Steering Wheel Alignment

Zwc32

Zwc32

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Joined
Jan 23, 2022
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10
Location
Tennessee
My steering wheel was off when I bought my jeep, but now I have replaced the Dana 30 and put all new steering components. (Damaged in accident). Now I want to get the steering wheel straight. I have adjusted the drag link adjustment in both directions but can not get enough to get it straightened up. (It was completely upside down.) is there another trick to this?

Thanks
 
Zwc32 said:
My steering wheel was off when I bought my jeep, but now I have replaced the Dana 30 and put all new steering components. (Damaged in accident). Now I want to get the steering wheel straight. I have adjusted the drag link adjustment in both directions but can not get enough to get it straightened up. (It was completely upside down.) is there another trick to this?

Thanks
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Can you post a good sharp well-lighted (use a flash) closeup photo or two of the steering system taken from straight ahead? Nothing but what's between the tires.
 
Zwc32 said:
My steering wheel was off when I bought my jeep, but now I have replaced the Dana 30 and put all new steering components. (Damaged in accident). Now I want to get the steering wheel straight. I have adjusted the drag link adjustment in both directions but can not get enough to get it straightened up. (It was completely upside down.) is there another trick to this?

Thanks
Click to expand...

If you have replaced the steering bits and still can't center the wheel, that means the trackbar has an issue, the bar, mounts, or some aspect of it that has the axle shifted too far off center to correct the steering wheel center. Before you do much else, center the axle.
 
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mrblaine said:
If you have replaced the steering bits and still can't center the wheel, that means the trackbar has an issue, the bar, mounts, or some aspect of it that has the axle shifted too far off center to correct the steering wheel center. Before you do much else, center the axle.
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X2. The taller the suspension lift the more off to the side the front axle will be with the factory track bar. An aftermarket adjustable length track bar will be required to get the axle centered. Same with the rear. The below track bar is an aftermarket whose length is adjustable for centering the axle. The factory track bar length cannot be adjusted.

This is why the suspension height affects the axle's left-to-right position. Lift up the top horizontal line, which represents the chassis, with a suspension lift and the diagonal line representing the track bar will pull the lower line representing the front axle off to the driver's side. The rear axle's track bar is connected onto the opposite sides so it pulls the rear axle off toward the passenger side.

Track Bar Z Geometry.JPG


FrontEnd.jpg
 
Jerry Bransford said:
X2. The taller the suspension lift the more off to the side the front axle will be with the factory track bar. An aftermarket adjustable length track bar will be required to get the axle centered. Same with the rear. The below track bar is an aftermarket whose length is adjustable for centering the axle. The factory track bar length cannot be adjusted.

This is why the suspension height affects the axle's left-to-right position. Lift up the top horizontal line, which represents the chassis, with a suspension lift and the diagonal line representing the track bar will pull the lower line representing the front axle off to the driver's side. The rear axle's track bar is connected onto the opposite sides so it pulls the rear axle off toward the passenger side.

View attachment 415942

View attachment 415941
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I didn't base my response on it being a lifted rig, I based my response on it being in a wreck.
 
I actually have a 4 inch lift now, I had to drill new track bar bracket hole 3/4” toward the drivers side per the lift instructions. As I said it was upside down before the wreck as well. I set the toe yesterday 1/8” closer in the front then attempted to center steering wheel and either almost run out of the track bar and trackbar end but up against each other in coupling before it gets completely flipped 180 degrees. Thanks for the replies, I can take a pic but will be tonight after work.
 
Could it be that the pitman arm is clocked incorrectly? I know the steering gear output shaft has a combination of splines and keys, but I don’t recall whether it is one key or multiple keys (which would allow the pitman arm to be clocked incorrectly).
 
Could be possible, what I did when I put the pitman arm on was line up steering wheel then put pitman arm in the closest clocked position so that the small end of pitman arm was facing straight towards back of jeep. Was this correct?
 
mrblaine said:
At no point in time has a 3" suspension lift flipped the steering wheel upside down and so far out of adjustment that the draglink adjuster couldn't bring it back.
Click to expand...

So question on that. If the wheel was upside down before the wreck, when he got it, is it possible the Previous Owner or someone, had the Pitman Arm off and the steering spun all the way around?

I've never taken one off and spun the wheel, it's keyed, but does 1 turn of the wheel equal an exact turn of the steering key the Pitman attaches to? (I don't know the name of that spline the Pitman goes on, my ignorance).
 
cpwolf said:
So question on that. If the wheel was upside down before the wreck, when he got it, is it possible the Previous Owner or someone, had the Pitman Arm off and the steering spun all the way around?
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No, the steering gear only has about 90 degrees of swing. The keys are every 90 degrees. You would know instantly that it was off since it would only turn one way. (assuming stock configuration)
cpwolf said:
I've never taken one off and spun the wheel, it's keyed, but does 1 turn of the wheel equal an exact turn of the steering key the Pitman attaches to? (I don't know the name of that spline the Pitman goes on, my ignorance).
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The system is keyed one way only from the steering wheel to the input shaft on the steering gear. The only thing that would happen if you spun the wheel with it disconnected at any point between the steering wheel and the input steering gear shaft is you would break the clock spring.
 
You have more accident damage than you originally anticipated..time to start looking at everything more thoroughly.
 
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mrblaine said:
No, the steering gear only has about 90 degrees of swing. The keys are every 90 degrees. You would know instantly that it was off since it would only turn one way. (assuming stock configuration)

The system is keyed one way only from the steering wheel to the input shaft on the steering gear. The only thing that would happen if you spun the wheel with it disconnected at any point between the steering wheel and the input steering gear shaft is you would break the clock spring.
Click to expand...

Got ya. Thanks, makes no sense to me then how it was upside down before the accident. Thanks for the education.
 
Zwc32 said:
My steering wheel was off when I bought my jeep, but now I have replaced the Dana 30 and put all new steering components. (Damaged in accident). Now I want to get the steering wheel straight. I have adjusted the drag link adjustment in both directions but can not get enough to get it straightened up. (It was completely upside down.) is there another trick to this?

Thanks
Click to expand...
yes do this-

mrblaine said:
Before you do much else, center the axle.
Click to expand...

Make sure your front axle is centered side to side. Tires to body measurement is sometimes ok but balljoints to frame would be better. Be prepared for the body to be shifted on the frame or the frame being bent too....

Put an adjustable front track bar on and put it back in the stock axle hole where it won't break the bracket.
 
Zwc32 said:
the small end of pitman arm was facing straight towards back of jeep. Was this correct?
Click to expand...

It shouldn't be straight back.
It will be slightly off to one side, frame side I think.

Additionally, I just read a similar thread where a guy's steering wheel was upside down due to a bent track bar.
 
If there’s more damage I have no idea what it would be because literally everything is brand new except the axle and it is a very good condition used Dana 30. All steering/Suspension parts are brand new.

Ok I will measure axle center position. I think when I put the pitman arm if you are standing at the front of the jeep and facing towards it, the pitman arm was toward the outside approx. 1 o’clock, are you all saying it needed to be clocked more toward the center of jeep instead of the right outside position?
 
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