rhoptry

Hey,
I replaced the steering rack with a reman one and lost the orientation of the steering wheel with the wheels. Now with the wheels pointing straight ahead, the steering wheel is upside down.

This is a 1990 Integra hatch back, power steering and AT. No air bag. but with cruise.

Can I simply take the steering wheel off, turn it, and put it back on? Is there a clock spring or other device that I might mess up?

How would you fix this?

thanks,
Dave

racebum

steering position can be changed with an alignment which you will need anyway. try to get it as close as you can and take it in to the shop

JPhilBradley

If it has cruise control buttons on the steering wheel (I'm not familiar with the location on that gen Integra) there is a clockspring behind the steering wheel. You're not supposed to let the steering wheel turn more than ~ 90* when you have it unhooked from the steering rack due to the possibly of hyper-extending the wires in the clockspring.

Instead of taking the steering wheel off, I would get it to the middle of it's travel (equal number of turns to both the right and left locks, than get it straight up and down. Then adjust the tie rods underneath the car to where the wheels look as straight ahead as possible. Then go get an alignment (THIS IS MANDATORY when replacing the steering rack).

rhoptry

thanks guys,
JPhilBradley, I think that you're saying that I get the rack to its center position by counting the turns lock-to-lock, then put the rack at the halfway point. Then one should take off, turn, and reinstall the steering wheel to get it straight up and down?

Or should I get the steering wheel to be straight up and down by turning the column at the intermediate joint at the base of the column inside the car?

I will get the alignment--I have the tie rods ends about at their previous lengths, so it can be driven--but didn't think that turning the steering wheel 180 deg was part of the routine alignment.

sportsman1539

You should have centered the steering rack before attaching it to the steering wheel. Your wheel would have been really close if so. Then the alignment shop could have adjusted the tie rods with your wheel centered. And since you didn't center it, I'm sure you can probably turn more in one direction than the other. I would find the center of the rack and then unbolt it from the steering wheel. Then turn the steering wheel to center and bolt it back to the rack. At this point your tires are probably not straight so you'll need to adjust the tie rods equal amounts on each side until it appears straight. Then go straight to an alignment shop where they'll adjust the tie rods with the steering wheel straight to get the toe set perfectly

Blackhalo6

The right way to fix it would be to just start over. Pull the rack center it upright the steering wheel and reattach and go get an alignment.

CleanLikeJdm

Wow, some of the things you want this guy to do..
Just unbolt the steering wheel and re-attach it back on so it appears "aligned".

You have to turn the steering wheel quite a few rotations before the clock spring will bind.
So it's really not much to worry about, and the alignment will fix the rest.

sportsman1539

Not if the rack wasn't centered before it was attached to the steering shaft, then with the wheels straight you wont be able to turn as far in one direction. All that you're talking about doing is going to make the steering wheel straight while going down the road. The alignment shop isn't going to center the rack unless you tell them to which is going to cost more money

fcm

Ditto the above^^^ You must center the rack first, then find steering wheel center, by turning it pin to pin, not repositioning it, then insert steering column into rack. 94