Help in installing steering coupling.

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jimbo1096

jimbo1096

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Well, I progressed to the point where I’m trying to install my steering column back in the car. I have rebuilt the coupler with new shoes and retaining clip, packed it with grease and am trying to figure out how the coupler splines are aligned. I’ve got the service manual, but it doesn’t give a very good description of how to align them correctly. I see a little notch on the steering coupler, but I can’t find any indicator for the master spline that it talks about making sure you match to on the steering box. Anybody give me a suggestion or a picture that will show the alignment of these two pieces? I’m about two hours into trying to figure it out and I just can’t get them to go completely together. So far it’s only been a one-man job because my helper is out of town. Thanks in advance for any tips
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My coupler had no master spline, it slid on in any position relative to the master spline on the box.

By slid I mean it started on the splines and required some percussion to get it all the way down.
 
What year Mopar? Your front wheels are not pointed straight ahead. When they are, the master spline will be at the top. Then the master on the box will align with the master on the coupler.
 
The notch on the coupler IS your indicator (there is no master spline in the coupler), you line the notch up to the master spline on the steering box.
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Murray, it’s a 68 dart
The front wheels are straight ahead as I can get them without having any tires or wheels on the hub

Professor, I’ll have to look for that again tomorrow, the mosquitoes ran me out of the carport.
 
jimbo1096 said:
Murray, it’s a 68 dart
The front wheels are straight ahead as I can get them without having any tires or wheels on the hub

Professor, I’ll have to look for that again tomorrow, the mosquitoes ran me out of the carport.
Click to expand...
It's not the tires and wheels you need to be concerned with. Here's how you do it. Turn the hubs all the way one direction. Now, put a mark on top of the input shaft on the gear box. You really need 2 people here. Now, one person needs to turn the hubs slowly enough all the way the other way while you count the revolutions the input shaft makes. Power steering? should make "about 3.5 turns lock to lock. Now, divide that in half and turn the input shaft back to the center that many times and install your coupler with the steering wheel straight ahead. I don't know why these guys make things so incredibly difficult, when a 5th grade geometry student explain it better.
 
BTW, when you assembled the coupler, you DID line up the marks on the coupler and steering shaft, right? Otherwise you stand a chance of your steering wheel being 180* off.
 
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So in a nut shell...

The steering wheel has a master spline to the steering shaft

The steering shaft has an indicator hole to the master spline mark on the coupler

The coupler has a master spline mark to the input shaft's master spline on the steering box

The steering box must be half way between lock to lock.

The tie rod ends should be the same length left and right side of the car

When installed with all the points aligned the steering wheel will be straight ahead and the steering box will be centered, and you will have the same numbers of turns left or right to the lock.
 
Dana67Dart said:
View attachment 1716295262

So in a nut shell...

The steering wheel has a master spline to the steering shaft

The steering shaft has an indicator hole to the master spline mark on the coupler

The coupler has a master spline mark to the input shaft's master spline on the steering box

The steering box must be half way between lock to lock.

The tie rod ends should be the same length left and right side of the car

When installed with all the points aligned the steering wheel will be straight ahead and the steering box will be centered, and you will have the same numbers of turns left or right to the lock.
Click to expand...
And your steering wheel will be straight when the steering is centered! :thumbsup:
 
Thank you for all the help and diagram. Tomorrow will be another day. I’ll see if it works.
 
Thanks, Ken dog. I pretty much got past that part already. It’s installing it onto the steering box shaft that I’m working on.
 
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