Steering Wheel

[SS427]

Kurt,
The most common error made with these is when people restore the intermediate shaft and do not index it before disassembly. In doing so they often times get the CV cup mounted 180* off which will give you the symptoms you are describing. However and based on the photographs you posted it appears to me the two halves of your rag joint itself are off 180*. The two heads of the cross bolts should be very close to each other not opposite of each other like yours shows. I am not even sure how it could get assembled that way as the bolts that hold the two halves of the rag together are different sizes as well as the holes in the rubber rag but it is in fact wrong based on what I see. Disassemble your rag joint and reassemble it based on the attached photos and you should then be able to align everything.

Whenever I do these cars I center the steering gear based on the center of lock to lock. I then adjust the tie rods to give me a very close dead straight on look. From there I attached the intermediate shaft and connect it to the steering column. If your steering wheel is not right side up or the index mark on the steering column shaft where the steering wheel nut attaches then something in your intermediate shaft is 180* just like what you have. Hope this helps.
Rick