Inner & Outer Tie Rods 70 Javlein

ccowx wrote: Seems there is two of us dealing with the same basic issues. I am also in the process of setting up my alignment on a 70 today. I have the tie rod thing sorted out, but my steering wheel is 180 out. How do I turn that around? The rag joint only works one way, but the wheel does not seem to be able to be flipped around because of the horn assembly. What am I missing here? Thanks! Chris

Pull the steering wheel with the wheels straight and turn the wheel to point correctly.

There should be a small mark on the wheel hub on the shaft opening for centering the hub. It should be at the 12 o clock mark.

ccowx wrote: Pardon my stupidity, but that is not coming through very clearly! The steering wheel is off, I took off the black plate and snap ring. The problem is that there is a small silver plate that puts the horn wire and plastic sleeve in one spot and I can not rotate it 180 because it only fits the splines on the steering shaft one way. Thanks! Chris

Correct... actually you can install the cup 3 different ways, but only one allows alignment with the center cap.

Now I a wondering did the miss alignment happen once you removed the steering wheel or was it that way before the steering wheel was removed.

The center badge can be rotated but, there is a notch to keep it from rotating. Also to remove the badge to check alignment can break the plastic if not careful.

I have been in the same question with a 74 steering wheel as the cap is not in the same alignment as my 71 cap. So there are differences with how the notched cup is to be installed on various years.

Once you install the steering wheel to the shaft with spokes correctly aligned with wheels straight. Check how the horn button tab is to be in the clock setting. The notched cup can either be set at 12 o clock, 4 o clock or 8 o clock. If the horn center cap and badge require anything other than that, the badge needs to be corrected, assuming that someone changed a 71 horn center cap out with a later button if not original to the car.

I can post pictures of 71, and 74 differences in clocking for the aluminum cup, but it all requires the center cap to have perfect alignment with its badge or center button.

Hope you see what I am explaining.

Edited by 304-dude - Jun/24/2017 at 12:25pm

My bad! I just went out and pulled the steering wheel again. The issue is that the plate that is held in place with the snap ring can not be rotated. That is the plate that engages the steering lock and all that. It is set up so that it is splined only one way on the steering shaft. I could grind off a tab from the plate and make it so that it will swap 180, but I hate doing stuff like that.

What am I missing?

Thanks!

Chris

You might have hit on something with the rag joint/steering gear thing. Let me check on that.

Thanks!

Chris

So Einbeier, hopefully you made the show! I have hope for you because last night I spent about 2 hours doing trial an error to get mine aligned, maybe even for good. I did the lazy way and modified the locking plate to go 180 degrees. The rag joint was not coming off with any home tools, so it was that or wait until Monday and have the shop do it. I then tinkered with the tie rods until I got the wheel centered and the car not wandering. I will verify with a tape later today, but preliminary eyeball measurements look ok.

As a side benefit, I also got the horn working. First time I have ever had it work in 29 years of ownership! Did I mention lazy? Bad news is that all the dry steering seems to have created an air pocket in the PS pump, but hopefully that will work itself out.

Thanks!

Chris