2001 Blazer 4WD V6

I was reading a few posts about steering wheel misalignment.
One poster stated you could loosen the clamp bolt and change the spline alignment.

As the input shaft has a machined flat surface to accept the clamp bolt, it seem to me it can only be installed in one orientation, or am i missing something?

I just replaced my pitman arm and the steering wheel is 90 degrees out.

 

Did you move the steering wheel while the pitman arm was disconnected? I'm surprised that it is now off. Did you get the pitman arm on correctly?

I just now looked at RockAuto see how the pitman arms could go on. I noticed that the splines have a key-way of sorts so that they can go on at multiples of 90 degrees.



I'm guessing you got the pitman arm on 90 degrees off.

I think that you likely will have to remove the pitman arm from the steering gear, center the steering gear by turning the steering wheel from stop to stop, center the wheels and then put it back on. That it can only go on (apparently) in one of 4 ways should make it easier to line up.

 

The pitman can only go on one way, otherwise it would not connect to the center link, I do realize it has machined tabs at 90 degree intervals, and can be positioned at 12,3,6 and 9 oclock positions.

Now as far as the input steering shaft at the rag joint, the female spline and the steering box input shaft are keyed with a flat spot allowing only one way for it to be connected. The splined connection cannot be off even one spline, meaning it cannot be clocked to a different position due to the flat spot.

So,,,,, this leads me to the question, why is the steering wheel off by 90 degrees.

I locked the steering wheel, removed the box, pressed on a new pitman arm. The input shaft on the steering box never moved, and again even if it did, let;s say it was turned 360 degrees, this would be obvious because the pitman arm would not engage with the center link unless the wheels were turned. Remember, only 1 and a quarter turns off the steering wheel brings you from center to full left or right, 2 and one half turns lock to lock.
You have to lock the steering wheel as to not damage the clock spring. If the steering wheel get turned you have to remove the steering wheel and reset the clock spring.


I put the steering box back in and connected everything back up and noticed the steering wheel was now rotated 90 degrees when the wheel are straight.

My conclusion is that the new Pitman arm I installed was not machined properly, causing this offset.

I purchased a Mevotech MK6255 arm.

Anyone had this problem?

I am going to pull it apart and compare the Mevotech part to an OEM unit.

 

Usually when a part is broached like that hole is the part is located in a fixture for reference so that doesn't happen. I suppose it's a possibility but I wouldn't count on it.

 

With parts being made in China now, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if the splines were broached in a slightly "off" position. I can't really think of any other explanation.

Personally, I would just straighten the wheel out by adjusting the tie rod ends and call it good.