Hello

My steering wheel isn't centred when I'm driving in a straight line, its leaning to the right. I've had it tracked 3 times by the same tyre place and its never been spot on. However it seems more off centre since I had tracking done, maybe I hit a pot hole! Is it just a poor job or could it be something else? Or do I just try another garage and see what they say?

Thanks

Phil

philipb82 said:

Hello

My steering wheel isn't centred when I'm driving in a straight line, its leaning to the right. I've had it tracked 3 times by the same tyre place and its never been spot on. However it seems more off centre since I had tracking done, maybe I hit a pot hole! Is it just a poor job or could it be something else? Or do I just try another garage and see what they say?

Thanks

Phil

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When tracking is adjusted unless done properly it'll often throw the steering out

Most Easterly Pandas said:

When tracking is adjusted unless done properly it'll often throw the steering out

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So it's not been done properly by this garage? Or am I asking too much for a perfectly centred steering wheel? It's annoying driving down the motorway and the steering wheel is pointing to the right! I had a new drivers side suspension arm fitted which made the steering wheel go way over to the left hand side, after tracking if was slightly to the right! All I want is for to be centred

Phil

I've never had one bang on center since being tracked, so not sure if its to be expected or not

Generally speaking if the back axle setback, thrust angle and rear toe are not out of specification http://www.tirereview.com/Article/106123/alignment_specs_thrust_angle_and_setback.aspx then when the front wheel tracking is done and both wheels set correctly WITH the steering wheel level then one a perfectly level and smooth surface car should drive in a straight line.

In reality the following can/door occur

1) steering wheel not set level or slips a little
2) road surface to tyre tread block pattern interaction
3) road camber

Ignoring 1) then I have/do see both the effects of 2) & 3)

To check for road camber sensitivity you could use a runway. Not easy to come by. Your next best option is a straight and level road (two lane one in each direction) with infrequent traffic. You then drive on the crown of the road with the white line straight up the middle of the car.

When I do this my steering wheel is dead level but when I return to the LHS I find that a little right hand down tweek of the steering wheel is required.

With 2) (tyre/block to road surface interaction) then different tyres makes/designs can be more susceptible to this. A good practical and exaggerated example of this is available in your home. Place a mat over a carpet and as you walk over the carpet the mat will move position over time. Turn the mat over or tray another one and at amount and direction of movement will most likely change.

Now lets go back to the runway test. Even though it is level you may find the your steering wheel is still a little off level. This, if due to road & tyre interaction should be substantially reduced when the "crown" of the road test is run. This is because unlike a level road 50% of the weight of the car is on the LHS of the crown and 50% on the RHS. This means that even though the road surface stone and material pattern is even across both side of the road for the tyre block to road interaction to affect the vehicle it has to lift & shift vehicle mass to either side of the crown which it will find very hard to do and as it can't really do it you don't have to offset the steering to compensate.

If you wanted to you could fit slick tyres and drive across one of the NEC/other smooth exhibition halls.

I think that for the average diameter steering wheel of a car then up to about 1cm (max 2cm) of down angle on the RHS is acceptable on normal cambered roads and motorways.

Also, when I go abroad my RH offset dip changes to a LH offset but not as much.

If the front road wheels are parallel but the steering wheel is off centre, you need to adjust one side track rod end in one direction and the other side track rod end exactly the same amount in the opposite direction until the streering wheel is horizontal.
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Tracking done correctly should NOT alter the steering wheel centre position.
Most garages only alter one trackrod end, the correct way is to adjust both, but its easier to do just the one side, and thats what makes the steering wheel off centre.
LUIGI

In other words hold the steering wheel centre whilst tracking is dun

Davren said:

If the front road wheels are parallel but the steering wheel is off centre, you need to adjust one side track rod end in one direction and the other side track rod end exactly the same amount in the opposite direction until the streering wheel is horizontal.
.

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How it should be done but philipb82 paid a garage/tyre shop to do this. He doesn't say how far his wheel is out?

I have my own wheel tracking kit (two sets) and with a little time and effort you can get a 100% level steering by iterative changes and crown of the road testing. You can also set 100% level for average camber roads but this is really not technically correct but obviously pleasing to drive.

The modern and very expensive "all wheel align" computer/laser setups ( eg. http://www.hunter.com/alignment/index.cfm) are incredibly accurate and measure all angles so if there is an out of alignment at the rear that will affect the front then the technician should be pointing this out. Even with everything perfect vehicle, road and tyre dynamics can still result in a slightly out of alignment on the steering wheel.

Get a four-wheel laser alignment check carried out. This not only checks the tracking, but the relationships of the wheels to each other. It will also show the angles the wheels turn, which should be equal each way. When you turn right, the right wheel turns more than the left wheel, as the left wheel describes a bigger circle. The measured angles should then be mirrored when turned to the left. If they are different, this will point to other things that need addressing.

When tracking, the steering wheel, and therefore the rack should be centred, and the ends adjusted to align the wheels correctly. If only one side is adjusted, the wheels will be aligned with each other, but any steering will turn the wheels the incorrect angles.

The difference after replacing one lower arm is possibly a clue. Any replacement arm should be identical in dimensions to the original.If it is not, this will upset all the steering and suspension angles. A pair from the same supplier would work best. Might need to source one for the other side.

2668GRIFFIN said:

Tracking done correctly should NOT alter the steering wheel centre position.
Most garages only alter one trackrod end, the correct way is to adjust both, but its easier to do just the one side, and thats what makes the steering wheel off centre.
LUIGI

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Or centre the rack.

Take it somewhere where the operator has one working braincell.

If you're near St.Neots (Cambridgeshire), Wheels in Motion have an awesome reputation: they re-write the set up data for at least one major manufacturer.

Going back many years when steering wheels were easy to remove after tracking if the wheel was not level the "cheats" would just remove the horn button and move the wheel a spline or two in the appropriate direction. Customer would never know.

As mentioned a centred rack comes first. The steering wheel then fitted to a centred rack and finally symmetrical and both side toe adjustment.

I once bought a second hand Fiat many years ago and it needed re-tracking after I replaced a ball joint. The rack was well off centre and the steering wheel locking nut had multiple punch marks on the nut to shaft interface clearly showing that the steering wheel had been removed and replaced multiple times.

Nowadays, I thought that the 4 wheel lazer was the only way to go. Had my weekend done today and because I have read this thread I watched. First trick, full left hand lock, followed full right hand, watch the screen for red and green wheels, Center the steering wheel and lock it in place, then crawl under the car and and do the thing to get the green display everywhere. Perfect, drives like a dream, wheel middle for diddle.

kingdavid said:

Nowadays, I thought that the 4 wheel lazer was the only way to go.

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Absolutely. No real excuse to go to any other type of simple tracking system if you are paying for it to be done.

AS i said, done correctly steering wheel should be centre.
If it is not take it back
LUIGI

Thanks for the replies guys.

I went to a tyre place today to get a 4 wheel alignment done. When the car was on the ramps they jacked it up and checked the wheels and there is a bit of play in both. They told me I need 2 new rack ends before they will do any tracking. So I presume by rack end they mean a steering rack end? It's definitely not a track rod end because I asked . They said that's why any tracking done in the past hasn't been successful because of these parts.

Phil

Jack the car up yourself, one front wheel, and move it around horizontally. See if the movement is in the track rod end ball joint or the steering rack itself.

Does tracking alter the camber if needed, aswell as the toe settings?

Phil

philipb82 said:

Does tracking alter the camber if needed, aswell as the toe settings?Phil

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No... tracking only adjusts the toe in.

Camber and caster angles are not adjustable on the Stilo.
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Wheel alignment machines should measure all the parameters and a good technician will advise what is not correct. Like the man said, caster and camber cannot be adjusted so if they are out it indicates either damage, you hit a pot hole, or worn parts, ie bushes or bearings.