Steering Wheel Upside Down

[Qball]

All this talk of unbolting/rebolting, and just turning the wheel or the rag-joint half-way around.

That is NOT the right way to fix this.

>>>FIND THE CENTER POINT OF THE STEERING GEAR<<<

Everything else aligns to match the center point of the gear. For all we know, the wheel is half-a-turn off because the tie rods have been installed by a butcher. Re-aligning the rag joint wouldn't fix the problem at the tie rods.

As far as all that goes I think it's fine. When the wheel is straight upside down the tires point straight and I've had the truck aligned a couple of times since I've owned it and I think if the tie rods were installed wrong I would've been told

 

[1madmouse]

Not to screw things up, but isn't the pitman arm also splined? Sounds like a combination of things, but the right way is to center the wheels and then turn the steering wheel all the way left then right. Next turn the wheel 1.5 turns back to center. Now you are at the starting position and just align wheel, shaft to that , should be close. Like Schurkey said no knowing what has been installed a little off, but everything aligns to center point.

 

[Qball]

I looked up some new gear boxes, and see the flat section on the input shaft. So I guess you can not go as far as 180°. I have replaced my gear box 3 or 4 times as well. The OE box was sloppy. The second box was cracked, the 3 ed box started leaking, and the one that on there now, is good. Maybe your new box was clocked wrong when it was put together. If this is the case, you could try another gear box. You could replace the rag joint and clock it to the correct place, or you could get an alignment adjusted so that the steering wheel is in the correct place. Maybe the flat spot on the input shaft has enough room to turn the steering shaft 2 or 3 clicks over to the right or left, IDK, but I have moved my wheel a few times over 1 or 2 clicks to get it straight as it was tilted a little to the left. As I said, I loosened the bolt on the rag joint where it bolts to the shaft, with the engine off and key on, I was able to get my steering wheel from off a little to the left, to straight. Once done, I tightened the bolt on the rag joint coupler to the input shaft at the steering gear box.

See I thought about getting it aligned with the wheel straight was told there isn't enough thread on the tie rods for that

 

[kennythewelder]

Oh, and to figure out if the steering gear box iis centered, turn the wheel all the way to the left, then all the way to the right, counting how many turns it takes in each direction to get back to center. It should be the same amount of turns.

 

[Qball]

Not to screw things up, but isn't the pitman arm also splined? Sounds like a combination of things, but the right way is to center the wheels and then turn the steering wheel all the way left then right. Next turn the wheel 1.5 turns back to center. Now you are at the starting position and just align wheel, shaft to that , should be close. Like Schurkey said no knowing what has been installed a little off, but everything aligns to center point.

It is and can therefor only been installed one way and I am sure it is on correctly as I did that myself. I don't think anything is too wonky with alignment as it's not been brought up when I've taken it for alignments they just align with the wheel upside down.

 

[Qball]

Oh, and to figure out if the steering gear box iis centered, turn the wheel all the way to the left, then all the way to the right, counting how many turns it takes in each direction to get back to center. It should be the same amount of turns.

Hmm I will go try that and see if it is equal

 

[Qball]

Alright so after counting the turns to full lock it is pretty close I'd say off by less than 1/4 off a turn with more turning to the left than the right which should've figgered right has always had some slop to it but so did my last gmt400 so figured that just how they are

 

[alpinecrick]

Where are you unbolting it from I seem to only have two choices at the gear box and then up near the firewall. Also 4 times? Why?

Sorry, my previous post left out some important info.

If your steering wheel is 180 out then somebody had to replace the rag joint. With the factory rag joint the end of the steering shaft has "ears" on it that are captured by the portion of the rag joint and then then riveted in. To replace the rag joint the lower shaft has to come out, grind off the rivets and the new aftermarket rag joint uses bolts instead of rivets.

If the plastic shroud is not covering the rag joint (the shroud is there to keep grime and grease off the "rag" part of the rag joint and prevent premature rotting) you should be able to see the bolts. Most likely you will have to remove the rag joint from the input shaft of the steering gear, pull the lower steering shaft with the rag joint still on it, take to the bench and unbolt the rag joint from the shaft and rotate it.

Here's link to the only aftermarket rag joint available for these trucks to my knowledge. Pic #2 is the shaft side.

More Information for LARES 205

If you have the plastic shroud off, you will be able to see the difference between the factory style and aftermarket style rag joints. (Note: The plastic shroud on my 96 and 97 K1500's are impossible to slide up the shaft without loosening the steering gear from the frame to provide a bit of clearance from the crossmember.)

I've replaced my steering gears because they begin to wear out at about the 140k mark in my experience, and the aftermarket parts stores rebuilds are a POS that either come with 3-5 degrees of play out of the box or will have that much play by the 10k mark.

Having said that, my spare gear is an Oreillys (two Oreillys, one Auto Zone, and a BBB Vison so far) with 10k on it, and has, maybe, 2 degrees of play. Miracles do occur. BUT, the steering gear I replaced it with is a brand new manufacture BBB Vision that cost me $450. It came out of the box with, you guessed it, around 4 degrees of play...

 

[Qball]

Sorry, my previous post left out some important info.

If your steering wheel is 180 out then somebody had to replace the rag joint. With the factory rag joint the end of the steering shaft has "ears" on it that are captured by the portion of the rag joint and then then riveted in. To replace the rag joint the lower shaft has to come out, grind off the rivets and the new aftermarket rag joint uses bolts instead of rivets.

If the plastic shroud is not covering the rag joint (the shroud is there to keep grime and grease off the "rag" part of the rag joint and prevent premature rotting) you should be able to see the bolts. Most likely you will have to remove the rag joint from the input shaft of the steering gear, pull the lower steering shaft with the rag joint still on it, take to the bench and unbolt the rag joint from the shaft and rotate it.

Here's link to the only aftermarket rag joint available for these trucks to my knowledge. Pic #2 is the shaft side.

More Information for LARES 205

If you have the plastic shroud off, you will be able to see the difference between the factory style and aftermarket style rag joints. (Note: The plastic shroud on my 96 and 97 K1500's are impossible to slide up the shaft without loosening the steering gear from the frame to provide a bit of clearance from the crossmember.)

I've replaced my steering gears because they begin to wear out at about the 140k mark in my experience, and the aftermarket parts stores rebuilds are a POS that either come with 3-5 degrees of play out of the box or will have that much play by the 10k mark.

Having said that, my spare gear is an Oreillys (two Oreillys, one Auto Zone, and a BBB Vison so far) with 10k on it, and has, maybe, 2 degrees of play. Miracles do occur. BUT, the steering gear I replaced with is a brand new manufacture BBB Vision that cost me $450. It came out of the box with, you guessed it, around 4 degrees of play...

Wouldn't surprise me if the *** joint was replaced supposedly truck hit a deer or smth is its past. I find I can slide that plastic shroud up not much but just enough to see the rag joint. Now I'm a bit confused b/c at first, you say the factory rag join is riveted but then you mention bolts on it. As far as mine goes it appears to be riveted.

 

[kennythewelder]

I agree the easiest fix is the rag joint.