Truck is going straight but steering wheel is of by 90 degrees, help!

[vaporlock]

I have an issue with the steering in my truck, when I bought the truck the steering wheel was about 90 degrees of going straight forward. The PS pump was leaking and after I nearly drove straigh thru a circulation spot we fixed the pump by replacing the gaskets, no more leaks. After we fixed the pump we noticed the steering gearbox was leaking, since the fluid from the pump and gearbox ended up in the same spot we hadn't noticed that before, the pump was leaking alot more than the gearbox too.
We could tell the PO had taken out the pump to fix it (done with some weird gooey stuff that hardend like plastic and didn't work) we think he also did something to the gearbox.
I'm tired of it leaking and driving with the wheel pointing the wrong way so I want to fix it and I'm hoping someone can help me as to what is really wrong.

The theories I've been given so far:

1. PO claimed they put the steering wheel on wrong after taking it off. (A shop had the steering wheel off and it can only be mounted two ways, right side up or upside down.)

2. Google searches said truck needs alignment. (Truck has been aligned and was/is on point, didn't change anything about the steering wheel.)

3. Alignment shop claim that someone must have hit something really hard with the wheels causing something inside the gearbox to jump a few splines. (A mechanic said this wasn't possible, the gearbox is to tight and would have "exploded".)

4. The mechanic thinks the PO had it apart and put the steering shaft back in the gearbox wrong, ie steering wheel was turned 90 degrees and PO put it back in as if it was facing straight or possibly the steering wheel was straight but the wheels turned.

What the mechanic said makes sense, turning radius going left (if I remember right) is fine but turning radius going right is bad (like a semi-truck) with the wheel turned all the way both ways. Is it possible that the PO put it back toghter wrong like the mechanic thinks?
If not, what else could it be?

 

[poncho62]

I would agree with the mechanic

 

[magimerlin]

Any alignment shop should be able to fix that whilst doing the alignment... adjust one side tie rod in and the other out...

You can not put the steering shaft in wrong as it is usually cut with flat spots and splines and or a groove cut for a locking bolts or a combination of bot so it will only go on one way..

Turning radius will be affected as you mentioned... adjusting the tie rods so that it moves the whole center link will fix that. Only other thing is who ever did all the steering last time put the center link in backwards... there is a left and right to it...

sent from what use to be a great country...

 

[vaporlock]

Any alignment shop should be able to fix that whilst doing the alignment... adjust one side tie rod in and the other out...

You can not put the steering shaft in wrong as it is usually cut with flat spots and splines and or a groove cut for a locking bolts or a combination of bot so it will only go on one way..

Turning radius will be affected as you mentioned... adjusting the tie rods so that it moves the whole center link will fix that. Only other thing is who ever did all the steering last time put the center link in backwards... there is a left and right to it...

But alignment has been done twice by two different shops and both said everything was perfect the way it was. Both shops also said with the steering wheel that far of it could not be fixed with an alignment. One of them actually mention trying to adjust something which was probably the tie rods like you said but it wouldn't work because the tie rod couldn't be adjusted that much.

Okay, then he probably didn't disconnected the steering shaft.
Could the Pitman Arm be installed wrong? Looking at a pic of the MOOG Pitman Arm on Summits website it has 4 notches (at 12, 3, 6, 9 o'clock) doesn't that mean one could actually put it in wrong, turned about 90 degrees?

Center link would be the part both pitman arm and idler arm is connected to, right? How can you tell if it's backwards or not?

 

[twomanymontes]

If you have a different turn count left to right and your 90* off, It sounds like the pitman arm is installed wrong.

 

[TylerZ281500]

lock to lock check how many turns left and right, go from there

 

[Nathaniel2g]

Okay, then he probably didn't disconnected the steering shaft.
Could the Pitman Arm be installed wrong? Looking at a pic of the MOOG Pitman Arm on Summits website it has 4 notches (at 12, 3, 6, 9 o'clock) doesn't that mean one could actually put it in wrong, turned about 90 degrees?

Center link would be the part both pitman arm and idler arm is connected to, right? How can you tell if it's backwards or not?

Okay, I think it is the steering wheel being adjusted inproperly. I had my alignment done and before my steering wheel was cocked slightly to the right. The mechanic adjusted something in the steering box, straightened the steering wheel to top center by hand, and then tightened whatever he had adjusted in the steering box.

If your steering box is shot you can test pretty easy - just put the wheel in the "center" and turn the truck off. Keep your hands and all pressure off the wheel, and fire the truck up. If it jumps or turns slightly to the right/left when you fire up and the gradually returns, you need to replace your steering box. It's a very common problem with these trucks. It could also explain why you're not getting full turns.

You can not put the steering shaft in wrong as it is usually cut with flat spots and splines and or a groove cut for a locking bolts or a combination of bot so it will only go on one way..

I don't think that is accurate in this case. The steering gear/box uses a worm gear in this truck. The grooves are where the steering shaft attaches to the worm gear, but you could still put the worm gear in wrong (which would cause her steering wheel to be off center).

 

[TylerZ281500]

you dont take the worm gear off, go lock to lock on your sttering wheel make sure your turns are the same. if not we have to figure out whats off center, you can have a good aligmenet and not a perfect steering wheel, meaning one tierod could be at a longer adjustment than the other so everything shifts slightly causing the steering wheel to be off. thats probable. did they remove the gear box? then improper steering shaft or pitman once again go lock to lock to figure out how many turns and put it right in the middle regardless of steering wheel location. once your dead center where wheels should be straight see if they actually are, if you arent you have one of two issues, steering wheels in the wrong spot or pitman is. at that point id essentially take off your pitman from the cneter link and do the same. lock to lock find center and put it there. take off your steering shaft and put it in the right spot on the gear box. now two of three things are straight, reattach to your centerlink and see if your still properly aligned. if not then its a good chance they aigned it with one tierod in a longer position than the other

 

[TylerZ281500]

did they replace the steering box? or remove it to do a pitman? its not likely the machnic messed with the worm gear theres no use in taking apart the gear box on their end. manufacturer defect sure. but once again, lock to lock, find center, check what posiition your wheel needs to be in for dead center and see where the worm gears spline ends up.

 

[vaporlock]

If you have a different turn count left to right and your 90* off, It sounds like the pitman arm is installed wrong.

lock to lock check how many turns left and right, go from there

I can turn the steering wheel a bit more to the left than right, about a quarter turn (90*).