Steering Box Alignment - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

sublettd · #1 07-10-2004, 11:18 AM

Recently purchased a used steering box from a guy on eBay (Gussingh). As an aside, he even dropped the box by the house on his way to MS. Would have installed it for fifty bucks if the car had not already been in the shop and unavailable at the time. I say all this to say this particular eBay'er is honest and personable.

Anyway, since I"m mechanically challenged, I took the box into my mechanic while he already had the car and got it installed. While driving the car home I noticed the steering wheel alignment was at about 7 and 1 instead of the usual 9 and 3. Figured he'd just put the steering wheel back on crooked, but I pulled it and noticed the detente was at about 10 o'clock instead of the normal 12. I put the steering wheel back on at 9 and 3, but am curious if this misalignment is going to cause me problems down the road? There is no pull on the steering wheel and nothing seems amiss, but it's apparent the wheels were not straight when the box was installed. Should I take it back and have him re-do the installation, or should I just let it ride as is?

Thanks,

sixto · #2 07-10-2004, 12:14 PM

The steering wheel doesn't have to come off to replace the steering box.

The steering box has a centering lock that should be used when doing work on the steering system. I'm not sure how you clock the pitman arm relative to the locked steering box, but I'm sure you can get a lot closer than 7-1 just by eyeballing it or using scribe marks. I'm even more sure it's in the manual that a good tech would know by heart and a reasonable tech would know to reference.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

sublettd · #3 07-10-2004, 12:31 PM

Sixto,

I'm pretty much cludo on the procedure. If the shop owner did the replacement I doubt he referenced anything since he's been doing MB repairs for probably 30 years. It's likely one of the other techs did the job.

Still curious if I need to take it back to have it properly aligned or if it's fine as is since there is no seeming pull or undue pressure on the steering.

Thanks,

sixto · #4 07-10-2004, 01:10 PM

Sure sounds like a reasonable thing to ask the shop to do. They should have caught it during a test drive. Should be as simple as pulling the box and and reclocking the coupling... however simple that is.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

stevebfl · #5 07-10-2004, 01:25 PM

Pull the key from the steering lock and turn the wheel till the steering lock engages. The wheel should be 9 and 3 describing straight ahead. That is the only proper position of the wheel as the element that disengages the turn signals is also on the shaft and needs to be properly centered. it will be centered when the wheel locks straight ahead.

I presume the box missed a tooth when installed. The input to the box is splined finely. If he had missed on the pitman arm it would be massively off.

From thousands of alignments I can tell you that 7 and 1 designate a wheel about 1.5 to 2 turns of a tie rod from center. This is either .75 to 1 a side (give and take) or a total of up to 1.5 to 2 on one side if the toe is that far off. This is a relatively small amount but the box should be properly centered.

It is very possible that what you now have is more right than what was there previously. The proof starts with the steering lock. With steering locked and the wheel straight, the centering access plug on the box should be removed and the centering dimple should be centered. If that is the case then the tierods need the centering I mentioned above. This of course needs to be done on an alignment machine.

sublettd · #6 07-10-2004, 02:30 PM

Steve,

Just went out and checked again. The dimple/detente does almost center up when the steering wheel is locked. So, if I understand correctly, it looks like I need an alignment.

Thanks,

stevebfl · #7 07-10-2004, 03:00 PM

That would be my take on it.

Newer cars with traction control will throw a ETC code (for the steering angle sensor) if the steering wheel is off center and driven.