Steering wheel alignment cocked after centering while driving
03-17-2007 | 06:07 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Race Car
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,089
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From: Tampa Florida
Steering wheel alignment cocked after centering while driving
86
Spent a great deal of time this morning centered the sterring rack, used the bolt in the center hole.
Set the steering wheel completely straight, went for a drive now the wheel is cocked left quite a bit. I did replace one tie rod pass side and the wheel was visably off so I eyed it and corrected. My ? is if the toe in is off on one side "getting at aligned this week", would it do this to the steering wheel? I don't want to beat myself up on this just concentrate on the ride height after I just corrected the wheel spacer issue.
Mark
Spent a great deal of time this morning centered the sterring rack, used the bolt in the center hole.
Set the steering wheel completely straight, went for a drive now the wheel is cocked left quite a bit. I did replace one tie rod pass side and the wheel was visably off so I eyed it and corrected. My ? is if the toe in is off on one side "getting at aligned this week", would it do this to the steering wheel? I don't want to beat myself up on this just concentrate on the ride height after I just corrected the wheel spacer issue.
Mark
03-17-2007 | 06:56 PM
#3
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,013
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From: Southern Utah
Is the car driving straight down the road? wet part of your driveway, run the car straight through the wet part driving onto the dry part. Look at the wet tracks the car left on the dry part, does the read wheels seem to be tracking the front? make sure the car is not what i call "crabbing" meaning going down the road sideways....
03-17-2007 | 07:37 PM
#4
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From: Sydney AUS
If the steering wheel is straight when the rack is centred, the total toe in may still be correct but just not the same side to side - If you know the total toe in is correct you could in theory adjust the tie rods by the same amount each side (one in one out) by trial and error until the car goes straight when the wheel is straight.
As you said you have changed one of the tie rods recently it is likely the total toe is wrong = alignment time.
I am sure I have read here that if the rack has been rebuilt it is possible to rebuild the rack in such away that when the rack centring bolt is in place the steering wheel shaft can be in a position that the splines for the steering wheel are not in a position where you can get the steering wheel straight .
As you said you have changed one of the tie rods recently it is likely the total toe is wrong = alignment time.
I am sure I have read here that if the rack has been rebuilt it is possible to rebuild the rack in such away that when the rack centring bolt is in place the steering wheel shaft can be in a position that the splines for the steering wheel are not in a position where you can get the steering wheel straight .
03-17-2007 | 10:49 PM
#5
Thread Starter
Race Car
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,089
Likes: 6
From: Tampa Florida
Info
I just changed the rack bushings did not remove the rack. I did one tie rod, ball joint covers, MM and oil pan so the A frame and cross member was removed. I asume this all added to this. The car runs stright down the road even with the wheel cocked. I assume it must be the tie rod but alinement is on the table as soon as I get the ride height adj.
