[glhs#116]

So, I replaced my dodgy looking and somewhat oil soaked rag joint with a replacement from our sponsor. I followed the factory shop manual procedure which involves unbolting the steering gear and swapping it over. There was no mention of marking things and the splined gear does appear to be self-indexing with a flat spot at a certain point. However, when I got it all installed my steering wheel is no longer centred.

What do you all think? Is there maybe a range of a tooth or two where you can still bolt it together "off index"? Or do you think it is maybe a matter of the two rag joints having different index because of either wear in the old or the new being, you know, "new parts these days" quality?

Basically, do you think I should try to take apart and reindex or just move the tie rod ends to accomodate the "new centre"? Any good way to tell for sure?

Sam

[Schurkey]

Start by finding the center-point of the steering gear. The wheels better be straight-ahead. If they're not, it's likely the tie-rods were misadjusted.

Bolt up the steering column at the rag joint from there, with the steering wheel centered. That "should" fix the off-center steering wheel. The last thing to look at is to verify that the steering wheel is aligned correctly on the steering column shaft--there should be a faint chisel-mark on both the shaft and the steering wheel hub.

[glhs#116]

Is the centre point of the steering gear marked somehow?

Sam

[Schurkey]

https://www.chevelles.com/threads/po...#post-11389062
Reference Step 13 for guidance.

[Holeshot71]

Originally Posted by glhs#116

Is the centre point of the steering gear marked somehow?

Sam

Basically the pitman arm on the steering box should be straight back towards the rear when the wheels are straight.

[DavesGTO]

Just replaced mine too after steering box rebuild. Hope this helps.

https://www.powersteering.com/tech-t...how-to-confirmPower steering.com


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[glhs#116]

I took a few swings at this today. Each time I'd try to put it on straight it would rotate over. I was thinking the next thing I was going to have to do was pull it out to confirm where the flat really is. But then I rechecked our sponsor's website and I think I found what's going on here...



So, basically, because I had it on hand so long before getting to this job I forgot that instruction. I think it's too tight and the only way it slips on is when the part of the flat gets in the "gap" making it want to fit skew. Guess I'll have to get it off the shaft again and open it up a little...

Sam

[glhs#116]

Yeah. Nope. One of these things is not like the other one...




Ugh! This is exactly what I was trying to avoid... Anyway, anyone got a reliable source of one that works? Link or part number?

Sam

[fairwayhit]

I just installed a Lares 201 yesterday. It was also a tight fit and I had to spread the clamp a little bit. The instructions said to tap it on with a socket, and that did the trick.

Everything lined up fine with it.

FWIW I had accidentally installed my original off centered. It was looser and the teeth in these things (both the lares and original) aren’t deep enough to eliminate the possibility of forcing it on in the wrong orientation. That is actually why I bought the new one. I thought the teeth would be sharper. When I got it, I was surprised to see it was basically just like the one I took off except a little tighter.


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[P@blo]

Reuse the factory hardware with a new rubber disc. I had a post or two about this so you will have to look back. I ended up puting the coupler together with the larger 3/8" bolts? Maybe 5/16"? Had to adjust the holes to fit.

Not sure the details but the larger bolts eliminated any space in the disc. Never looked back, lambo steering now...

[glhs#116]

So, I loaded up the parts canon and let fly. I ended up with a winner between my stock coupler, the Ames piece and the Dorman rebuild kit. I ended up with the wrong size disk Dorman but that was OK because honestly I felt like the Ames coupler had the best disk in it. The Lares 201 coupler from RockAuto was truly terrifying. What a tinpot piece of absolute junk!

The three couplers. Top left the Ames, top right the Lares, bottom my factory one


The real comedy of the Lares is the little note in the box about the attachment nuts. I have the factory Pontiac manual and it is 35ft/lbs for the shaft bolt and 20ft/lbs for the attachment nuts. The Lares note wants you to use 11ft/lbs. When you see the dinky nuts and bolts provided you can see why.

The Ames disk looked a lot like the factory. A construction that seems to consist of layers of wire mesh (like screen door mesh) that the molten rubber has had embedded in it. The Lares disk is pretty much solid rubber with one extremely fine mesh layer just at one of the ends of it. The Dorman disk seems to have more layers but they seem to be fibre (like string) rather than metal mesh.

Dorman disk


The main thing the Lares provided was practice for me in getting the rivited studs out. I ground off the caps at first but eventually found they need drilling out anyway.

Only my factory one came with a ground strap for the horn.

Factory coupler taken apart


So in the end I used the Dorman kit for the two pieces that replace the riveted studs with ones with nuts on them, I used the Ames disk, and I used all the hardware from my factory coupler.

Observations:
The Lares is clocked correctly but so flimsy in every part that I'd be nervous to have it on and hit a pothole.

The Ames piece is honestly decent quality and a close design but clocked wrong.

When you use the Dorman replacement studs they are larger diameter than the stock or replacement ones. They pretty much fill up the gap that is normally present between the slots on the disk at the end of the steering shaft and the coupler studs. This probably gives even more positive steering feel but I guess could in certain situations create some noise from metal to metal contact. I'll have to see. But I'm not concerned.

Sam

[glhs#116]

OK. Final verdict. My original hardware with the disc from the Ames rag joint and put back together with the bolted rivets from the Dorman kit is a killer combo. Man, I never knew my steering was so tight and well set up! It was a bit of a journey but really worth it.

Thanks to all who helped.

Sam