Clockspring Help

[sheizasosay]

I made the mistake of turning my steering wheel an indiscriminate number of times with the tie rods disconnected from the knuckle. Horn still works and I'm pretty sure I didn't break the clockspring, however my dilemma is I don't know how to recenter the wheel to the clockspring. I am not talking about centering the steering rack to the steering wheel.

Is it a correct assumption that the ribbons inside the clockspring will only allow you to turn the wheel so many times in one direction or the other before damage occurs in the clockspring? If yes, then that is my concern. I don't want to have 1.3 turns in one direction and 5 in the other direction.

How do you re-center the wheel to the clockspring's run-out? Can you turn the wheel and feel resistance in one direction and count turns in the other direction and then divide that by two to get the number of turns to center?

 

[Mineral_'01]

I am guessing you had the steering wheel removed when you lost count of the turns on the shaft? Otherwise if you did not move the tierods when disconnected from the knuckles you should be able to bolt everything back up and the wheel and clockspring will still be centered/timed when you turn the wheels back to straight. The steering rack would prevent you from turning to far either direction to break the clock spring.

If this was not the case and the steering wheel was removed, there should be a number listed on the clock spring such as 5 TURNS. To retime it to the wheel, you would turn the clock spring all the way in on direction until you feel resistance and then turn it 5 revolutions the other way and then back 2.5 turns the same direction you started to center/time the clock spring. I've had to do this multiple times with my job working on armored Toyotas and Fords.

Oh, and if there is not a number listed on the clockspring, preform the same method as above but once you feel resistance the first turning direction, count the total number of turns it takes to feel resistance the other direction and divide in half.

 

[sheizasosay]

Awesome! Thanks!

My steering wheel is and was connected. My steering rack has not been altered other than disconnecting the outer tie rods from the knuckle.

I turned the steering wheel without the tie rods connected to the knuckle.

 

[Mineral_'01]

Hey again,

I think you should be go to go just bolting the tierods back into the knuckle. My thoughts are since the rack limits how far you turn your wheel, there should not be any over extension on the clockspring no matter how far you turned the wheel from center. Once bolted back up, everything will self correct itself and be just like it was before the tierod ends were loosened from the knuckle.

Edited for clarity:

Think of it this way, imagine setting in the car and turning the wheel all the way one direction until it stops. The stop you felt is the limit of movement inside the rack. The clockspring does not get damaged because it was timed to the steering shaft connected to the rack. The rack limited you from turning the steering wheel any further. Now take that principle and remove the wheels, tires, and steering knuckle out of the equation. You are still only going to be able to turn the steering wheel the same amount of revolutions without the tierods connected to the knuckles as before. Do not worry where the wheel is at in relation to its centerline in total travel, once everything is bolted back up and you straighten out the wheels perfectly center, the clockspring will be at its center point because it is still timed to the steering shaft and rack.

 

[sheizasosay]

Edited for clarity:
clockspring does not get damaged because it was timed to the steering shaft connected to the rack.

The key. Thanks for your help.

 

[GDCracing]

The key. Thanks for your help.

I agree with him. I work in the technician field as well. Couple things I am concerned with. One, with the tie rods not connected the rack could go further than supposed to because it would not run into the "turn stop" so is it possible to go too far on the rack to brake the cables? The other thing is that it's good news that the horn still works so you likely didn't break any clock spring cables but centering it you'd have to be careful. I always centered them without the steering wheel on so I could feel that resistance and find center. I broke a couple with the steering wheel on due to the fact I couldnt feel the resistance. The leverage of the steering wheel was too much. Granted this was for Infiniti vehicles so may be a lot different. Not sure. Be careful. Let us know how it goes.

 

[dontlifttoshift]

Steering stops are in the rack.

 

[Mineral_'01]

I agree with him. I work in the technician field as well. Couple things I am concerned with. One, with the tie rods not connected the rack could go further than supposed to because it would not run into the "turn stop" so is it possible to go too far on the rack to brake the cables? The other thing is that it's good news that the horn still works so you likely didn't break any clock spring cables but centering it you'd have to be careful. I always centered them without the steering wheel on so I could feel that resistance and find center. I broke a couple with the steering wheel on due to the fact I couldnt feel the resistance. The leverage of the steering wheel was too much. Granted this was for Infiniti vehicles so may be a lot different. Not sure. Be careful. Let us know how it goes.

I figured it would be implied that you would not be trying to center/time the clock spring with the wheel still attached. That would kind of defeat the purpose. Also see below from dontliftoshift. They use to make, and probably still sell, little steering rack inserts that reduced the steering radius for SN95's with really wide wheels to prevent rubbing.

Steering stops are in the rack.

Exactly

 

[GDCracing]

Steering stops are in the rack.

Ah makes since. Didn't know that. On Infiniti sedans and coupes, they are little black brackets mounted to the lower control arm. Stops when the knuckle hits it.