Steer smarts brace steering wheel clocking

[keroseneburner]

I installed the Steer Smart sector shaft brace today. On the test drive after, the steering wheel is clocked to about 11 o’clock when travelling atraight down the road. Previously, it was centered at 12 o’clock. What could I have done to cause this? How can I fix it?

Thanks.

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[kevman65]

You need to adjust the Drag Link.

It is the bar attached to the Pittman arm. The adjuster is on driver side end of the bar.

 

[swtrailboss]

Front wheel alignment and request a reset (zeroing) of the steering angle sensor.

 

[keroseneburner]

Thank you. I’ll google it and do it tomorrow.

 

[keroseneburner]

Front wheel alignment and request a reset (zeroing) of the steering angle sensor.

Should I need an alignment after this? 9000 miles since new.

 

[swtrailboss]

No not necessarily. Alignment of the wheels themselves hasn’t changed but with the steering shaft component replacement it will go through the process of recentering the steering wheel and recalibrating the angle sensor.

 

[keroseneburner]

No not necessarily. Alignment of the wheels themselves hasn’t changed but with the steering shaft component replacement it will go through the process of recentering the steering wheel and recalibrating the angle sensor.

Thank you for the explanation.

 

[Badunit]

All this talk of adjusting the drag link is fine and dandy but it doesn't explain why the wheel is off in the first place. Looking at the install video, the steering gear and track bar are in the exact same location as before. Nothing should have changed. So why did it? Is your steering gear not fully flush to the frame? Maybe it didn't pull up all the way for some reason. Is it tight (not just the bolts, is the steering gear actually tight to the frame)? I don't know about the depth of the holes in the gear or the length of the new (I assume) bolts. Are they bottoming out? You were wise to ask why it is different. I would want to know why before I started corrrecting for it.

 

[keroseneburner]

All this talk of adjusting the drag link is fine and dandy but it doesn't explain why the wheel is off in the first place. Looking at the install video, the steering gear and track bar are in the exact same location as before. Nothing should have changed. So why did it? Is your steering gear not fully flush to the frame? Maybe it didn't pull up all the way for some reason. Is it tight (not just the bolts, is the steering gear actually tight to the frame)? I don't know about the depth of the holes in the gear or the length of the new (I assume) bolts. Are they bottoming out? You were wise to ask why it is different. I would want to know why before I started corrrecting for it.

Yeah, I’m gonna have to recheck everything tomorrow. Thanks.

 

[kevman65]

All this talk of adjusting the drag link is fine and dandy but it doesn't explain why the wheel is off in the first place. Looking at the install video, the steering gear and track bar are in the exact same location as before. Nothing should have changed. So why did it? Is your steering gear not fully flush to the frame? Maybe it didn't pull up all the way for some reason. Is it tight (not just the bolts, is the steering gear actually tight to the frame)? I don't know about the depth of the holes in the gear or the length of the new (I assume) bolts. Are they bottoming out? You were wise to ask why it is different. I would want to know why before I started corrrecting for it.

If whomever installed the sector shaft brace didn't tie down the steering wheel, then odds are it moved while disassembling and reassembling everything.

If luck is on OP's side, it's only off a tooth or two.

If it's not, it will all have to come back off to get it clocked correctly.

 

[Rusty PW]

If whomever installed the sector shaft brace didn't tie down the steering wheel, then odds are it moved while disassembling and reassembling everything.

If luck is on OP's side, it's only off a tooth or two.

If it's not, it will all have to come back off to get it clocked correctly.

I have the Steer Smarts brace. The pitman arm does not get removed and reinstalled. Just the nut holding it on gets replaced. As for why the steering wheel is clocked different. The only thing I can think of is a little slop it the teeth. When installing the new nut. The arm moved.

 

[Badunit]

The only thing I can think of is a little slop it the teeth. When installing the new nut. The arm moved.

If that was the case, I'd be getting a new gear and a new pitman arm. Those two things should be tighter than tight together. My bet is the gear isn't pulled up tight to the frame for some reason.

To the OP: Remove the part of the brace that has the bearing before trying to move or tighten the steering gear. That's probably obvious but I thought I better say it just in case.

 

[JTGuy]

Just do a drag link adjustment. The brace probably moved the gear box a fraction of an inch.

 

[Vtur]

It's off a little due to the holes tolerance of the steering gear 4 through bolts.

 

[Badunit]

Could be. We're talking maybe 1/32" movement of the drag link to go from 12:00 to what looks like 11:30. I'm not sure you can get that from the box moving up/down or back/front from bolt hole tolerances but maybe. I would be double checking my work to be sure.

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