Oshin11

Well I haven't taken the time to fix this because I haven't had the cash until now. While my car is driving straight my steering wheel is cocked 30 degrees to the left. I don't know what this could possibly mean. Maybe I just need the steering wheel adjusted but I doubt it. Any ideas? The car does drive slightly to the left if I let go of the steering wheel but nothing that would correspond to how much it is cocked to the left.

dvkk

Either your car hit something hard enough to alter the wheel alignment, or the last shop who aligned your car didn't know what they were doing. A proper wheel alignment leaves the wheel perfectly straight when driving straight. Did you have the car aligned recently?

oceanvue

It's probably just the steering wheel is on crooked. Pull of the horn pad, take a piece of tape and put it around the disconnected corn female wire plug(so you don't drive yourself crazy grounding the horn and setting it off), take a 27mm socket with an extension and take off nut. Pull the steering wheel off (have a good idea of what straight should be) Adjust wheel straight. Put the funky curved washer back on, thread bolt back on, tighten, connect wire back to the horn pad, punch hoprn pad on and voila. If the 27mm bolt is too tight, take some sort of leverage extension to the sochet handle and it will come off easy (I use the hollow extension handle to my floor jack) I change steering wheels like a socialite changes hair color. Takes a good 5 minutes if you dottle.

Oshin11

Thanks oceanvue I will try that after I check the alignment. I haven't had that checked since I bought the car in the summer. I would not think it would be an alignment problem since the car doesnt do a left turn when I let go of the wheel. Like is said 30 degrees, if I was going 70, that would be like a lane change.

Corrales911

Some alignment shops will cut corners by only adjusting the TRE on one side and therefore ignoring steering wheel centering.

oceanvue

If you're short on cash give it an Italian wheel alignment, do as I suggested above just re-mount the steering wheel slightly (maybe an 1/8th turn) to the right. That way when you're driving and the car is trying to duck hook to the left it will almost be like normal

fixnprsh

If its crooked, your thrust angle could be out, meaning the rear is dog legging a hair and the front is compensating, if it doesn't pulll, eh, but something isn't right

Or its a bad alignment, but if it just started to happen, then somethings out of whack so take it in and have it looked at.

I know dirty tricks of the trade to fix it without doing an alignment OR touching the wheel, but thats a secret, or I would have to tell you in long detail and most of the trainees I explain it to, and show them, don't get it so I make them re-align the car, this trick has no ill effect on a four door BMW driven by a MILF, but on a P-car, I would get the alignment checked

glenncof

Oshin,

Read my post https://rennlist.com/forums/911-forum/184654-911-upgrade-o-turbo-tie-rods-1969-1989-a.html

See the (FYI section) in the center of the post. I found it was easy to be off a lot on the steering wheel and still drive straight. I have made minor toe in/out adjustments by getting vehicle in a flat parking lot and set steering wheel straight, site down the side of tire from a distance knowing which way it's pulling. Inspect tires for unusual wear and check pressure (mine is listed under rear lid). Another thing to check is the ride height but I'm not qualified here.

After collecting your observations you'll need to make an assessment based on your skills and what you find. (I did see a posting either here or Pelican parts where someone set up there own shop to do it). I have limited myself to toe-in. Worst case you screww something up and take it in for alignment.

dvkk

So you think someone took a perfectly straight wheel, removed it and put it back on cockeyed? Not likely.
If you cover up the real problem by repositioning the wheel, your steering rack will not be centered anymore. That could cause rubbing when fully cranked to one side, while the other way won't be able to steer as tight as it should.
Also, as pointed out above, the car will dogleg down the freeway. Who knows what kind of ill handling effects this will have.
Fix the real problem, don't cover it up.

Oshin11

This is not a problem that just started it was like this since I bought it. I will have it looked at by a professional, who knows whats wrong.

dshepp806

which is?>

Oshin11

no I didnt word it correctly. I should have written "This is not a problem that just started it was like this since I bought it. I will have it looked at by a professional. Who knows whats wrong." Sorry bout that.

Daniel Dudley

Driving the car straight head, make a mental note as to which part of the wheel points up. If you turn the wheel all the way right and all the way left, it should stop at the same # of revolutions each way. If it does, the wheel is crooked, if it goes more one way than the other, then the adjustment is out. LOL

Peter Zimmermann

Normally an off-center wheel is because (1) the car was driven into a curb or similar, which damaged the tierod or strut or both, or (2) somebody did a T/S switch repair, noise while turning repair, or similar, and put the wheel on one spline off. Your expert should be able to find rack center and decide what to do from there.
Pete

Edgy01

This is a VERY easy fix if you have a breaker bar, a 1/2 extension, and the 27mm socket. I sometimes used to adjust these in a parking lot with the wheel loosely on until I found "straight" and then cinched up the nut on it.