Finishing up my old thread here in case anyone else runs across this same issue. I finally figured out the problem. Along with the changes noted earlier in the thread, I also replaced the ball joints, axle u-joints, lower steering shaft and both power steering lines with essentially no changes to my issue.
The more I drove it, the more I realized it was not just poor return to center but just overly tight steering in general. Then, I ran across a thread on here about something else and
@Chris mentioned something about the bearing on the steering column being somewhat fragile, so I figured it was worth a shot. I ordered a nice used one from eBay.
When I had them both on the bench, I could spin each and compare. The new one spun easily with no binding, and the one I pulled off spun like it was filled with grime and gravel and bound in multiple places. Switched it out and now it steers really smooth and the tightness is gone, left with normal steering. Finally.
Thanks to the forum once again.