Steering Wheel Upside Down

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Hipster

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Like I said can't complain too much when it's being done free in spare time.
And you got what you payed for. Even if you paid you can't really expect someone to look for and diagnose an issue outside the scope of what the job entails and the "only do this" you told them to do.
That being said, a high percentage of new vehicles the only adjustment is toe so it's getting increasingly difficult to find alignment techs that have the experience, willing to go through the motions, and present all the measurements needed to even consider what was done a "proper alignment" on a Short arm/long arm suspension. Caster, camber, toe, and the vehicle driving straight are only part of the story.

Schurkey is absolutely correct in that you center the box first and then center everything else above and below to the box. This eliminates the anomalies of the steering stops being bent, bent suspension components etc. from factoring into the centering. If your looking at the steering linkage below the box, with the box centered the pitman and idler should be parallel to the centerline of the vehicle.

You're on the second box with the same problem so I'd be looking for something assembled incorrectly between the box and steering wheel. Rag joint, where the lower column is assembled to the upper, tilt mechanism
 

Qball

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@alpinecrick I know you said you have replaced the gearbox a few times. Is it possible that I installed the shaft 180 out on the box itself. I recall us having difficulties getting the shaft on the new box and it took me and one other person using pry pars to get it to slide on. We tried with the wheel set correct and when it seemed like no progress was being made we just unlocked the wheel and kept rotating the shaft till it seemed like it wanted to slide on a bit
 

Schurkey

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The rag joint goes onto the steering gear one way. That's the point of the flat area on the splines.
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1madmouse

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@alpinecrick I know you said you have replaced the gearbox a few times. Is it possible that I installed the shaft 180 out on the box itself. I recall us having difficulties getting the shaft on the new box and it took me and one other person using pry pars to get it to slide on. We tried with the wheel set correct and when it seemed like no progress was being made we just unlocked the wheel and kept rotating the shaft till it seemed like it wanted to slide on a bit
I am thinking here is the red flag. Shouldn't have been that hard, but who knows what the truck has been through. Not saying you Qball, but maybe before you got the truck.
 

Qball

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I am thinking here is the red flag. Shouldn't have been that hard, but who knows what the truck has been through. Not saying you Qball, but maybe before you got the truck.
We didn't grease the splines or nothing so maybe that was a factor. Was easier once we just free rotate so we could then line the lines up
 

Hipster

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We didn't grease the splines or nothing so maybe that was a factor. Was easier once we just free rotate so we could then line the lines up
Keep in mind you're only going to rotate that clock spring so many times to the left or to the right while the column is disconnected before you destroy it.

While you keep making summations of what went wrong you ignore the advice that's been given on what to check etc. to start working towards a solution.
 
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Qball

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Keep in mind you're only going to rotate that clock spring so many times to the left or to the right while the column is disconnected before you destroy it.

While you keep making summations of what went wrong you ignore the advice that's been given on what to check etc. to start working towards a solution.
We didn't rotate it much at all and that was about 2ish years ago. Now I'm here trying to sort out where to go some suggested rag joint but mine riveted, someone suggested an alignment and that wont work as I've been told there's just not enough tie rod
 

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How many times do I have to say the same thing?

CENTER THE STEERING GEAR.

If the steering gear is centered, AND the road wheels are "straight ahead", then the steering wheel is upside down; the problem is somewhere in the steering column.

CENTER THE STEERING GEAR.

If the steering gear is centered, AND the steering wheel is right side up, the wheels won't be straight ahead, and the problem is in the steering linkage, probably the tie rod ends--although we could be talking about a bent frame, misaligned rear axle, or something else equally weird.

CENTER THE STEERING GEAR.
CENTER THE STEERING GEAR.
CENTER THE STEERING GEAR.
CENTER THE STEERING GEAR.
 
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