Steering Wheel truing....

OZ40

Active Member
Is there a way I can straighten (true) my steering wheel on my 1960 LeSabre at home. The car drives straight but the 'spoke' on the inner steering wheel is not straight. That is to say it should be even at about the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position but currently it looks more like 8 and 2 o'clock.
 
Make a mark on steering wheel.Take it off and turn it on the splines to the position you prefer.Some force may to loose steeringwheel.Stubbe in Sweden.
 
you would have to make the right tie rod shorter and the left tie rod longer by the same amount of turns until the wheel returns to 9 and 3.
 
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I recume that car was going straight on road, but wheel was in wrong position.If the rubber in tyres are worn/slitna make a complete adjust on steeringsystem.Stubbe.
 
It would be much easier to get an alignment even if the car goes straight down the road as opposed to wrestling off the steering wheel. Depending on the amount of splines on the steering shaft, you may only be able to get it kinda close. Alignment is the best way to go IMHO.

Gary
 
?.If car is going straight on road and dont consume rubber why try to adjust linkage in steering system.Pull out the steering wheel and put it in the place that is best.In my 54 is a mark on rod to take a hint of position.Stubbe .;):)
 
I agree with Gary alignment is the way to go, then you know things are correct.I t may drive straight, but that does not mean the alignment is correct.
If you do not have steering wheel puller you will fight with the wheel trying to get it off.
Mel
 
If you turn the tie rod adjusters the SAME way in EQUAL AMOUNTS, you will move the steering wheel position. You'll just have to experiment to get it to move the way you want it.
 
Assuming your car was assembled at the factory correctly and each repair to the steering was done correctly after that when you are driving straight down the road your steering gear is at the center of its movement (which happens to be where you adjust the steering gear to eliminate any play in the steering gear) and gives you equal turns left and right. When you adjust the tie rods to center your steering wheel, your steering gear is no longer centered and you probably cannot turn as sharp one way as the other. Stubbe is right. The puller to remove a steering wheel is not very expensive. This is one of those jobs if you do not do it right it will just create bigger problems.
 
Generally the steering wheel and shaft have alignment marks to keep the steering wheel and linkage centered with respect to the centered pitman arm position. You can pop the cover to see, but my guess is the marks are aligned. The issue described is usually the result of an alignment where the steering wheel is slightly off center during the procedure. The means of adjusting steering wheel center back to the center of the linkage is by the use of tie rod adjustment. The total distance between the tie rod ends remains constant as they are adjusted one way or another to correct the wheel center with respect to the linkage center. I have been unlucky with this issue far too many times after an alignment. The solution was never to correct the wheel placement on the shaft, but to center the wheel and shaft with the center of the linkage by tie rod adjustment.
 
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I agree with the Dr., the source of the misalignment has to be checked. Center the steering gear and see where the wheel is, then go from there.
 
Unless the front suspension has been rebuilt recently you need to check the entire front suspension for wear or damage which could cause this condition. A bad lower ball joint for example can cause this type of symptom. If none is found then follow the above advice.
 
I bought a complete front end rebuild kit and had an alignment specialist shop run by the same family since the '50's do the install 2 years ago. I took the easy way out, I went back to the shop that removed and installed the newly rebuilt steering box and they squared it up for me.
 
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