# Repositioning steering wheel



## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

That should work, but why is the tie rod too short? has it been changed before?


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## papereater (Sep 16, 2016)

Nealtw said:


> That should work, but why is the tie rod too short? has it been changed before?


Dont think so. Strange, isnt it? How can a tie rod get shorter? 

Still trying to get a handle on how to secure the steering column while I tighten the SW nut......maybe theres some kind of hex shape molded right on the shaft?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

papereater said:


> Dont think so. Strange, isnt it? How can a tie rod get shorter?
> 
> Still trying to get a handle on how to secure the steering column while I tighten the SW nut......maybe theres some kind of hex shape molded right on the shaft?


 Tighten the nut, hold the wheel and tap the wrench with a hammer. 
Works like an impact wrench.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Oh it's a slippery slope!! I had this done few times on my 86 LeBaron. All you do is landing with SW crooked one way or another.
Do you have power steering or not? I ended with new rack and pinion, or sw will NOT go straight. Mech actually quit during the job, so they had to hire another one to do it, as they could not get SW straight. 

Either way, if you were to just rotate SW, you still land with crooked geometry.
Replace R N P, they are not expensive. Or, replace tie rod. And mechanic, as he is sorta telling you stories. Unless that car was in major wreck and never fixed right geometry wise.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Oh, and how I took SW off? Undo shaft bolt with wrench, holding SW in place. No big deal. Jam feet into the floor, brace yourself and rip SW up off the shaft. After first time, it comes off very easy. You can wiggle it a bit side to side then rip off. Mark shaft to SW hub relationship with THIN Sharpie. Silver or white. There also can be Woodroof key, then not much you can do.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

The tie rod is not too short unless the car was hit or the chassis is bent for another reason.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

The steering wheel is still factory. It's broke on the other end. Fix what isn't right.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

As others have pointed out, you are being fed BS. 

An accident, hard hit in a ditch, unruly meeting a curb, and many other OOPS, will bend something and cause the problem.

Correctly locate the ding, and restore the item back to new.

And brute strength to pull a SW off will work, but I advise you not to do that, When I was 45 years younger, I did just that, when the wheel finally let loose, I slammed the center into my nose, :vs_laugh:, hurt like heck too.

So now I own a wheel pulling tool, it has been handy several time since.


Back to the off center wheel, there is a small misalignment in the lower end somewhere, might be a little wear in the joints, or an accumulation of all the joints being wore a little bit.

Is it really that much of an inconvenience to learn to live with it, until the car needs all new steering joints?


ED


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

Need to center the steering box/rack first. Then you can determine what's off. Steering wheel? steering linkage? Don't patch steering components. Your life can depend on it.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

> Mark shaft to SW hub relationship with THIN Sharpie.



That's what I do, seems like if I rely on memory I forget exactly how far off the steering wheel is after I get done struggling to remove the steering wheel.





> I own a wheel pulling tool


Me too, makes the job a lot easier!


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## papereater (Sep 16, 2016)

Wow, wow, so much good advice! Geez, I didnt know. 

I do have a SW puller. But, now, Im not going to do this! 

I have been driving it like this for a few years. Its just a bit of a nuisance cuz with the SW at a tilt I cant see some gages, engine temp, signal light blinkers, etc. But no big deal really.

The car WAS in a front end accident years ago- not sure if it affected that rod. Cant remember, but I think the crooked SW started BEFORE the accident. Either way, is this something I can buy and pop it in myself? I should consult my haynes manual too......


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Tie rod ends are fairly easy to replace but unless you measure or count the threads and make sure the replacement is adjusted exactly as the old - you'll need an alignment as it can throw the toe in off.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Alignment toe in tools are made for DIY'ers, but for a real DIY'er, two 3/4" x 3/4" pieces of lumber the appropriate length, with a blunt nail in the ends and the overlapping lumber pieces lightly clamped so the 2 pieces will slide on each other will work too. Use your imagination for your chain. Maybe the dog chain but it is real important. Do you know why?:biggrin2:


https://www.jegs.com/i/Specialty-Pr...MIqLqTqqzE3AIVlbXACh0K2AZKEAQYBCABEgJWffD_BwE


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## papereater (Sep 16, 2016)

mark sr said:


> Tie rod ends are fairly easy to replace but unless you measure or count the threads and make sure the replacement is adjusted exactly as the old - you'll need an alignment as it can throw the toe in off.


OK. Guess the best approach is to drop it off to the mech again, maybe hand him the tie rod, and let him pop it in , then align. Right? 

Dont think it's worth me messing with putting in the tie rod if he has to get down there anyway. He cant charge too much for that simple chore.

But I dont know if its outer or inner tie rod......


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Nope.
The RIGHT way of doing this is to get your vehicle onto puller frame and remeasure all frame/ body geometry specs.
You may have "simple" thing like moved strut attachment plate on the fender, and it will NOT allow proper positioning to anything else. Or, crossmember is off kilter.
And so on. 

So until you have geometry restored - and, magically, all rods suddenly may become proper length - you will chasing ghosts and paying for new tires ever so much mor often.


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## papereater (Sep 16, 2016)

ukrkoz said:


> Nope.
> The RIGHT way of doing this is to get your vehicle onto puller frame and remeasure all frame/ body geometry specs.
> You may have "simple" thing like moved strut attachment plate on the fender, and it will NOT allow proper positioning to anything else. Or, crossmember is off kilter.
> And so on.
> ...


Not so fast, UK . I agree that an off kilter car will never align right unless "pulled" right, but Im not so sure the accident really bent the whole car. The mech would have noticed the off kilter car not aligning correctly, one would think. I know mech can make a mistake, but he is a decent one in town. 

Also, no such thing here as tires being worn/chewed up fast as my tires have been behaving well for- believe it or not, 12 years. Smooth/even wear, no shaking/vibrations, etc. Yes, I know, they need replacing soon. Old tires are dangerous especially if driven hot and at high velocities. I do neither. 

Geometric restoration - sound expensive. Is it really worth it? Remember- the accident was a long while ago- 2009. I have driven the car since with no troubles with vibrations/swirving/pulling to the right-left, etc. Just an annoying crooked SW.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Simple question, how much is your life worth to you?

If there is a hidden tweak under there, and it has rusted enough to fail, you are looking at a lot of hurt for the remainder of your life.

I had a preventable accident in 1977, where a steering component let loose, on the highway, I skidded sideways for 50 yards, and slammed into a concrete bridge abutment at 85 mph.

Yeah I was going much faster before the breakage.

My old Buick, folded around the abutment, and broke in half, with the passenger door pressed into my right leg, and pinning it under the handle and window crank, also tore my right leg half off my body. 

I spent 6 weeks in the hospital, and to this day my right hip socket will pop at the strangest time. 

I don't want to scare you, but steering components are something you don't want to skimp on in repairing and rebuilding these vehicles.


ED


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Change the date of the mentioned accident, on # 18 above to March 21, 1976.

Memory banks are getting rusty, and dates slip sometimes.


ED


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

> cant I just pull the SW off with a puller, and tighten it down again at 12:00 position?


Nope,..... No can do,......

The wheel is splined to the steerin' shaft, 'n has 1 blind spline, so it'll only go onto the shaft in only 1 position,......


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## papereater (Sep 16, 2016)

Bondo said:


> Nope,..... No can do,......
> 
> The wheel is splined to the steerin' shaft, 'n has 1 blind spline, so it'll only go onto the shaft in only 1 position,......


Didnt know that, bondo. Only ONE spline/key? That settles it. Leave it alone. Time to find something else to do on my old car..........


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Bondo said:


> Nope,..... No can do,......
> 
> The wheel is splined to the steerin' shaft, 'n has 1 blind spline, so it'll only go onto the shaft in only 1 position,......


I knew that some were splined for a one way fit, but was not sure that this Sunbird was one of them. 

My sure way to tell is to remove the nut and look. But I ain't planning any trips soon, so that is out.

As a project, OP could still look into the steering linkages and see if one has been bent, or if there is excess slack in the steering box, linkages, or Ball joints. I doubt that it has kingpins, it ain't big enough or old enough.


Anyway thanks for adding a bit of fact to my memory.


ED


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

I don't recommend repositioning the steering wheel even if there isn't a master spline. As I said before, something is bent. There are opposite threads on each side of the tie rod sleeves. That means that it can be spun to adjust the steering wheel without changing the toe-in. That's the way I understand it. I'll call a friend of mine who told me that 40 years ago & post his answer.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

I think this mechanic is missing one tool for the job.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Nealtw said:


> I think this mechanic is missing one tool for the job.


Ayuh,..... How tight do you guys think the nut is,..??

It unscrews with a ratchet in 1 hand, 'n the other hand on the wheel,......

Cars since the '80s, lock up solid with the key off anyways,.....


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