A few weeks ago I the Kizi slipped in the snow (despite the 4 wheel drive) and hit a curb. It damaged the front nearside wheel a bit, and the steering didn't feel quite right thereafter. Last week I had the tracking checked and it was no surprise that it been knocked out quite a lot. Since it was corrected the car has felt much better, however I have noticed the steering wheel no longer sits exactly square. Is this because the tracking was not done correctly, or is likely the steering rack is bent.
What do you think ?
Whoops
I would guess something is permanently bent now. That would drive me crazy too. For some reason, ever since I was a young lad eyeing automobiles, if the steering wheel had any asymmetrical lines that did not line up correctly, it would constantly be bugging me. Long ago and maybe some odd cars here and there, they had very simple steering wheels, with maybe 3 spokes. Those were much better for not noticing that it was off center. Nowadays the steering wheel has all this stuff on it that just wont look right if not centered. You can try to adjust the steering wheel itself, but I'm not aware of the mounting setup and how hard it would be. I would ask some of the guys that have replaced theirs with an upgraded version. If you are able to get it apart hopefully moving the wheel one notch to the left or right will fix it good enough that you won't notice.
Good Luck!
Good Luck!
2011 SE AWD PLATINUM SILVER W/RRM INTAKE AND CUSTOM CAT BACK
+1 They can recenter the wheel without much trouble if they know what they are doing.
No, do not do that, then you'll have two different things adjusted wrong.nytq wrote:hopefully moving the wheel one notch to the left or right will fix it good enough that you won't notice.
Your alignment was done improperly, wheel centering is part of an alignment.
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
Should be a convenience store, not a government agency
Should be a convenience store, not a government agency
Go back to your alignment place and tell them that your wheel is off.
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paininthenuts
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Well, I took Kizi back to the place I had the tracking done and they had another look. They could get the steering straight, or they could get the tracking right, but unfortunately not both. It is their suspicion the track rod arm is slightly bent, which of course is better than a bent rack. The car is due a service in the next few months, so I will get the garage to have a close look then.
I had a feeling you would come back with an answer like that. A hit from a curb like that is almost always going damage/bend something. At that point you can adjust all you want, but it will never line up all the way. Of Course the steering wheel is purely aesthetic. The actual wheel alignment is what is important as we all know with the Kizzy, Tires will disappear right in front of your eyes.
If you don't want to spend any more money on an expensive part. Just adjust the steering wheel.
If you don't want to spend any more money on an expensive part. Just adjust the steering wheel.
2011 SE AWD PLATINUM SILVER W/RRM INTAKE AND CUSTOM CAT BACK
Did they try to center the steering wheel or just give you a excuse?paininthenuts wrote:Well, I took Kizi back to the place I had the tracking done and they had another look. They could get the steering straight, or they could get the tracking right, but unfortunately not both. It is their suspicion the track rod arm is slightly bent, which of course is better than a bent rack. The car is due a service in the next few months, so I will get the garage to have a close look then.
Many alignments are improperly done by adjusting only one side. This cuts the work in half. Rather than loosening two rusty sides. This will cause the steering wheel to be off center. Most adjustments are so slight they can get away with this because the steering wheel hardly changes position much. If the alignment is good ignore the steering wheel but go someplace else for your next alignment.
64 Galaxie 68 Olds 442 65 Impala 70 VW Bug
74 Nissan B210 66 Chevelle 73 Olds 98 71 C20
75 Monza 82 Escort 75 E150 75 Civic 76 Accord
86 Escort 87 Taurus 83 Chevy G20 85 Ranger 4x4
93 F250 4x4 95 Silhouette 95 LHS 03 Corolla 10 Kizashi S MT
17 Sienna
74 Nissan B210 66 Chevelle 73 Olds 98 71 C20
75 Monza 82 Escort 75 E150 75 Civic 76 Accord
86 Escort 87 Taurus 83 Chevy G20 85 Ranger 4x4
93 F250 4x4 95 Silhouette 95 LHS 03 Corolla 10 Kizashi S MT
17 Sienna
From what I understand, the first thing that a shop should do is center the steering wheel before taking any measurements and then making adjustments. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the position of the steering wheel is controlled by the toe-in adjustment which is tie rods. You can do a lot of adjusting with the tie rods. If the toe-in setting is correct and the steering wheel is centered but you still don't track straight, you've got something else bent.