The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Steering Wheel alignment

When i turn the steering wheel to dead center in the 4 lock-to-lock turnes, it is about 3/4 of a turn off from steering straight. Can I pull the wheel off and re-align it?

1953 GMC 1-ton?

"Can I pull the wheel off and re-align it?"

Yes - if/when you "can" pull it off you can re-align it. Be careful - some people force/hammer off the wheel and damage it.

Is there a special tool that is required to pull the steering wheel or just a standard steering wheel puller?

Standard one works.
Did you check for the slightly tight spot as you turn the steering wheel through the midway point with the drag link disconnected? This will help verify if the steering box is adjusted properly and that you are indeed at the midpoint to put the steering wheel on in the correct position.
Carl

Advance Auto Parts and others loan steering wheel pullers for free.

The "standard" old school puller/pusher technique was:

- sit in the driver's seat
- loosen the steering wheel/column nut a turn (or, maybe two)
- push up on the steering wheel with you legs
- cleanly strike on the top of the stereing wheel column, to see if the wheel will "pop"upwards
- if that fails, use your steering wheel puller (I use a HF one like this one .)

Thanks guys! Yes the wheel has more drag across the middle of the turning.

The best way to get it centered is to drive it down the road & put a chalk mark on the column & the hub. Line up the marks when you get it in the shop. Pull the wheel & put it back on center.

It would be best to let your toothless assistant do this. He has nothing to lose.

No lost teeth.
The nut is still in place.

I have never had to use the first four steps in the technique I posted.

The puller tool has always worked for me.

If you can, pull the dragline loose before centering the wheel, so you know for sure you are centering the gear box and not the wheel stops on the axle. Over time someone may have adjusted the wheel stops incorrectly, this will make the steering box seem out of adjustment, so the steering wheel is moved.

If the truck drives down the road with the steering wheel off center, and you are reasonably sure the tight center adjustment is right, then the wheel is just installed incorrectly. But, if the center adjustment ( tight spot ) is off to one side, the axle locator pins, steering arms, or spring hangers are most likely in the wrong spot.

I never could get mine to center while driving, I finally made a adjustable drag link to dial in the straight ahead adjustment. My truck is a mishmash of parts from different years.

I looked at two different pullers but there were no extra holes drilled in my wheel to run the bolts into. I started to fabricate a strap to wrap around the back of the wheel to use with the larger puller but I gave it one last "heave-ho" using the "toothless" method and by golly it came loose using some PB Blaster.

Do you have an after market wheel Chad???? I've never seen one
that didn't have the two puller holes in it.

A steering wheel puller is about the simplest tool you can make
for your tool box. A few bolts any chunk of steel that won't
fold up under a tiny bit of pressure, a drill and a tap.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/161940335
If you can't fabricate one of these, then honest to good, you
orta be leaving any mechanical work on your truck up to
your mechanic.
dg

Denny- what size is the center bolt you used for your puller?

Thanks
Brad

No sir, it is the old GMC wheel.

That's a new one on me Chad. Have to check with my buddy on
his '47 and see if he had holes in his early wheel for the
puller.
Didn't happen to take a picture I could add to my reference
file, did you???

The later ones had the holes, and all of the original steering
wheels I've seen have had them.
http://www.oldcarmanualproject.com/manuals/GMC/1966/Series%204000-6500/image443.html
dg

On my 38 Master, there are no holes in the steering wheel, not like my truck. So the solution was to use home made J hooks on a puller.

Fred's '38 master apparently dint have holes drilled as the
service manual calls out using a puller along the same lines
as he used on his, that is, to hook the back of the hub:
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1938/38csm210.html

But, after that, the '42 to '47 car/truck service manual shows
puller J-1618 removing the wheel:
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1942_47/4247csm903.htm

The '47 truck shop manual againd calls out using the J-1618 puller:
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1947truck/47ctsm0904.htm

The '48-'51 manual calls out the use of the J-2927-A puller to remove the wheel:
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1948_51truck/51ctsm0904.htm

The 55 TF shop manual calls out the J-2927-A puller:
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1955truck2/55ctsm0905.htm

The '55-'59 GMC shop manual, again, J-2927-A puller:
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/gmc/5559mm/5559mm528.html

My friend with the '47 GMC sent me a pix clearly showing the tapped
holes for the puller:
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/161947703/original

dg