Thread: "centering" a GM steering box

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I understand that a steering box can be centered by turning lock-to-lock, counting, and dividing by two. Is this accurate enough???

Did GM put a centering mark on the pitman shaft???

It is a box from a '77 Firebird 400. No...I don't have a Firebird, but it donated it's front subframe to feed my Ford.

I need order and precision in my life, and a mark would make me feel so much better about myself.

No one knows the cosmic secret to the true centering of a GM steering box???

I always centered the box by doing the lock to lock thing. If you used the whole sub frame, everything should align. The pitman arm/shaft should have master splines so your limited on how the arm is oriented. Centering the wheels is accomplished by the tie rods. If the steering wheel does not center, simply remove it and center it.

There is also a "high spot" located at the center of the lock to lock distance, like the high spot on a cam lobe...that is where you want to be. Find the approximate middle of your lock to lock distance and very slowly turn the wheel till you feel it. It acts as a stabilizer to reduce wandering while going straight, great peice of engineering. You can feel it more in a newer box as opposed to one with alot of miles.....i just learned this last year from a guy who's been doing alignments for 30+ years.

Thats the answer I needed. The "high spot" is a bit to the left when on a straight road and the steering is dodgy. I guess there is no centering mark. Good to know I wasn't dreaming up this weird steering sensation.