Question on changing out the steering box

["Turbo-T"]

Just wondering....if I change out the power steering gear box, but not the pitman arm or idler arm or any of the tie rods or linkages....
Do I still need a front end alignment?

Thanks.

 

[mousemobile]

probably not.

You might change your toe setting a minute amount because there is the chance that the steering will bolt in a slightly different location/orientation.

I wouldn't worry about it.

 

["Turbo-T"]

Alright. I ask because I had a shop replace it, they were not able to get it on their alignment rack yet said they recommended it.

The shop didn't touch anything else in the steering....just the box.

I did notice that sometimes my car will wonder left or right when the wheel is straight but I also know some roads have a slight incline to one side for rain water run off so maybe that's whats causing it?

 

[mousemobile]

If it is "darty", the toe setting is probably out. Something changed if you can notice it. If the car is wandering, it could be heavily grooved roads from heavy traffic.

Wonder why it won't fit on alignment machine?

Try a place that works on trucks, they should have room to align. Sometimes the old truck shops are cheaper.

You could just "set the toe and go" or get a full alignment, either should work. Bad toe will eat your tires. Toe-out will make your car wander. Too much toe-in or toe-out will scrub your tires.

My preferred spec is 3 degrees of caster, 1/4 degree camber (top of tires closer), and 1/16 to 1/8" toe-in, both sides the same. Crowned roads didn't make my car pull or wander, wear was nonexistant, got 88,000 out of a set of Nitto 'NT255' size 235/60-15 tires on our '83 Regal.

Alignment specs are like opinions, everyone has one.

 

["Turbo-T"]

Wonder why it won't fit on alignment machine?

It's not that it wouldn't fit the machine, they had another car on there that was all torn apart at the time and they couldn't get it off there. They offered me to leave my car there for a few days but there was no way in hell I was going to do that.

I actually did get a call this afternoon, they're going to do the alignment tomorrow morning. I asked if they can fix the steering wheel problem too...when they swapped the gearbox I think they got it a few teeth off, and now when the car is going straight the steering wheel is cocked at the 12:30 position. They tried saying it's a bitch to get it back straight....

 

[mousemobile]

If the wheel is off that much, they did not install the steering column to the steering box correctly. It is probably off by a few splines. It is not possible to install it more than a few splines out of phase. Your steering shaft, under the horn button will have a stake mark at the 12:00 position. There is a matching mark on the steering wheel at the same location. You need to remove the steering wheel retaining nut to see it. If they aren't lined up, the shop cheated on the installation. When the steering wheel is at 12:00, the end of the steering column should be straight up (one of the rag joint drive pins should be at 12:00 position as well).

The pitman arm can only fit in one of 4 positions. Only 1 will allow you to drive at all. I'm sure that it's OK.