2003 Tahoe Steering Wheel Upside Down after Steering Gearbox Replaced

[901Tahoe_]

Yeah, try to turn the steering wheel shaft 180 degrees then. When I reinstalled mine I actually had to remove it and put on my vice to open it up a bit because I couldn't get it on the steering rack shaft. The shaft is like round with 2 flat spots, so I'm pretty sure it's symmetrical.

I guess I assumed trucks and SUVs had similar suspension but doesn't sound like it. The Tahoe's have both a steering rack and gearbox?! Does it have coil springs or torsion bars?

The 1500 trucks have torsion bars/gearbox for 4x4 and coils/steering rack for 2wd. I did know at some point SUVs went to torsion bars/gearbox for both 2wd and 4x4. Not sure what years or if that was all of them for this generation (GMT 800)?

Edit: looks like the Silverado SS 2wd was also torsion bars front suspension.

Yeah that steering shaft is on there tight!

My 03 Tahoe has a steering gearbox/pitman arm and power steering pump. It does not have a rack and pinion.

It’s 2wd and the front uses torsion bars.

 

[Larryjb]

When I look at the splines of a steering box, there are four "key" positions. This means that the Pitman arm could go on in any one of four positions. There are 8 teeth between each key position. I think the Pitman arm is installed 180° out.




There may have been a manufacturing defect on the steering box that prevented it from fitting on in the correct position. As much as I hate to say this, I'd take the Pitman arm off, turn the steering wheel straight, and try to fit it on correctly.

 

[Larryjb]

I came across this info. I know it is for a Jeep, but similar precautions will apply:

Installing a Pitman Arm Correctly

The steering gear and linkage are vital safety concerns—yet the pitman arm on a 4WD Jeep or other light 4x4 truck can easily be installed incorrectly. With the popularity of oversized tires and suspension lift kits, many pitman arms get replaced long before there is a parts wear issue. A dropped ...

forums.4wdmechanix.com

 

[rockola1971]

Assuming you did not move the steering wheel when reassembling and your gearbox was indeed centered then the only way this problem is possible is if you have the 4 key with large king key steering gearbox output shaft (what your pitman arm is on) and the output shaft was installed 180deg out from the rebuilder. Now i believe there was a 4 key version that did not have the larger king key that literally indexed everything for you and that version you could get it 180 out but something would have had to been moved like the steering wheel or the steering gearbox was not at center of lock to lock.

Straigthen your front wheels and count to right lock then go back to straight and count from center to left lock. Are they the same? If they are then either your gearbox has its output (or even input shaft) 180deg out from the rebuilder or you screwed up and the steering wheel moved during reassembly.

 

[tooleyondeck]

Any update on this? If your tires are straight and everything is otherwise functioning correctly (lock to lock, etc) couldn't you just unbolt your steering wheel and flip it 180° and reattach it?

 

[rockola1971]

Any update on this? If your tires are straight and everything is otherwise functioning correctly (lock to lock, etc) couldn't you just unbolt your steering wheel and flip it 180° and reattach it?

That could tear up the clock spring assembly in the steering wheel. This is why the steering wheel must be strapped to the neutral (Zero) AKA 12 oclock position when removing steering gearbox, steering shaft(s) or Pitman Arm. It never ends well when the steering wheel moves during reassembly. Its even worse if the installer doesnt verify that both the input and output shaft of the gearbox are neutral position during install. You never assume the gearbox rebuilder did their job correctly.