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[mcd840]

why is it that even after wheel allignment the steering wheel is not bang on in the centre when going straight? it tends to sit to the right however occasionally when on certain straight roads it will sit straight. been wondering this past few months now, even had it re-checked at the place that done it and spot on. regardless of this tyre wear is even, only thing i did wonder about was that the drivers side wishbone bush is more worn that the pass side wishbone bushes, following the camber?

anyone? 

[mike clark]

i had wishbone and  bushes new mine still looks like that

[cem_devecioglu]

if the steering wheel is not completely fixed and correctly positioned during alignment , this happens.. and it happens very frequently.. the apparatus they  use to fix, most of the time is not enough strong to prevent it from turning (a bit) while its torqued.. I solved this by sitting in the car and keeping the steering wheel straight

[Entwood]

why is it that even after wheel allignment the steering wheel is not bang on in the centre when going straight? it tends to sit to the right however occasionally when on certain straight roads it will sit straight. been wondering this past few months now, even had it re-checked at the place that done it and spot on. regardless of this tyre wear is even, only thing i did wonder about was that the drivers side wishbone bush is more worn that the pass side wishbone bushes, following the camber?

anyone? 

You say "wheel alignment" .. was this a full laser 4-wheel geometric set up ... or a cheapo "tracking" adjustment ??

The answer to your steering wheel position is very dependant on which you had done !!

[mcd840]

it was hunter 4 wheel allignment that was carried out

[Entwood]

it was hunter 4 wheel allignment that was carried out

That's good - if they know how to use it and use the right settings ....

What are the REAR wheel settings now You can have the front set up perfect but if the back is out it tends to push the car very slightly sideways, which you "correct" with a small steering input, and to go straight the steering "appears" to not be straight ... if that makes sense ..

[cem_devecioglu]

why is it that even after wheel allignment the steering wheel is not bang on in the centre when going straight?

I think thats self explanatory.. no ifs buts..

[05omegav6]

There is a certain amount of natural slack within the steering box. This is a fundamental part of how they work

My wheel sits at about 5° to the right, which seems to coincide with steering one handed, arm on door, and holding the car straight against the camber, especially on single carriageways. It would seem that this is the steerings natural straight ahead position

One of the most critical angles on a rwd car is the Thrust Angle. It is basically the direction that the drive axle pushes the car in. It needs to be as close to 0° as possible otherwise the car will crab, as Entwood has already pointed out

As long as the pitman arm and steering idler are exactly parallel to the chassis rails when the casr is set up, then it will always run true on a smooth, level surface

Tyre wear is a good indicator of failure of any bushes/joints, but over time you can expect the front tyres to wear both edges, and the rear tyres to wear centrally. This wear, over time is perfectly normal

Any wear which happens suddenly, ie over a couple of days to a week is a sure sign of a problem

If your car drives straight and your tyres are wearing evenly, then you have little cause for concern

[TheBoy]

why is it that even after wheel allignment the steering wheel is not bang on in the centre when going straight?

I think thats self explanatory.. no ifs buts..

Nope, lots of reasons. Without the printout, its impossible to say.

For example, if the thrust angle is pissed, the front can be as perfect as you like, your wheel will be off centre.

[cem_devecioglu]

off center steering
 
" A condition where the steering wheel is not centered or is crooked when traveling straight ahead. The condition contributes to toe wear because anytime the wheels are steered off dead center, they toe out slightly which increases side slippage and scrubbing. The underlying cause of off-center steering is often rear axle or toe misalignment, but it can also be caused by failing to center the steering prior to adjusting toe. If accompanied by a lead or pull to one side, the underlying cause may be cross camber, cross caster, uneven tire pressure or mismatched tire sizes side to side"
 
I think we are talking about an off center steering after alignment not before.. and we are assuming no damaged parts/equal tyre pressures/equal tyre sizes as the geo center must have observed/corrected it..
 
ps: and also assuming correct alignment equipment..

[Kevin Wood]

I think we are talking about an off center steering after alignment not before..

Indeed. But some part of that alignment has clearly failed. We've already said that can be rear thrust angle or failure to centre the wheel properly - or just that the play in the steering box has resulted in the "on the road" position under load being slightly offset from that fixed during alignment. 

[jimbobmccoy]

Would the camber of the road not effect this, ie a severe camber towards pavement would lead to the wheel needing to be held off centre to the right to track straight?

I've had this on brand new cars with less than 100 miles before.........I was told to try driving on the opposite side of the road to see if the position reversed to test this!!!

[MV6Matt]

As my steering wheel sits slightly off straight, it's interesting to follow this thread.

The original poster, however, drives (according to his member info) a Vectra cdx.

Does front wheel drive alignment differ on RWD cars?

Interestedly,

Matthew

[TheBoy]

I think we are talking about an off center steering after alignment not before..

Indeed. But some part of that alignment has clearly failed. We've already said that can be rear thrust angle or failure to centre the wheel properly - or just that the play in the steering box has resulted in the "on the road" position under load being slightly offset from that fixed during alignment. 

Or camber (Fr or rear) or caster. It all plays a part. Some will give definate pulls, so will no pull, but need steering angle to keep straight.


But static play in steering, esp in straight ahead position, will always be a killer on boxed cars. However, I think we are talking Veccy here?

[cem_devecioglu]

I think we are talking about an off center steering after alignment not before..

Indeed. But some part of that alignment has clearly failed. We've already said that can be rear thrust angle or failure to centre the wheel properly - or just that the play in the steering box has resulted in the "on the road" position under load being slightly offset from that fixed during alignment. 

I think this must be visible both to the driver and geo shop