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Steering wheel crooked after column swap by viperine
Started on: 04-11-2018 07:18 PM
Replies: 14 (407 views)
Last post by: Raydar on 04-21-2018 10:40 AM
viperine
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Report this Post04-11-2018 07:18 PM Click Here to See the Profile for viperineSend a Private Message to viperineEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
Ok, this one is driving me nuts. I swapped columns after rebuilding one partly (not a full rebuild) of spare columns I had, for Manda's formula. The primary donor column was from an 85 with a generic 4 spoke (round horn button). The column received the original formula 4 spoke (horn paddle type).

The steering wheel only fits one specific spot on the steering shaft, thanks to notches along with the cancel cam/horn button sleeve.

Now installed, the wheels straight ahead, the steering wheel looks 15 degrees turned left. WTF? It's not quite a quarter turn, but is disturbingly off center. All parts were removed from cars that had wheels pointed dead ahead, if for some reason it would matter.

Any ideas here? I can't make heads or tails of this, except that the steering wheels could have had different alignment notches and cancel cam provisions, which I really doubt.

FWIW, my 86 GT steering wheel is slightly off, but nowhere near this bad, and I never touched the column in that car. My mechanic had suggested that a PO replaced the steering rack and fudged the job in that case.

[This message has been edited by viperine (edited 04-11-2018).]

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olejoedad
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Report this Post04-11-2018 07:58 PM Click Here to See the Profile for olejoedadSend a Private Message to olejoedadEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
I tend to agree.
Is the mark on the steering column at the wheel on top and aligned with the wheel mark?
Does horn contact line up properly?
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viperine
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Report this Post04-11-2018 09:00 PM Click Here to See the Profile for viperineSend a Private Message to viperineEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
Everything lines up perfectly, it's just crooked when done. Perhaps the "rag joint" can be adjusted, or shifted somehow when I connected the column? I know it's not technically a rag joint, but it's the only name I can think of for the linkage near the firewall.
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fieroguru
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Report this Post04-11-2018 09:13 PM Click Here to See the Profile for fieroguruSend a Private Message to fieroguruEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
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viperine
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Report this Post04-11-2018 09:35 PM Click Here to See the Profile for viperineSend a Private Message to viperineEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
 
quote
Originally posted by fieroguru:

I will leave this here...

//www.fiero.nl/forum/A...050410-2-054488.html


Thanks, fieroguru. At least I'm not losing my mind. I was starting to think maybe the attempted thief had torqued the steering wheel hard enough to twist the linkage to the rack
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olejoedad
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Report this Post04-12-2018 12:11 AM Click Here to See the Profile for olejoedadSend a Private Message to olejoedadEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
What happens if you use the 88 intermediate shaft and the 85 column?
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fieroguru
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Report this Post04-12-2018 01:02 AM Click Here to See the Profile for fieroguruSend a Private Message to fieroguruEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
 
quote
Originally posted by olejoedad:

What happens if you use the 88 intermediate shaft and the 85 column?


You have to match the intermediate shaft to the chassis as the 88 one is shorter. All the times I did the column swap, the intermediate shaft was kept with each chassis, so if the wheel ends up slightly rotated, then it almost has to be something with the columns or clocking of the steering wheels on the columns.
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donuteater306
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Report this Post04-12-2018 01:07 AM Click Here to See the Profile for donuteater306Send a Private Message to donuteater306Edit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
Cant you just bring the car in for an alignment and ask the tech to center the wheel? They can lock the steering wheel straight ahead and adjust the toe get the front wheels straight.
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viperine
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Report this Post04-12-2018 01:38 AM Click Here to See the Profile for viperineSend a Private Message to viperineEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
 
quote
Originally posted by donuteater306:

Cant you just bring the car in for an alignment and ask the tech to center the wheel? They can lock the steering wheel straight ahead and adjust the toe get the front wheels straight.


This was attempted on my "slightly off" 86 GT. There isn't THAT much room for adjustment because we still could not get that one straight, and this one is even worse.
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viperine
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Report this Post04-12-2018 01:42 AM Click Here to See the Profile for viperineSend a Private Message to viperineEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post

viperine

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Actually.... My 87 GT has a column from an 88 coupe that originally had a horn paddle 4-spoke. It lined up perfectly.
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Kevin87FieroGT
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Report this Post04-12-2018 10:45 AM Click Here to See the Profile for Kevin87FieroGTSend a Private Message to Kevin87FieroGTEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
Possibly the rack spline (pinion) not clocked properly on the rack bar? Might be off a tooth or two. Previous rack job botched, good chance.

[This message has been edited by Kevin87FieroGT (edited 04-12-2018).]

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viperine
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Report this Post04-12-2018 10:53 AM Click Here to See the Profile for viperineSend a Private Message to viperineEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
 
quote
Originally posted by Kevin87FieroGT:

Possibly the rack spline (pinion) not clocked properly on the rack bar? Might be off a tooth or two. Previous rack job botched, good chance.



A good guess, but the formula wheel was straight before I pulled the shattered original column.
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Report this Post04-20-2018 08:48 PM Click Here to See the Profile for SpoonSend a Private Message to SpoonEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
A few yrs ago I tore my tilt column down to tighten the loose screws. Before beginning, the wheel was straight with the tires. When I was finished the steering wheel was towards the left by several degrees and noticeable. The only thing I can think of that may of caused this was the flex joint of the tilt shaft. See -"borrowed" pic.

The instructions which I did not read called for some kind of alignment of these ball halves & a spring. I didn't bother taking the column back apart. I figured I'd wait until the screws came loose again.



Spoon

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Report this Post04-20-2018 10:02 PM Click Here to See the Profile for theogreClick Here to visit theogre's HomePageSend a Private Message to theogreEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
Yes, All column parts are made to fit one way only. Rack, intermediate shaft, lower and upper column sections and most OE Steering Wheels are all Keyed.
Upper Columns (Parts you see easily) are all the same for many GM cars and trucks. Basically Straight, Tilt, and Tilt/Telescope w/ minor changes for trans and shifter trim.
Lower tube section and it's shaft is "Fiero Only."
Intermediate shaft maybe "Fiero Only."

upper shaft installed on Tilt ball wrong would make OE SW mount 180° wrong way

A little "crooked" can be bad alignment causing the rack not centered.

SW pushing 90° or more off then often not just a bad alignment.
If you have SW play then isolate it... See my Cave, Steering
No play then Bent/Bad A arms and other parts can cause SW crooked. can still be Rack problems too. More so if someone took it apart and reinstall the pinon wrong.

Notes:
If the car have been jack up then move the car forward/backward a few yards to "unload" the suspension to normal loads to get driving etc. Jacking can cause odd loads when jacks are lowered.
Turn the SW while stopped can cause odd loads too. Is why Alignment machines have bearings in the lift bed that allow movement in 3 directions, sideways, front/back, and rotation.
Both can make Fake SW errors.

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Raydar
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Report this Post04-21-2018 10:40 AM Click Here to See the Profile for RaydarSend a Private Message to RaydarEdit/Delete MessageReply w/QuoteDirect Link to This Post
When I installed an 86 column into an 88, the wheel seemed to be off by one spline. Just a few degrees. It's easy enough to rotate it a spline or two.
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