My car has a sports steering wheel which has always not been straight as you drive in a straight line despite the wheel alignmnet being checked and adjusted.
Last night I removed the steering wheel to straighten it up and found that at the rear of the wheel there is a "tongue" which sticks out and fits into a slot in the nylon bush at the top of the column which means I can't straighten up the wheel without cutting on this tongue, I'm not sure this is standard on all wheels, original or after market.
I can see that it is an additional safety feature after the spring washer and nut holding the wheel and the splines on the shaft.
My question is - is this tongue normal or would it be okay to cut it off to enable the wheel to be straight? or will I just have to put up with a squint wheel.
Steering Wheel Not Straight
Started by
IainR
, Feb 24 2011 08:02 AM
3 replies to this topic
#2
ibrooks
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Posted 24 February 2011 - 09:25 AM
Wheel alignment means nothing in this case (especially if you've taken it somewhere like Kwik-Fit and let the monkeys near it). Number one - turn the wheel from lock to lock and count the turns. Now turn it to the halfway point and check whether the steering wheel is in the middle.......
If it is then the steering wheel is right and the road wheels are wrong. All they will check when "doing the wheel alignment" is that the wheels are parallel (or rather toeing in by the correct amount). Take it back and get them to re-track it with the wheel set straight to start with.
There is also a hole on the passenger side floorpan with a bung that you can remove below which you can see the rack. There is a plastic plug you can remove in the rack casing and then as you turn the rack you will see a small hole pass the hole in the casing. Stick something in that hole when it lines up with the hole in the casing to lock the rack in place and that's the middle of the rack and the wheel should be set straight there and the roadwheels tracked at that point. Personally I go for the middle of the lock-to-lock as it's easier.
If the steering wheel isn't sraight when the rack is in the middle of it's travel then yes you want to move the steering wheel. The tongue is there to cancel the indicators and you do not want to be cutting it off. It won't affect the steering or anything but the indicators won't cancel when you go around a corner. It's annoying for you driving but also it's annoying for the rest of us following a car that's indicating left for a mile without actually pulling over or turning off. The collar in the switches that the tongue engages with will turn quite easily as long as it's not trying to cancel the indicator so as long as the stalk is in the neutral position just turn the collar to line up with where the tongue wants to be when the wheel goes back on straight.
Iain
If it is then the steering wheel is right and the road wheels are wrong. All they will check when "doing the wheel alignment" is that the wheels are parallel (or rather toeing in by the correct amount). Take it back and get them to re-track it with the wheel set straight to start with.
There is also a hole on the passenger side floorpan with a bung that you can remove below which you can see the rack. There is a plastic plug you can remove in the rack casing and then as you turn the rack you will see a small hole pass the hole in the casing. Stick something in that hole when it lines up with the hole in the casing to lock the rack in place and that's the middle of the rack and the wheel should be set straight there and the roadwheels tracked at that point. Personally I go for the middle of the lock-to-lock as it's easier.
If the steering wheel isn't sraight when the rack is in the middle of it's travel then yes you want to move the steering wheel. The tongue is there to cancel the indicators and you do not want to be cutting it off. It won't affect the steering or anything but the indicators won't cancel when you go around a corner. It's annoying for you driving but also it's annoying for the rest of us following a car that's indicating left for a mile without actually pulling over or turning off. The collar in the switches that the tongue engages with will turn quite easily as long as it's not trying to cancel the indicator so as long as the stalk is in the neutral position just turn the collar to line up with where the tongue wants to be when the wheel goes back on straight.
Iain
#4
Ethel
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Posted 24 February 2011 - 12:44 PM
As above,
Turn the wheel from left lock to right lock counting the turns - then turn it half the way back: If the car doesn't steer straight ahead with the wheel in that position then it's the rack or steering joints that need adjusting - have a look at how much thread is sticking out of the joints on both sides.
Turn the wheel from left lock to right lock counting the turns - then turn it half the way back: If the car doesn't steer straight ahead with the wheel in that position then it's the rack or steering joints that need adjusting - have a look at how much thread is sticking out of the joints on both sides.
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