How many Steering Wheel Turns?

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1971 Mustang Convertible
Hi everyone, 

How many steering wheel turns should there be from center to full left turn and center to full right turn?

Mine is about 2 1/4 turns to full left and 1 3/4 turns to full right. 

I have the original steering box, P/S pump all professionally rebuilt.

Also, my aftermarket steering wheel turns kinda hard, can I back off the steering wheel nut a bit?

Any help is appreciated, thanks!

 
I don't think it wound be good to back off the steering wheel nut

Maybe make a shim or some other fix but that nut needs to be tight.

As for the 2-1/4 VS 1-3/4  turns an  alinement should be able to center the steering wheel

I think the standard box was 4 turns

 
A standard SPA-S,U or if 73, AC or AE is 17.5:1 ratio and is 4 turns. Yours is off center for sure, but you do have 4 turns total. Could be the pitman arm was not installed on the correct splines. There are wider flat spline to locate the arm at center. You may need to pull the pitman arm, center the sector shaft and reinstall the pitman arm. Or as Don says, you may be able to readjust the link arm via alignment to re-center it all. Regardless it needs to be looked at. You may find you also need to re-install your aftermarket S wheel.

Geoff.

 
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Are you sure it's the steering wheel? Do you hear it scraping or dragging when you turn the steering wheel?

Someone likely replaced the tie rod ends or idler arm and didn't have the steering box centered, so it went back together wrong, with the tie rods adjusted off-center.

 
I don't think it wound be good to back off the steering wheel nut

Maybe make a shim or some other fix but that nut needs to be tight.

As for the 2-1/4 VS 1-3/4  turns an  alinement should be able to center the steering wheel

I think the standard box was 4 turns
Don, I'll get an alignment as soon as a little more welding gets done and an exhaust is installed. Steering wheel is straight. Thanks for your reply!

 
A standard SPA-S,U or if 73, AC or AE is 17.5:1 ratio and is 4 turns. Yours is off center for sure, but you do have 4 turns total. Could be the pitman arm was not installed on the correct splines. There are wider flat spline to locate the arm at center. You may need to pull the pitman arm, center the sector shaft and reinstall the pitman arm. Or as Don says, you may be able to readjust the link arm via alignment to re-center it all. Regardless it needs to be looked at. You may find you also need to re-install your aftermarket S wheel.

Geoff.
My box was rebuilt and is a SPA-S original to the car. Everything looks centered when I look under the car. For sure she needs an alignment, first more panel work, an exhaust. I'll take a look at the steering wheel too. Thanks for your reply.

 
Are you sure it's the steering wheel? Do you hear it scraping or dragging when you turn the steering wheel?

Someone likely replaced the tie rod ends or idler arm and didn't have the steering box centered, so it went back together wrong, with the tie rods adjusted off-center.
Don, the steering column used to be noisy and sounded like dragging, but not anymore. Like I said before everything under the car seems centered. Most of the front suspension is original to the car. I'll get an alignment as soon as possible. Thanks for your reply.

 
Steering wheel can be centered when driving forward but not centered on the steering rod (it has a centering mark which should be straight upwards). Most likely the tie rods need to be adjusted as well. Typical crappy alignment shops don't touch tie rods except for toe adjustments, and that can leave the steering wheel not centered. Some like to simply pull the wheel off and re-insert it so it looks centered but it truly is not.

Does that make sense?

 
Steering wheel can be centered when driving forward but not centered on the steering rod (it has a centering mark which should be straight upwards).  Most likely the tie rods need to be adjusted as well.  Typical crappy alignment shops don't touch tie rods except for toe adjustments, and that can leave the steering wheel not centered.  Some like to simply pull the wheel off and re-insert it so it looks centered but it truly is not.

Does that make sense?
Yessir, makes total sense!

 
Curious about something not meaning to hijack the thread but along the same topic. I have two turns from lock to lock. Does it mean my gear is 8.5? I had my gear box modified by Lee Steering a few years back?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 
2 turns? Does it seem twitchy on the highway? I have right around 3 turns lock to lock (maybe just slightly less) as I had mine converted to a quick ratio by powersteering.com.

 
When the car wheels are straight forward are the two pins on the rag joint at 12 & 6 O’Clock?
The 2 pins are at 4 & 10 o'clock.
I bet they got your Pitman arm off a spline or two.  Center of the box travel is when those pins on the coupler are at 12 & 6. (Large pin at 12 O’clock)

Some of the replacement pitman arms do not have a “bridged” spline to make them clock onto the sector shaft only one way.

Might be worth your time to borrow a good pitman arm puller and give it a try.   If it works you will need to pull your steering wheel and clock it so it is correct when the pins are at 12&6

 
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When I mentioned my steering wheel turns it was from center to left lock 2 1/4 and center to right lock 1 3/4 turns but some of you guys mentioned 3 to 4 turns from Lock to Lock! So in my case 2 1/4 + 1 3/4 turns equal 4 TURNS lock to lock. So I should be in good shape other than needing an alignment!? Thanks All!

 
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