[Ben M.]

Dumb question I'm sure that's been asked a million times but I can't find an answer in the archives. Car in question is a 1975 Trans Am with a tilt column. When I got the car the original column was completely trashed and wasted, so I replaced it with another from the same year. Now my steering wheel to go straight is about 60 degrees rotated to the left and that is annoying. Is it possible to fix this problem? The column wouldn't go onto the shaft if the splines weren't aligned, so that's not the issue. Where would the adjustment be? Is it inside the column or on the steering box?

[superdutybob]

How many turns to the left and right do you have in the steering wheel? Is it possible that the steering wheel was put on the hub incorrectly? Just remove the six screws and clock it one bolt hole, which is 60 degrees. It will be important to make sure that when the car is going straight that the steering pitman arm is centered so you have equal steering both left and right.

[Rack776]

To check if the hub is mounted to the wheel correctly it will have the notch for the horn contact aligned with the long deep slot cast into the inside of the hub.

Another option if the wheel is mounted to the hub correctly is to pull the car straight ahead and park it, then remove the "crooked" steering wheel with a proper puller (remove the nut first) and reposition the wheel back over the splines with it "straight"

The horn contact in the colum should have a sliding adjustment in it to allow correct alignment of the hole in the steering wheel hub.

Sometimes they have an alignment mark stamped or punched on the shaft & wheel, but if you swapped colums it might not be correct for your car anymore.

Its way easier to see with the shop book but I dont have mine with me now I have to scan it, anyone have a PDF of that page to post?

[Ben M.]

Well I checked it out tonight (after doing a massive cleaning). The column is shifted over the 60 degrees on the internal rod that mounts to the steering wheel. Almost like the splines are off... the left turn signal will turn back almost immediately and the right one has to go pretty far over to do it. When the wheel is in this offset position, I am exactly 1/2 way of the total turns lock to lock, so the steering box is aligned right. It just seems like the index on the steering column and intermediate shaft joint are off 2-3 teeth. Is that even possible? How does one correct that?

[Ben M.]

Ok... so reading in the past threads indicates that to adjust this, I loosen the two adjuster nuts on each tie rod and move them equally in the same direction. This should theoretically move the steering wheel the distance needed...

[Rack776]

Originally Posted by Ben M.

Ok... so reading in the past threads indicates that to adjust this, I loosen the two adjuster nuts on each tie rod and move them equally in the same direction. This should theoretically move the steering wheel the distance needed...

I would not start screwing arround with the tie rod ends, if you swapped the colum for a new one and the steering wheel is definately mounted to the hub correctly I would say the shaft in the colum to steering box splines were off when you put the new one in.

I would-
1. Get the front end pointed straight ahead and make sure the tie rod ends look even on both sides. Does the car pull or wander? If not dont mess with the tierods.

2. Make sure the notch in the steering wheel hub lines up with the notch in the steering wheel.

3. Make sure the signal switch is installed properly, I'm not sure off hand if there is an adjustment on that, I think there is but I'll have to look it up.

4. The splines on the steering wheel hub are the final "adjustment" to get the wheel straight after a front end realignment there is only a few degrees left or right to adjust with the horn switch contact for a T/A wheel. A standard pontiac steering wheel uses a longer horn wire instead of a plastic tube contact and has a little more adjustment.

Have any photos of whats going on? I'll bet the colum shaft was not centered to the steering box when you stuck it in. Being only one spline off makes about a 1" difference at the edge of the steering wheel.

Worst case you can start over.
Get the front wheels pointed straight, center the shaft in the colum housing to get the cancel switch centered, make sure the rag joint is installed correctly, slide the colum back in to the rag joint splines, center the steering wheel.

Make sure to use the right puller for the steering wheel hub and take the center nut off first before pulling at the hub, the hub uses spline to keep from spinning but also has a tapered fit to keep it tight, the nut press fits the hub to the shaft.

Keep us posted.

[Ben M.]

The column is put together properly. There is no "adjustment" of the locking plate and cancel cam, it only goes on one way. It is keyed with the teeth on the splines of the column. See the pictures:





So basically the smooth surface missing a spline is supposed to be at 12 o'clock but is instead closer to 10. The intermediate shaft to the steering column mount also has a keyed spline interface and only goes on one way as well. I just don't get how this can be so far off. The car tracks straight and level, but the tie rods are definitely not even (one is a good 1" longer than the other). I'm kind of stumped on this one right now.

[Rack776]

Originally Posted by Ben M.

The column is put together properly. There is no "adjustment" of the locking plate and cancel cam, it only goes on one way. It is keyed with the teeth on the splines of the column. See the pictures:





So basically the smooth surface missing a spline is supposed to be at 12 o'clock but is instead closer to 10. The intermediate shaft to the steering column mount also has a keyed spline interface and only goes on one way as well. I just don't get how this can be so far off. The car tracks straight and level, but the tie rods are definitely not even (one is a good 1" longer than the other). I'm kind of stumped on this one right now.

Since your steering colum parts check out and line up, and the tie rods are not even on each side, then I think that is where it is off, someone must have rebuilt the front end
and did not index the pitman arm to the new tierod ends correctly, and the guy who did the alignment did not care the wheel was crooked.
Any photos of the tie rod ends?

Does the steering wheel have the same turns from center to full left and full right?
If not the problem is definately in the steering linkage.
With the front tires straight the pitman arm on the steering box should be parallel with the frame rails of the car, it should point straight ahead, not offset to one side or the other.

If the tierods are off as much as you say I think your idea to move them back to center to get the wheel straight might work. Might be worth $50-$60 to have it aligned at a tire shop at that point, looks like its not as easy as jsut putting the steering wheel back on straight.

I wish I had my damn 75 pontiac service manual I put it in a box and forgot and now its friggin burried in storage
I'll try to get to it, if I can get to it this week I'll scan it for you.

Anyone have one handy?

[DeCaff2007]

Originally Posted by Rack776

Might be worth $50-$60 to have it aligned at a tire shop at that point, looks like its not as easy as jsut putting the steering wheel back on straight.

I wish I had my damn 75 pontiac service manual I put it in a box and forgot and now its friggin burried in storage
I'll try to get to it, if I can get to it this week I'll scan it for you.

Anyone have one handy?

1. I'd like to know where you are getting an alignment for $50 - $60. It's upwards of $90 - $100 around here.

2. I have a service manual for a 76. According to 78ta.com, it's just updates from the 75 model (which happen to be included).

I'm not actually home (and won't be for a while) but I can get my g/f to scan a few pages in.

[GStage1]

This is an easy solution.

First, is your alignment good...no unusual wear...car was driving straight with the old column.

If yes, which sounds like it.

Position your wheel so tires are straight and then use a round file and remove one of the teeth on the inner dia of the locking ring....so, you are basically "re-clocking" the lock plate to correct your steering wheel issue.

As it sits now, your "wide gap" shown in pic is at 10 o'clock.....with wheels pointed straight forward.......so make your rock plate with a gap at 10 o'clock which will reorient the horn contact which dictates wheel placement and you are done...should take you all of 5 mins to correct this problem.

[Ben M.]

Originally Posted by GStage1

First, is your alignment good...no unusual wear...car was driving straight with the old column.

Unfortunately, I don't know. The car was pulled out of the Arizona desert after it sat for over 10 years on its rotors and drums in the dirt. It also had a 79-81 spindle on the driver's side vs. the 70-78 spindle (different thickness of meat, slightly different positioning). I changed it back to to a matched spindle set (both are 70-78 style). I also replaced the column. Now it drives straight without too much issue (haven't finished shaking down the car personally, but when I've driven it haven't noticed anything). I looked through my old photos of when we first pulled the car off the trailer and noticed that when the car had both wheels pointing forward, the wheel was completely off, as in upside down:



Just goes to show you can't trust a previous owner to have done anything right...

I think the solution is to take it to an alignment shop and get everything double checked and verified.

[DaveD]

Start at the steering gear box, with the wheels straight the flat spot on the output shaft of the gearbox should be straight up (12:00 position) if that is correct then the slot on the end of the steering column shaft should also be straight up. If it is not then you need to disconnect the coupling between the gearbox and the steering column and rotate the steering column side until the slot is in the correct position.

[4dblnkldude]

This thread helped me, 12 years later.