Steering wheel not centered

[38plymouth]

I've had my car for over 25 years. The whole time the steering wheel has not been centered it is off to the left maybe about 10:00. I know the steering wheel itself is not splined so I can't make an adjustment there. Any thoughts on what I would do under the car to get steering wheel centered? I'm thinking it is probably a tie rod adjustment issue? It has always annoyed me and I'd like to fix it.

[Doug&Deb]

Are you sure the wheel isn’t splined? I’ve never seen one that isn’t but I’m not familiar with the older stuff. Mine is a 52.

[Ivan_B]

You need to make sure the wheel itself is centered, first. Rotate all the way to the right, then to the left, and count turns. Return the wheel half way back (straight ahead, thereby centering the steering box) and then adjust the rods so that the wheels are also straight ahead, using string and tape measure.

If the wheel itself is not straight after you center the steering box (unlikely, unless someone removed it in the past), also adjust the wheel.

[Roofus]

Anyway, there is a large groove which prohibits any movement of the steering wheel on the column on cars equipped with a steering case.

To center the steering wheel, you must actually act on the tie rods, if you shorten one of 2 laps, you will have to extend the other by 2 laps.

Edited February 8 by Roofus

[Ivan_B]

The author is from Florida, why are you "Frenching" him? ?

4 minutes ago, Roofus said:

De toute façon,. . .

 

[Sniper]

9 minutes ago, Roofus said:

De toute façon, il y a une grosse cannelure qui interdit tout déplacement du volant sur la colonne sur les voitures équipées de boitier de direction.

Pour centrer le volant, il faut effectivement agir sur les tirants de manière égale, si vous en raccourcissez un de 2 tours, il faudra rallonger l'autre de 2 tours.

 

Quoi qu'il en soit, il existe une grande rainure qui interdit tout mouvement du volant sur la colonne sur les voitures équipées d'un boîtier de direction.

Pour centrer le volant il faut effectivement agir sur les tirants, si vous raccourcissez un des 2 tours, vous devrez rallonger l'autre de 2 tours.

I took two years of French, way back in 81-82 and I slept in a Holiday Inn Express Wednesday, so hold my beer.

In any case, there is a large groove that prohibits any movement of the steering wheel on the column on cars equipped with steering gears. To center the steering wheel, you have to act on the tie rods equally, if you shorten one by 2 turns, you will have to lengthen the other by 2 turns.

 

Anyway, there is a large groove that prohibits any movement of the steering wheel on the column on cars with a steering box. To center the steering wheel you have to act on the tie rods, if you shorten one of the 2 turns, you will have to lengthen the other by 2 turns.

[38plymouth]

I'm 99% sure the steering wheel goes on a keyed shaft and it isn't a spline like other cars. The only place I can see that does have an adjustment is the tie rods. I was hoping there was something else I was missing but I just don't see it.

Edited February 8 by 38plymouth

[Sam Buchanan]

The good news is the tie rod adjustments are easy to make, maybe thirty minutes if you've never done it before.

 

The bad news is that after you see how easy it is to adjust the tie rods to center the wheel.......you will beat yourself up for driving the car for 25 years with a crooked wheel.....!   ?

 

In regard to the adjustments, if the car is driving straight now, you can center the wheel without upsetting the current alignment. Adjust each side of the car exactly one turn, then drive it to see how much improvement you made. Keep tweaking it exactly the same amount on each side until the wheel is centered and you are good to go with no strings, etc needed. Just make sure you carefully note how the threads on each tie rod run so the toe-in won't be changed.

Edited February 8 by Sam Buchanan

[Roofus]

3 hours ago, Ivan_B said:

The author is from Florida, why are you "Frenching" him? ?

 

The goal was to write in French and translate into English by leaving French in case the translation would not be fair, apparently it did not work.

[SteveR]

On 2/8/2024 at 11:36 AM, 38plymouth said:

Any thoughts on what I would do under the car to get steering wheel centered? I'm thinking it is probably a tie rod adjustment issue? It has always annoyed me and I'd like to fix it.

You might try Keiths garage He did his steering and made a video or send him a message. He's a good guy and loves to help people.

 

[desoto1939]

Pullin the steering wheel:

 

From 1939 and up to Mopar used the Miller steering wheel puller that has three holes that you thread bolts into the main body of the center of the steering wheel.

 

refer to my attached picture from my Miller Tool Catalog.

 

1938 and back did not have the three threaded bolts. The 38 and back uses a special puller made by three bolts. The proper puller wraps under the bottom of the steering wheel and the bolt is turned to pull the wheel off the steering wheel shaft.

 

I also checked my 1936-42 Desoto master parts book and then looked at the steering column part number and for 1938/39 they used the same shaft.  I then went to a spare steering wheel that I have and my steering wheel inside the main body is serrated or splined to match the spines on the end of the steering shaft when the steering is attached.

 

Hope this helps with you project of alignment of the steering wheel.

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

Below is the proper steering wheel remover for 1939 and up around 1952?

 

 

Below is the proper puller for 38 and back:

 

[38plymouth]

On 2/13/2024 at 10:55 AM, SteveR said:

You might try Keiths garage He did his steering and made a video or send him a message. He's a good guy and loves to help people.

 

I have already watched most of his videos. I'm a fan of his channel. Getting the steering wheel straight is on the to-do list. Right now I'm in the middle of rebuilding the master cylinder and putting the floor back in with new bushings. Unfortunately still trying to get the correct parts from Bernbaums, for some reason they sent me a gray shifter boot when I ordered tan.