Steering wheel removal/alignment?

[phorbiuz]

First things first - its a 94 KZN130.

My quick 1 hour job last week to replace the pitman arm ended up being a ball ache. The arm was seized completely on the shaft of the steering box and in the end I had to remove the steering box and steering wheel shaft so that I could get it to my friends garage where they removed the arm using a heavy duty mechanical puller.

Before anyone asks why I didn't just tighten it back up and drive to the garage its because my clumsy use of a hammer damaged the thread on the ball joint side!

Anyway, job done, new arm on, new fluid, and I THOUGHT the alignment was correct. I was wrong. After I put it all back together my steering wheel is out by about 30 degrees. Bummer!

As I don't want to be playing around with the shaft and the sterring box again, can anyone tell me how hard/easy it is to remove the steering wheel and sort the alignment out from there? I think its a standard wheel, in grey plastic, with the horn in the middle.

Thanks.

[kitesurf_phil]

First things first - its a 94 KZN130.

My quick 1 hour job last week to replace the pitman arm ended up being a ball ache. The arm was seized completely on the shaft of the steering box and in the end I had to remove the steering box and steering wheel shaft so that I could get it to my friends garage where they removed the arm using a heavy duty mechanical puller.

Before anyone asks why I didn't just tighten it back up and drive to the garage its because my clumsy use of a hammer damaged the thread on the ball joint side!

Anyway, job done, new arm on, new fluid, and I THOUGHT the alignment was correct. I was wrong. After I put it all back together my steering wheel is out by about 30 degrees. Bummer!
As I don't want to be playing around with the shaft and the sterring box again, can anyone tell me how hard/easy it is to remove the steering wheel and sort the alignment out from there? I think its a standard wheel, in grey plastic, with the horn in the middle.

Thanks.

Not sure about the 94 3.0L coz you may have a drivers airbag. If no air bag then undo screws that hold the horn press in place and sort of hinge it towards you. You will find that the steering wheel is on splines with a big nut holding it in place. Undo nut and pull. Make sure your wheels are straight and put the wheel back on. It works on the 2nd Gen 2.4s anyway. (Mine was 90 deg' out after changing the pitman arm). I am sure that the search will turn something up. Somebody posted a question recently about fitting an after market wheel to a 3rd Gen and someone sent an exploded view of the assembly. Good luck.

[marky]

You may have to remove the PITMAN ARM & start again getting the Turns even.

[Mike66]

Oh!!!!! and mind you dont lose any teeth when the steering wheel suddenly comes off and smacks you in the mouth.


Not that iv done that!!!!

[kitesurf_phil]

Oh!!!!! and mind you dont lose any teeth when the steering wheel suddenly comes off and smacks you in the mouth.


Not that iv done that!!!!

Marky,
I made sure that I still had full lock both ways before centreing the steering wheel.

Mike,
I undid the nut and left it on the last few turns. A couple of wallops with the rubber mallet on the nut got the wheel to move on the splines. Then I pulled it off. Worked for me Now all I need to do is get the tracking checked.