Steering wheel off centered?

[madbrown]

Just got an alignment, but the steering wheel is off centered and when looking at the front tires pointed straight they are both slightly toed out. Is it true that toe out correlates w/ a off centered steering wheel?

 

[Joe Dirt]

Were the front end parts, i.e. ball joints, etc. new when the alignment was done? How far off is the wheel?

 

[my pos mounty]

Is it true that toe out correlates w/ a off centered steering wheel?

Not necessarily. They (the alignment shop) can adjust the steering wheel wherever you want it. They should have put it dead center if:

1) they are any good
2) they actually did an alignment

 

[my98nnj]

They should have put it dead center if:

1) they are any good
2) they actually did an alignment

 

[madbrown]

The front end parts are new, and I'd say the steering wheel is pointing to about 8 o'clock.

 

[my pos mounty]

Go back to the shop and ask them to complete the job they were paid for.

 

[madbrown]

That's pretty much the plan. Just curious how it could get so messed up? Not just the steering wheel, but the toe out on the tires, and it looks to have some negative camber as well. I mean it tracks straight pretty good, but can already notice slight inner wear on the new tires.

 

[Joe Dirt]

If all of the front end parts are new, you should have gotten a true alignment, so they didn't do their job very well. Did you get a printout of the results?

Also- around here some of the shops have a habit of not centering the wheel unless you specifically ask them to. Crappy business? Yes.

 

[gmanpaint]

Take the loss and go somewhere else. I wouldn't let someone that screwed up like that, touch my vehicle twice.

 

[team]

unless you have bought a caster/camber kit the alignment shop can't adjust these angles on your stock vehicle. They will still charge you for what you think is a full alignment. All they are really doing is setting the steering wheel and the toe. This is stuff you can do with a 2x4 and a couple of wrenches yourself. You can also do the caster/camber by installing a kit and buy a wixey digital angle gauge. At least this is what I have done and I feel like I have something I know was done with my attention to detail. It took me a little while of driving and fine tuning on my steering wheel position to get it exactly where I wanted it. Most alignment shops are not going to take the time to get everything the way you think you should be getting it because it does take a lot of time.

 

[madbrown]

I did get a print out of the results, but are you saying that having toe out and negative camber can be ok? The vehicle doesn't pull and tracks straight, but I swear I can already notice some very slight wear on the inner side of the tires. I called the shop and they said they'll take a look. I also did buy a new camber caster kit as I had to take a hacksaw to one of the bolts to get it out.

 

[team]

post your results from the printout

 

[GRNMACHINE]

Pretty much thinking what gman said. I have had alignments like Joe D said and they dont center the steering wheel. That doesnt bother me as much as you mentioning inner wear on your new tires. There is definitely something not right about that. Not sure I would want to go back, if you know them, maybe give them the benefit of the doubt and look at it again? A center is only as good as the tech who is working on your car... Maybe you got the "new guy"...

 

[my98nnj]

The first step in setting up a vehicle on an alignment rack is to center and lock the steering wheel. If a 4 wheel thrust angle alignment is done, it should track straight down the road with a perfectly centered steering wheel.

Go back to the shop and have them correct the alignment. Post the specs so we can see if the wheels are actually tracking correctly.

 

[madbrown]

Actual Before Specified Range
Left Front -0.7 0.0 -1.3 -0.3 Camber
3.9 4.9 3.2 5.2 Caster
0.04 -0.35 -0.07 0.19 Toe

Right Front -1.2 -1.2 -1.3 -0.3 Camber
4.6 5.4 3.2 5.2 Caster
0.04 -0.05 -0.07 0.19 Toe

Front 0.5 1.2 -0.7 0.7 Cross Camber
-0.7 -0.5 -1.4 0.0 Cross Caster
0.08 -0.40 -0.13 0.37 Total Toe

 

[madbrown]

Sorry it didn't post the way I wanted. Let me know if it doesn't make sense, and I'll try it again.

 

[team]

Yea, explain what is what here. I see four numbers for each topic per tire. Tell me what each number is for. Before, after, ....

 

[madbrown]

First # is actual setting. Second# was before. Third & fourth # is specified range.

 

[team]

Your total toe looks fine. I don't like how they set up your camber though, according to alldata the camber range should be from -1.0 - 0. They really just moved the left side more negative to adjust the split. Maybe they couldn't adjust the right more positive ? Anyway, if the car doesn't pull to one side and all you want is to fix the steering wheel position then you or they can adjust the tie rods to fix that easily.
Which way does the wheel need to go to, clockwise?

 

[madbrown]

So toe is ok? Wouldn't the way the camber is set wear the inside tread of the tires? The wheel does need to rotate clockwise.