more on C3 steering wheel alignment

[Jack O.]

My steering box is an early '69 unit so the shaft is simply round with no flat area. The end of the steering column however does have a flat. Does this area have anything to do with where the column should be attached to the steering box other than the fact that the rag joint does need to be placed in a particular position? The reason I asked is that I indexed my steering box and then attached the column but the steering wheel is 90 degress off but I notice when I position the steering wheel in the correct position, this flat area is at 12 o'clock.
Thanks in advance.

[Harmon C.]

Re: more on C3 steering wheel alignment

Jack Question#1 Is the steering wheel mounted on the mark? Question #2 If you can mount the lower half of the rag joint in any position why not just make the wheel straight. If you are 180 degrees off switch the rag joint bolts. Lyle

[Jack O.]

Re: more on C3 steering wheel alignment

Lyle: Where is the mark you are referring to? The wheel is off by 90 degrees so I can't fix it via the rag joint.

[Joe C.]

Re: more on C3 steering wheel alignment

Jack:

There is a radial line on the end of the steering input shaft on the box. This must be @ 12:00 with the front wheels dead straight. Once you have this, then simply install the column with the steering wheel straight.

Joe

[Richard D.]

Re: more on C3 steering wheel alignment

Jack:

Go to this site and download some of the info there on steering.

http://www.corvettefaq.com/listing.asp?group=7

May be useful to you.

Going through a similar thing with my 68.

Rich

[Michael H.]

Re: more on C3 steering wheel alignment

Richard,

I read the procedure in your link but I noticed they didn't mention the hash mark on the steering gear shaft. That mark indicates the "high spot" more precisely than counting turns and dividing by two. Often, in fact nearly always, establishing center by count is off by as much as 45 degrees. Using the count to start and then observing the position of the mark would be the only accurate way to do it.

Setting center steering is critical for a number of reasons. The first is the fact that there is nearly zero free play in the steering gear at that point, as you mentioned, but more important is the fact that the toe system must begin at dead center as the slightest movement in either direction starts the process of "toe out on turns". If the toe is set in any other position, the toe out condition could have already begun with the wheels in the straight ahead position which makes a car, especially an old Corvette, more than just a little uncomfortable to drive. The geometry gets pretty involved but just starting with the mark on the end of the steering gear shaft at 12:00 O'Clock position eliminates much of the problem. If the alignment shop will use the center position on the steering gear to set the toe, the job wil be much more accurate. I've seen shops use "something between 9:00 and 3:00 O'Clock" when setting the toe and the cars never come close to driving the way that they should.

Michael

[Richard D.]

Re: more on C3 steering wheel alignment

Michael:

Thanks for the great advise.

After redoing my rag joint, my horn button is 180 out, and it only goes on one way, so my thinking is that the rag is 180 out with the flanges being opposite what they need to be.

I've driven the car, and it tracks real well, but I will still go on to get a full alignment after correcting the rag joint.

I will use your advice when I do go get it done.

Regards,

Rich

[Michael H.]

Re: more on C3 steering wheel alignment

Richard,

I agree, it sounds like the coupler is 180 deg out. Hope that takes care of the problem.

Michael

[Jack O.]

Re: more on C3 steering wheel alignment

Thanks Michael. I haven't noticed any marks that I can use but perhaps I'm missing it. Where is it exactly?
Thanks.

[Michael H.]

Re: more on C3 steering wheel alignment

Jack,

It should be stamped on the end of the steering gear shaft coming out of the back of the gear. It would be a hash mark starting in the center and extending out to the edge. It wasn't a very deep mark so it may be difficult to see, or even impossible if the shaft is rusty.

[John H.]

Re: more on C3 steering wheel alignment

Same kind of 12 o'clock hash mark is on the steering wheel end of the main shaft, and there's one on the steering wheel hub too that aligns with it; the entire system is "indexed" as an assembly aid.