Steering Wheel Alignment?

[Richard Dobson]

I put a auto steering column from a 69 GMC along with a power steering box from a 84 chevy truck. I Put the box in hooked the center link to the pitman arm and centered up the wheels. I then installed the steering column and centered it up. The end of the steering column that connects with the rag joint won't align with the rag joint. Is it OK to disconnect the rag joint and index it on it's splines to get the steering column and steering box to connect? Does it sound like I am doing this correctly. I took this picture from the donor truck and I have the steering column in just like the picture. Thanks for any input.

[Green Machine]

I think the rag joint only goes on the box one way, not sure why it won't line up or be close. You may need to remove the steering wheel and move it on the splines there. There should be a mark on the shaft that points up when the wheels are straight.

Might want to have an alignment shop check the steering box and tie rod adjustment to make sure the steering box is truly centered with the wheels and adjust the steering wheel from there. If you are off exactly 1/2 turn, someome may have had the slipjoint at the bottom of the column apart and turned it 180 deg off.

[cdowns]

with steering box centered turn steering wheel till the rag joint aligns with box then connect it//then you pull the steering wheel and align it the way you feel you want it

[Wrenchbender Ret]

After you get the tie rods even & everything on center & the toe-in correct, take a piece of chalk & go for a test drive. When you are going straight down the road put a chalk mark on the steering wheel hub & the turn switch houseing. Go back to the shop & set the vtruck with the marks lined up. Pull the wheel & put it back on center. You cannot do this with later model columns that the key in the column.

[Richard Dobson]

Here's the picture showing the orientation of the column when I removed it from a 69 GMC. You can see the clamp with the hex nut on the steering column shaft to the right of the engine. When that nut is in this position the steering wheel is centered but the rag joint is 180 degrees out of position. The pitman arm is parallel with the frame then I don't know if it is just by conincedence or not. The 84 chevy truck steering box has 2-1/2 turn lock to lock. I wonder if the box that was in the 69 gmc had the same amout of turns. Does any of this make sense to you guys?

[Green Machine]

Check my previous post, if it is 180 deg out, take the joint apart below that clamp in your pic and spin it half turn. That should fix it.