Steering wheel aligment................

[JMF894]

Hi chaps,

This week i have had two part worn yokohama tyes fitted to the rear and the wheels balanced.

Drives much better than before as the old tyres were just NASTY!

Today i have had the front wheels balanced and the tracking checked and adjusted.

The car dirves very true with hard acceleration and hard braking being delivered nice and straight with no twitchyness.

BUT.................. i now find that the steering wheel is offset slightly to the left.

As there is no fine spline on my wedge steering column i cannot simply pull the boss off and move it over a bit.

I'm at a loss as to see how the wheel is out of line when everything is true and how to correct it?

I cannot see that anything is bent. The car does not pull to one side at all, it drives lovely.

Any ideas chap?

Jimbo

[Lean Machine]

I had a four wheel alignment just recently with two new tyres on the front and this is one of the things that I was worried might happen as I had a similar experience on another car but was esily rectified by moving the steering wheel one spline. Luckily mine has been fine. Like you say it drives much better now and the steering feels good. I don't know what the solution would be on the wedge but there is a spline join on the steering column behind the drivers side road wheel where the universal joint is on the column. I wonder if that can be shifted? Just a guess mind you. Maybe someone else has had this problem and will write in soon.

[400SE Dave]

When the front wheel alignment was done your steering wheel should have been secured in the 'straight ahead' position and then adjustment made to the tracking after that.

I would go back to where it was done and get it done again.

[GV]

400SE Dave said:

When the front wheel alignment was done your steering wheel should have been secured in the 'straight ahead' position and then adjustment made to the tracking after that.

I would go back to where it was done and get it done again.

Agreed with the above - it's one of the first things that should be done before the tweeking begins.

[Wedg1e]

Strictly speaking the rack centre point should be established and both track rods adjusted to be the same length, then the fine alignment is set, THEN the steering wheel is fitted. That's how the production line does it.
If you just jam the wheel at 'centre' position and adjust the TRs to get the tracking right, it's possible to have the rack off-centre, so that you get more steering lock one way than the other.

[JMF894]

Wedg1e said:

Strictly speaking the rack centre point should be established and both track rods adjusted to be the same length, then the fine alignment is set, THEN the steering wheel is fitted. That's how the production line does it.
If you just jam the wheel at 'centre' position and adjust the TRs to get the tracking right, it's possible to have the rack off-centre, so that you get more steering lock one way than the other.

I must admit whenever i've had tracking done before i cant recall putting the wheel at centre first. The adjustments have brought it back to centre if it's been out..........

[adam quantrill]

I prefer the steering wheel pointing slightly to the right when going straight ahead, so I can rest my elbow on the door rest and steer with the spoke... ;^)