Wheel alignments and crooked steering wheel

[Utemad]

Hi all,

I got my work ute back from the alignment place and the steering wheel is crooked. I have always wondered how they get the steering wheel straight. Do they do the alignment and then loosen a collar on the steering column then straighten the steering wheel and tighten the collar or do they just remove the steering wheel and then put it back on in the correct position after the alignment?

Also, however it is done, can I realign the steering wheel myself? More often then not the steering wheel is crooked after an alignment on our cars.

Also my work ute has airbags if that is an issue.

Thanks.

[sudso]

If the stg wheel is crooked but the ute drives straight after the alignment then something else is wrong. I doubt the stg wheel would require reindexing. I'd take it back I mean fark, they did the job! Was it straight before? If the stg wheel has been off and on in the past then it may have been put back on crooked. There is usually a spline on the shafts which go into the stg coupling under the hood which can be reindexed to straighten it up but I woulda thought the mechanic would see to that before it left the workshop!
I know what a PITA it is to drive with a crooked stg wheel.

[DamTriton]

Two issues. Is the pitman arm centered in the range of steering to the wheels, and is the steening wheel centered to the pitman.

Go back to the place where you had the work done and get them to do the job properly. Usually they adjust toe-in equally on both TRE's of the steering linkage, poor operators take the easy way out by only adjusting one side but doubly so. This leaves the steering wheel about 1/8 turn or so out.

Either that or demand your money back and go elsewhere. Obviously don't go back there anyway....

[THE 109]

the steering wheel on most cars shouldn't ever have to come off,all the adjustments should be made under the vehicle.usually by rotating the tie rod will get the wheels pointing straight,then turn the draglink to get the steering wheel straight.on some vehicles the draglink can't be adjusted so
the pitman arm or steering wheel need repositioning,then checked to see if full lock either side can still be obtained.

[Utemad]

Thanks guys. The reason I wanted to know if I could do it myself is the job was done by Ford (or contracted out by them perhaps). That dealership is where the vehicle always goes for service but it is about 500km away or more. The service it had just before it came to Brissie was supposed to include a new draglink so perhaps they didn't fit it correctly along the lines of what The 109 said.

It is a pain to drive at night now as the turbo timer has a bright green light which is blocked by the steering wheel when driving straight ahead. Although now it shines into your eyes as the wheel is down on the RHS.

Thanks guys. Guess I'll live with it until it goes back to work.

[DamTriton]

another reason for not adjusting the steering wheel yourself is removing the airbag safely to access the steering wheel boss.

[Utemad]

another reason for not adjusting the steering wheel yourself is removing the airbag safely to access the steering wheel boss.

Yes. This is part of the reason why I thought I would get others opinions first. I wasn't too keen on playing with the airbags.

[460cixy]

most so called wheel alignment places are so crap hence why your wheel aint straight. the tool that did it probly pulls the wheel off and puts it on straight but couldent cause of the airbag so he left it. i came accross a so called wheel aligner and he couldent tell me the diffrance between caster or camber. all he knew about was tow but its only cause most cars now thats all you can ajust. and he was working at a very well known canberra tyre retail shop i shit you not. take it back and get it done right. but before that mark the steering shaft at the box/rack or anywhere else it can be pulled apart to straighten the wheel so when you get it back check if its had just the wheel moved or had the tie rods ajusted properly.

this is yet another reasion i no longer work in the automotive trade its full of cowboys and rip offs that give the good blokes a bad name.

[just cruizin']

Take it to Tony at Strathpine Steering Service, he's on old school bloke who cuts through the BS and tells it like it is. He sets the steering up to the steering wheel rather then getting just the wheels relative to each other. His phone number 3205 1892

[J Top]

The thing about doing all the adj on 1 tie rod is that this upsets your toe out on turns, both tie rods need to be the same lehgth to give correct stg, assuming it is IFS.
J Top

[Utemad]

The vehicle is a current model F250 so it has a solid front axle. I'll just live with it until it goes back to the work site. I don't drive it much around town anyway. Too much of a PITA due to it's size.