opposite directions. If you are changing the toe, that may be true, but if you are maintaining the toe, and adjusting the wheel centering, they may be turned in the same direction. You can see the thread pattern, and watch the results of turning them to verify which is correct.
Last edited by Fred Kiehl; June 3rd, 2021 at 07:15 PM.
I stated that the first thing to do is to find the center point between where the turn signals cancel. If the steering wheel is centered, you already have the wheel on correctly in relation to the column. In assembling steering linkages, the input shaft of the steering box usually has a key in the splines, and usually the column can only be assembled to the intermediate shaft in one of two positions (one of them is obviously wrong). So, if the wheel is centered between the two turn signal cancel points, and since the rest of the mechanism can only be assembled in one of two positions, you can judge that the wheel is on correctly, and proceed to adjust the turnbuckles to make the car go straight when the wheel is centered. I always check the actions of the turnbuckles, because there is no guarantee that they must be turned in opposite directions. If you are changing the toe, that may be true, but if you are maintaining the toe, and adjusting the wheel centering, they may be turned in the same direction. You can see the thread pattern, and watch the results of turning them to verify which is correct.
We're pretty much saying the same thing, Fred, but there's one potential problem with your method. The cancel cam clocking on the steering shaft is controlled by the steering wheel hub on many GM columns. If the wheel isn't clocked correctly on the shaft, centering the cancel cam won't center the steering. The steering box is what controls this. Set that to center first, Then simply line up the scribe mark on the shaft and it's automatic. Put the wheel on correctly and the cancel cam is automatically located in the center position, no muss, no fuss. Now adjust the tie rods to center the front wheels. Done. Anything else and you can end up chasing your tail.
The mark is barely detectable on the hub. But am I right in thinking that the tie rods will need to be adjusted to get the column in proper orientation with the horn contact? Can I confirm if the is an OEM part or a repro?
The mark is barely detectable on the hub. But am I right in thinking that the tie rods will need to be adjusted to get the column in proper orientation with the horn contact? Can I confirm if the is an OEM part or a repro?
You're way off. Again, start by centering the steering box as I described above. Pay no attention to where the wheels are pointed. With the box centered, that mark should be straight up. If not, there's a clocking problem in how the steering column and shaft were put together, so fix that next. Once that is correct, THEN worry about the post for the horn contact. Centering the steering box and shaft will fix your turn signal issue. Install the wheel at the correct orientation and then adjust the tie rods. That is the only sequence that ensures everything is clocked correctly.
June 3rd, 2021, 10:21 AM
