Steering wheel alignment

[Turdle]

I changed my sloppy plastic steering intermediate shaft in my '98 AWD Mountaineer, with an all solid steel one off a '96.
The install was easy enough, just had to remove a little off the firewall end of shaft ( 1/8") so the bolt hole would line up.
Now the question.
The different shaft has caused my steering wheel to be about 1/32- 1/16 turn from being centered. Front alignment is fine, doesn't pull.
The steering box end of the shaft cannot be rotated, it slides down onto a triangular shaft on the steering box, so it only goes on one way.
Is there a way to adjust this, it kind of bugs me.
The only thing I can think of is to turn Tie rod adjusters 1/2 turn out on driver 1/2 turn in on passenger until it straightens out.
There has to be a better way?

 

[410Fortune]

Not unless you can rotate the shaft where it enters the steering box.rack, on the first gens the steering box is splined and you can turn the wheel one spline at a time, not sure about the gen II's

Your gen II likely can only be centered at the tie rods
1/32? is bugging you??? hahahaha Oh man you should drive my BII.....

 

[Turdle]

Funny you should mention that
I get a lot of crap around here for lowering my truck, and the paint needs redone, so I've been considering lifting it and getting some good tires and suspenion goodies so the little things would roll off easier

shhhhh between us ok?

 

[410Fortune]

its okay I have a lifted Ex I might lower then lift again in a few years

 

[MONMIX]

Just DO NOT move the steering wheel to compensate. ( nice way to pop a clock spring )