Steering wheel a smidge off centre
Discussion
When I rebuilt the suspension a few years back, I also rebuilt the steering rack.
I got the geometry and tracking set up professionally. But the steering wheel is a few degrees off centre.
This cannot be dialed out using the bolts that hold the steering wheel to the steering column, it's not fine enough.
I have 2 options, one is to disconnect the column from the rack and move it round probably one spline (access is dreadful so this will be an awful exercise). The alternative is to screw the track rods in one side and out the other. The OCD part of my head would prefer not to have the adjustment in the track rods but I can't see what harm it would do.
Thoughts?
I got the geometry and tracking set up professionally. But the steering wheel is a few degrees off centre.
This cannot be dialed out using the bolts that hold the steering wheel to the steering column, it's not fine enough.
I have 2 options, one is to disconnect the column from the rack and move it round probably one spline (access is dreadful so this will be an awful exercise). The alternative is to screw the track rods in one side and out the other. The OCD part of my head would prefer not to have the adjustment in the track rods but I can't see what harm it would do.
Thoughts?
InitialDave said:
You said the bolts holding the wheel on, I assume it's a 6-bolt fixing onto a hub? Could you pull the hub and move it over one spline?
That's a great idea & I thought at first that it was a winner but I've done some googling and it looks like it uses a single slot to locate on the column.The boss in the picture has 12 holes to fit the steering wheel, mine has just 6 IIRC. But I don't think that 12 holes would create a fine enough adjustment.
Edited by Andy 308GTB on Saturday 23 November 18:09
Peanut Gallery said:
Does it pull to the side when driving on a non cambered section of road?
If the self centering is out, adjust the track rods to pull it central, then I'm afraid it will be a splines job to get the wheel to sit straight.
No, it drives straight and true. If the self centering is out, adjust the track rods to pull it central, then I'm afraid it will be a splines job to get the wheel to sit straight.
It's a 40 year old Cam Gears rack, was self-centering a thing in those days? It looked very basic.
Andy 308GTB said:
That's a great idea & I thought at first that it was a winner but I've done some googling and it looks like it uses a single slot to locate on the column.
The boss in the picture has 12 holes to fit the steering wheel, mine has just 6 IIRC. But I don't think that 12 holes would create a fine enough adjustment.
Bugger.The boss in the picture has 12 holes to fit the steering wheel, mine has just 6 IIRC. But I don't think that 12 holes would create a fine enough adjustment.
Edited by Andy 308GTB on Saturday 23 November 18:09
The 12 holes wouldn't help you, I'm afraid, they're usually like that to give 2 different 6-bolt fittings, to account for the common steering wheel PCDs of 6x70 and 6x74.
InitialDave said:
Andy 308GTB said:
That's a great idea & I thought at first that it was a winner but I've done some googling and it looks like it uses a single slot to locate on the column.
The boss in the picture has 12 holes to fit the steering wheel, mine has just 6 IIRC. But I don't think that 12 holes would create a fine enough adjustment.
Bugger.The boss in the picture has 12 holes to fit the steering wheel, mine has just 6 IIRC. But I don't think that 12 holes would create a fine enough adjustment.
Edited by Andy 308GTB on Saturday 23 November 18:09
The 12 holes wouldn't help you, I'm afraid, they're usually like that to give 2 different 6-bolt fittings, to account for the common steering wheel PCDs of 6x70 and 6x74.
Andy 308GTB said:
I got the geometry and tracking set up professionally. But the steering wheel is a few degrees off centre.
.......
The alternative is to screw the track rods in one side and out the other. The OCD part of my head would prefer not to have the adjustment in the track rods but I can't see what harm it would do.
I might be missing something but surely it's out because the wheel wasn't centred when the track rod ends were adjusted in the first place?.......
The alternative is to screw the track rods in one side and out the other. The OCD part of my head would prefer not to have the adjustment in the track rods but I can't see what harm it would do.
Sheepshanks said:
Andy 308GTB said:
I got the geometry and tracking set up professionally. But the steering wheel is a few degrees off centre.
.......
The alternative is to screw the track rods in one side and out the other. The OCD part of my head would prefer not to have the adjustment in the track rods but I can't see what harm it would do.
I might be missing something but surely it's out because the wheel wasn't centred when the track rod ends were adjusted in the first place?.......
The alternative is to screw the track rods in one side and out the other. The OCD part of my head would prefer not to have the adjustment in the track rods but I can't see what harm it would do.
I am sure this is the case.
I didn't take too much notice at the time, as there were bigger fish to fry. I meant to sort it out last winter (I always take if off the road) but because it was only a minor irritation & I had spent the previous 3 winters underneath it, I decided to have a year off!
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