My steering wheel is upside down on my '84 Regal

[peteypablo]

When I am driving straight, my steering wheel is 180 degrees off (upside down). The car drives fine, but I want to correct it. I think the person I bought it from replaced the steering column and installed it wrong by the shaft where it connects by the firewall (under the hood).

Can I adjust the tie rods to make it right side up again? If so, I how should I go about it. Thanks.

 

[dan2286]

You need to pull off the steering wheel and put where it needs to be. You are going to need a steering wheel puller which you can rent from auto zone.

 

[srercrcr]

Remove the steering wheel and reinstall correctly. Do not stand on your head doing this like the last idiot did.

 

[peteypablo]

Someone told me to disconnect the bolt holding the steering shaft to the steering column from under the hood. Then the wheel will spin freely and I can put the bolt back on when I have it in the right place. I tried, but the shafts are squared, so the column can't spin freely without the shaft spinning also.

Any other suggestions?

 

[pontiacgp]

Someone told me to disconnect the bolt holding the steering shaft to the steering column from under the hood. Then the wheel will spin freely and I can put the bolt back on when I have it in the right place. I tried, but the shafts are squared, so the column can't spin freely without the shaft spinning also.

Any other suggestions?

if you take the bolt out of the collapsible shaft you can slide the shaft back and turn it 180 ...

 

[85_SS]

Either way will work, but I've found getting the column bolt out to be a bit of a pain. If you don't have a steering wheel puller, rent one from your local parts store (usually free w/ deposit).

 

[Stoopud]

If you just flip the wheel, you will likely have problem with the turn signal cams. I had this problem in my car. If you think you know what was done wrong, that is what you should fix. I did it in my car in about 10 minutes, and did not have to rent any tools. Remember, it has already been apart once or it would not be upside down, so it should not be too hard to get apart.

 

[85_SS]

The wheel is just pressed on splines in the column- flipping it won't affect anything. Rotating the shaft 180 will likely cause such a problem though, and is likely not what has caused the upsidedown wheel. I'm not a betting man, but I would assume somebody just pressed the wheel back on upside down when they had it off for whatever reason. I've seen plenty of wheels put on a touch crooked by a spline or two due to not marking it before removing it, but never completely upsidedown LOL

 

[Stoopud]

How are the turn signal cams working now. Without seeing the car it is hard to guess which was done. However, the fact that the steering wheel is exactly 180 off, and he thinks the column was changed I think makes it lean to my guess. I could be wrong, based on 85SS response and my guess, the turn signals may be the give away. If they are working correct and you have a puller or access, flip the wheel. otherwise, try the column connection. Good luck

 

[85_SS]

Good point - if everything is working fine now then that would help. Did you say you rotates the column on your car? Did the signals work both ways? I'm not sure if they would or not to be honest, but I don't think the column is keyed, so there is no real way of knowing which way to install it when swapping. I've swapped a column in my old 84 SS, but don't recall the details....

peteypablo - Is there a reason other than this that makes you suspect a replaced column (paint not match etc?)