1970 300 steering column/wheel not straight???

[challenger]

This is awful to admit but my steering column isn't straight and I never noticed it before. I dropped the column down to remove the instrument cluster and put it all back together, finally, about a week ago. Today was the first chance I had to actually sit in the car and I noticed that the steering wheel isn't square with the rest of the car. The column isn't either and, unless I am missing something very unusual, that's how it was built. If I put a straight edge against the wheel it doesn't line up straight with the windshield for example. It is at an angle so, while driving the car, the right side of the wheel is closer to the driver than the left side.
I know this must sound nuts but I really need some confirmation about what I am seeing. Anyone wish to tell me the story?
Thanks

 

[polara71]

True .....Absolutely true. Now, everyone with a 70/71 Dodge /Chrysler/Plymouth run out and look at your columns. Youre gonna be surprised

 

[challenger]

Thanks! I can finally take my head of the vise. I've had it clamped real tight to try and keep the rest of the marbles from falling out .
Was this for only the 70/71 C-bodies? I love my mopars but this is just stupid IMO.

 

[Big_John]

If it makes you feel any better, that column was made by the Saginaw division of General Motors.

 

[Turboomni]

Is it still under warranty?

 

[MarPar]

True .....Absolutely true. Now, everyone with a 70/71 Dodge /Chrysler/Plymouth run out and look at your columns. Youre gonna be surprised

no BS'n now, it's really true??

SONOFA....and here Im thinking im losing my mind!!

 

[Davea Lux]

This is awful to admit but my steering column isn't straight and I never noticed it before. I dropped the column down to remove the instrument cluster and put it all back together, finally, about a week ago. Today was the first chance I had to actually sit in the car and I noticed that the steering wheel isn't square with the rest of the car. The column isn't either and, unless I am missing something very unusual, that's how it was built. If I put a straight edge against the wheel it doesn't line up straight with the windshield for example. It is at an angle so, while driving the car, the right side of the wheel is closer to the driver than the left side.
I know this must sound nuts but I really need some confirmation about what I am seeing. Anyone wish to tell me the story?
Thanks

This is partially because of the optical illusion created by the slightly curved dash. The mount bolts for the coluum have some adjustment built into them, try loosing them up to see if it will compensate. In any case it wont hurt a darn thing if it is a little cockeyed. Most of us driving these things are that way too!

Dave

 

[Ironwolf]

{ Thanks! I can finally take my head of the vise. I've had it clamped real tight to try and keep the rest of the marbles from falling out .
Was this for only the 70/71 C-bodies? I love my mopars but this is just stupid IMO.}

I guess that the 69's were all good, as I never really

noticed anything wrong with this setup !!!!

 

[MrMoparCHP]

My 67 Barracuda the steering wheel isn't centered on the seat or dash but it is square in the car.


Alan

 

[MarPar]

{ Thanks! I can finally take my head of the vise. I've had it clamped real tight to try and keep the rest of the marbles from falling out .
Was this for only the 70/71 C-bodies? I love my mopars but this is just stupid IMO.}

View attachment 135572


I guess that the 69's were all good, as I never really

noticed anything wrong with this setup !!!!

Not for I, says Spanish Fly!

My 69 Newport's column is askew.

 

[Wollfen]

{ Thanks! I can finally take my head of the vise. I've had it clamped real tight to try and keep the rest of the marbles from falling out .
Was this for only the 70/71 C-bodies? I love my mopars but this is just stupid IMO.}

View attachment 135572


I guess that the 69's were all good, as I never really

noticed anything wrong with this setup !!!!

Looks good to me.

 

[Wildaugust]

Three times in my life that things about my vehicles have bugged the hell out of me. When I noticed that the engine in my F-100 wasn't centered, but instead sits almost three inches to the right. When I noticed that the drivers side rear wheel on the same truck doesn't track in line with the front wheel. When I noticed that the steering column in my Newport isn't straight. (The engine in the Newport sits slightly to the right as well. Most rear drives do.)

But I'm over it now.

I felt a bit better when I saw that the steering column in my buddies '77 Mustang is even more crooked and uses some type of swivel u-joint. Makes you wonder sometimes.

 

[polara71]

no BS'n now, it's really true??

SONOFA....and here Im thinking im losing my mind!!

Yep, not sure where it stops or ends . I noticed this many years ago and when I said something on the board then the guys were just as surprised.

 

[challenger]

I'd love to know why the Chrysler engineers did this.
As I said, I never noticed before, but now it bugs me. I'm sure I'll get over it but my wife noticed it yesterday with no heads up from me. I asked her to sit in the car because I had put some shims under the seat. She sat in the car and felt something was Crooked. Between the out of square steering wheel and the wavy glass in the original windshield it isn't as comfortable to drive as it should be.
The issue isn't with the column but with the column /steering box misalignment. Also the adjustability of the column is very limited and doesn't come close to making up for you misalignment.
Thanks all.

 

[ceebuddy]

On the lower end of the steering column, the position of the steering gear dictates where the column ends.

According to one theory, the upper end of the steering column is pointing to the driver's side door a little to place the steering wheel in front of the driver - who, in a six-passenger car, has his assigned position at the far left and not towards the middle.

But the angle is far smaller than the lower column cover/shield might make you think whose form is mostly due to the curvature of the dash and not the angle of the column to the centerline of the car.

 

[MrMoparCHP]

simply the steering gear couldn't move any further left, they didn't want the driver more to the right. The only way they could have fixed this was to utilize a couple u-joints and they didn't want to do that, why? who knows.


Alan

 

[300rag]

The worst angle I have seen was in a *gasp* Chevette.

 

[challenger]

Thanks for all the great replies. The information has been very enlightening.
Of course things couldn't go back together without additional problems. I tried starting it after messing around with the steering column and it was dead. Out comes the FSM and turning to the electrical etc etc. It turned out that the small movement that I did to the column made the shift linkage move the transmission start safety switch not work so I had no ground to the starter relay. It was a hot and humid PIA to find and fix BUT it is done. For now!

I do have one more question but it's about my 65 Dart. I opened the hood the other day and noticed that the engine had fallen over and is now on a "slant". It's only a 6-cylinder so what should I do?

 

[MarPar]

I do have one more question but it's about my 65 Dart. I opened the hood the other day and noticed that the engine had fallen over and is now on a "slant". It's only a 6-cylinder so what should I do?

my suggestion?

slap a 4 bbl on it, install headers, change the cam, and run the piss out of it. lol

 

[Polara_500]

I do have one more question but it's about my 65 Dart. I opened the hood the other day and noticed that the engine had fallen over and is now on a "slant". It's only a 6-cylinder so what should I do?

Just drive it on the side of a hill so the engine's right side up. (Gonna be a pretty steep hill though.)