Juat got new tires and an alignment. The car pulls perfectly straight. I mean PERFECT. However, the steering wheel is like off center but..barely, but i notice it. I know that an alignment can be right but the steering wheel off. Should I just leave it alone or be anal about this and have them get the steering wheel perfectly straight? I know they basically have to redo the alignment to do this.
Alignment question
- Thread starter Wardonkey
- Start date
It means they didn't get the alignment correct. Depends how much it bothers you. How far off is it in inches of steering wheel? If it's less than 1/2 an inch, I'd let it go. Was it a 4-wheel alignment? Also, did they give you a printout of the results? Scan it and post
Yes, 4 wheel alignment. So best way I can describe it is on a scale of 1-10 and 10 being completely off, its a "1". So just ever so slightly.
Ok...sounds good. So what I gather from both your responses is I don't necessarily need to worry about having this redone, unless it just bothers me. Chances are it will need another alignment in a year or two so I could let it go. Then again, I did spend 1027.00 for new tires and alignment. They have a 30 day warranty on alignments so I can decide later
If you are mechanically inclined, you can also fix this yourself without risk.
If the wheel is off to the left, turn the LH tie rod so the LH tire steers Left. Then turn the RH tie rod so the Right tire steers left.
The amount you turn each tie rod is equal. 1/8th turn on L+R, for example.
The rotation of the tie rod must be marked, and specific. Say, 1/8th of a turn each.
Note, careful work will prevent any toe change.
HOWEVER, if you are driving on a crowned road, the wheel can be off but alignment perfect. Very common to have the wheel slightly left in this case.
If the wheel is off to the left, turn the LH tie rod so the LH tire steers Left. Then turn the RH tie rod so the Right tire steers left.
The amount you turn each tie rod is equal. 1/8th turn on L+R, for example.
The rotation of the tie rod must be marked, and specific. Say, 1/8th of a turn each.
Note, careful work will prevent any toe change.
HOWEVER, if you are driving on a crowned road, the wheel can be off but alignment perfect. Very common to have the wheel slightly left in this case.
I would take it back to have corrected.
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2025
They didn’t have the steering wheel perfectly straight when the alignment was done. It’s fine it just means when you’re going straight the steering wheel won’t be perfectly straight but wouldn’t hurt to go back and just have it done. But if it’s barely off sometimes it’s really hard to tell and you may get the same end result.
You paid for a complete alignment and they did an incomplete job by anyone's standard. Take it back and have them make it right. If they are a reputable shop, they should apologize for your inconvenience and not give you any excuses. How they respond will tell you whether you should continue to be their customer.
They are good and reputable. Told me I can bring back if I want. All alignments have a 30 day warranty. Think I just may.
This is common. I buy one year alignments at Belle tire and I’m sure they’d rather not have me as a customer. Once that factory alignment is gone, it’s a never ending battle to find someone who can actually get it right. Unfortunately in my small town, I have Belle tire or Belle tire.
Update. So I am taking my car back tomorrow to get the steering wheel straight. New issue. At 65 mph the car vibrates and you can feel it in the seat. I swear I'm a professional victim and have the worst luck getting something done right the first time. SMH...LOL. anyone else experience brand new tire inststal and the balance is right?
Why do I get the feeling this is just the beginning off a 10 page post. LOL
Probably because I have the shattiest luck
Taking it back is the right thing to do, no one wants to drive around with a crooked steering wheel, including them.
To the poster who said " why do I get the feeling this is just the beginning of a 10 page post". He's probably right. I swear to God , I'm a professional victim. I can't even get a set of tires i stalled right and drive away and forget about it. So they made the steering wheel straight, but found after test driving, that one of the tires had a slip belt. These are a set of Kelly's. Model is touring edge plus. Alas, it sits at the shop awaiting a new tire so they can install, test drive, dismount and reinstall as needed. Good god people. You can't even purchase a set of tires without slipped belts? How i the hell does the belt slip? I hit absolutely ZERO potholes since install. Yeah..I truly am a professional victim. I could make a list of the simplist crap I've had done by reputable ppl and then had to bring it back to have redone.
Check your tires. Especially the rears. You might try swapping the wheels front to rear to see if the vibration moves to the steering wheel. That would indicate the problem wheel is now one of the fronts. One possible cause could be a wheel balancing weight came off.
