alignment needed or just move steering wheel?
01-24-2002, 12:28 AM
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alignment needed or just move steering wheel?
alignment needed or just move steering wheel?
Body: well the car is back together after r&r the bottom end, now the car drives
straight but only with the wheel turned to about the 2:00 position(12:00
is perfect straight steering wheel for this example)so my car feels ok,
drives straight at the 2:00 area but could i just take the steering wheel
off and move it a few splines to the left then retighten it? yes or no? is
this a bad idea, i do know that the spines are spaced such that i wont get
a perfect 12:00 position but it will be 90% better, but again is this just
gonna put undue streee on the steering rack or break something? i know i
put new tie rod ends on when doing the oil pan so thats why the wheel is
off to the right(2:00 position), but without doing the tie rods can i just
move the steering wheel and have no problems after? thanks a ton for the
help, ps porsche wants $180 to do a full alignment(oh my god)
Body: well the car is back together after r&r the bottom end, now the car drives
straight but only with the wheel turned to about the 2:00 position(12:00
is perfect straight steering wheel for this example)so my car feels ok,
drives straight at the 2:00 area but could i just take the steering wheel
off and move it a few splines to the left then retighten it? yes or no? is
this a bad idea, i do know that the spines are spaced such that i wont get
a perfect 12:00 position but it will be 90% better, but again is this just
gonna put undue streee on the steering rack or break something? i know i
put new tie rod ends on when doing the oil pan so thats why the wheel is
off to the right(2:00 position), but without doing the tie rods can i just
move the steering wheel and have no problems after? thanks a ton for the
help, ps porsche wants $180 to do a full alignment(oh my god)
01-24-2002, 04:11 PM
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The correct (and esiest) way to fix this would be to take care of it at the tie rods.
Let's see ... if goes straight with the steering wheel at 2 o'clock, then the left tie rod is too long, and the right side is too short. Just shorten up the left side, and lengthen the right side by the same amount. I'd start with a full turn (in-left and out-right). See if it changed too little/too much and go from there. Once you get it squared up, check the toe alignment and tweek it in accordingly ... just make sure you adjust both sides, or you'll end up with the steering wheel cocked again. There are lots of places that sell toe alignment tools. Might want to pick one up.
-Bob P
Let's see ... if goes straight with the steering wheel at 2 o'clock, then the left tie rod is too long, and the right side is too short. Just shorten up the left side, and lengthen the right side by the same amount. I'd start with a full turn (in-left and out-right). See if it changed too little/too much and go from there. Once you get it squared up, check the toe alignment and tweek it in accordingly ... just make sure you adjust both sides, or you'll end up with the steering wheel cocked again. There are lots of places that sell toe alignment tools. Might want to pick one up.
-Bob P
