Steering Wheel Crooked...similar experience?

Posted by: Vaca

Steering Wheel Crooked...similar experience? - 19/06/03 09:20 PM

My alignment is pretty good--not fantastic, but pretty good. When I let go of the steering wheel I go mostly straight. Problem is, that as I go straight, the wheel is turned to the right. It's been in twice to correct this and it first started after an alignment. It was fixed for a few days until I added larger tires and went off into the wilderness.
I noticed last night that the "right tilt" problem has returned.

I have an SLR lift /w new UCAs, shocks, and an ilder arm brace. Oh, and 31" tires and a calmini bumper. Other than that the front is stock. laugh Oh and fogs.

Any ideas? Anyone else experience this? Should I even worry about it?
Posted by: johnnyx

Re: Steering Wheel Crooked...similar experience? - 19/06/03 10:02 PM

Check this post. Basically it's an alignment thing... Tie-rod adjusters can help solve the problem.

http://www.xterraownersclub.com/cgi-local/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=45;t=000741#000000
Posted by: Bogatyr

Re: Steering Wheel Crooked...similar experience? - 20/06/03 04:23 AM

Vaca,
Well, firstoff, pulling to the right is better than pulling to the left. eek I have a friend who has a new Toyota pickup that veered sharply to the left when you removed your hands from the wheel...
Anyway, the first thing I usually do when a car is pulling is the cheap and easy thing...rotate the tires. I've found that if a vehicle is pulling to the right and I swap the tires left to right (can't do that with directionals...) sometimes the car will then pull to the left. That means the tires are shot. This is what happened when we purchased my wife's Civic. I put new tires on it and it drove straight.
So it's been in for an alignment twice...I have to assume everything is in spec. Try the tire trick...it'll only cost you half an hour...and you should rotate your tires frequently anyway...depending on how long you wait to change your oil, every oil change or every other oil change.
Bogatyr
Posted by: Vaca

Re: Steering Wheel Crooked...similar experience? - 20/06/03 07:29 AM

Hmm. This will be the third such alignment. Perhaps I should go to a different place.
Posted by: Bogatyr

Re: Steering Wheel Crooked...similar experience? - 20/06/03 07:40 AM

Vaca,
How far out of spec has it been when you've brought it in? Make sure you get the numbers...
Bogatyr
Posted by: *paul

Re: Steering Wheel Crooked...similar experience? - 20/06/03 07:46 AM

I would set the tie rods yourself. Alignment shops don't take the time to optimize steering wheel position down to a gnat's ass as it really does not affect wheel aligment and requires a few test drives to assess the changes.
Posted by: Stonecoldchavez

Re: Steering Wheel Crooked...similar experience? - 20/06/03 11:48 AM

Mine is cocked to the right(or is it left? smile ) too. Only on certain roads. It is due to road pitch. As long as it goes straight down the road I really don't think about it.

Stone
Posted by: Pumpkinhead

Re: Steering Wheel Crooked...similar experience? - 20/06/03 02:35 PM

Mine hangs to the right - and my X's steering does too! No big deal, as long as she goes straight.