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Steering gearbox install help!

I have a 1983 Chevy fullsize K5 Blazer. My gearbox was leaking, and I decided to just replace the entire thing instead of trying to fix some seals. It's 21 years old after all. Anyway, I got it installed, but then my steering wheel was upside down when the tires are headed forward. Not a big deal, since I can fix this by adjusting the draglink. Problem is, when I get the steering wheel aligned by adjusting the draglink, I'm no longer able to turn stop to stop before the gearbox runs out. There isn't enough adjustability in the draglink to find two settings with the steering wheel correct.

I'm pretty much stumped, because the steering shaft is keyed at the gearbox, it's not like there are multiple ways it can connect. The same thing is true for the pitman arm connection at the gearbox; there's only one way it can go. So how could I have gone wrong? I hope the box itself isn't faulty. It's an Autozone (IG or something? brand) lifetime warranty, but the install is a bear and I really, REALLY don't want to do it again.

Any ideas?

Reply to
Charles
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Disassemble the flex-joint and turn wheel 180 degrees

Reply to
Digit

Yeah, I just figure that out. I thought it was keyed because there is a big bolt hold and a small bolt hole on the end of the steering shaft. Turns out it's not REALLY keyed. I have absolutely no idea why they have two bolts and two different sized holes on the steering shaft when the ragjoint has two of the same sized holes.

The problem is I could see now way to get the shaft away from the box without lowering the box or perhaps pulling it back from the steering column. The ragjoint has these two little prong things that keep everything locked up. I could not bear to go through the torture of removing the box again, so I dremeled off one of the prongs to fix this problem. Hopefully I won't end up cartwheeling down the interstate as a result...

Reply to
Charles

Why can't you just pull the wheel & rotate 180 deg?

~KJ~

Reply to
KJ

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