vanuatoo Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Hello I just did wheel alignment and my steering wheel is now a little bit off-center. Is it possible to adjust it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 If you did the alignment yourself, I'd say it's still off. The steering wheel should be straight and on-centre after an alignment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87pathy Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 you can adjust the TRE at the pitman arm to get it straightened back out. or hte redkneck way and remove the steering wheel and re-index it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexrex20 Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 (edited) our R50s neither have pitman arms, nor can the steering wheel be re-indexed. they are keyed onto the shaft and can only be installed in one spot at one angle. if you did the wheel alignment yourself, then you need to redo it all over again and be sure to secure the steering wheel so it does not move as you wrench on the suspension. they have specialty tools that act as a spreader between the seat and the bottom of the steering wheel; they apply pressure and secure the steering wheel from moving. or you could just improvise with bungee cords, ropes, bricks, poles, or whatever. if you had the alignment done at a shop, take it back and tell them to do it right. Edited June 29, 2009 by Pezzy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanuatoo Posted June 23, 2009 Author Share Posted June 23, 2009 if you had the alignment done at a shop, take it back and tell them to do it right. I did it at a shop. mechanic did it on a special electronic equipment and he did fix the steering wheel. He told after alignment that steering wheel is off-center. He also told me that he could make it centered but in that case wheel alignment would be wrong. I don't know how to say it correctly but he told me that steering wheel axle has some threshold and that's why it's off-center. I'm not sure about his skills and maybe there is something he does not know that you do. Honestly I'm more confident in your skills than in any other mechanic out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 I did it at a shop. mechanic did it on a special electronic equipment and he did fix the steering wheel. He told after alignment that steering wheel is off-center. He also told me that he could make it centered but in that case wheel alignment would be wrong. I don't know how to say it correctly but he told me that steering wheel axle has some threshold and that's why it's off-center. I'm not sure about his skills and maybe there is something he does not know that you do. Honestly I'm more confident in your skills than in any other mechanic out there. Doesn't sound like a very educated or confident mechanic to me. Try another shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexrex20 Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 (edited) vanuatoo, you should not have accepted the vehicle until he centered the steering wheel. the steering rack is not adjustable on any vehicle. it is not designed to move, nor is it capable of moving laterally. indeed, it's time to replace the bushings and/or mounts if you have lateral movement in the rack. (this lateral movement could account for an off-center steering wheel.) our vehicles do not come from the factory with a camber adjustment. the only way to adjust camber is to replace the lower strut mount bolts with cam bolts. caster is not adjustable; if caster is out of spec, then something is bent in your suspension. the only real adjustment on the front of your Pathfinder is the toe, which is adjusted via the steering tie-rod ends. adjustment is pretty simple, you turn the rod in either direction so that it points the tire in the proper direction, then tighten it with a lock nut. if the steering wheel is just that bit off during alignment, then that is the position that everything will be aligned to. it's possible that you have a perfect wheel alignment, but the steering wheel is just slightly off-center. if the vehicle does not pull to either side, and there's no obvious visual difference from the left to the right, then you might just deal with it, if the mechanic refuses to fix it. it won't harm anything to drive on it, other than the annoyance of driving straight with your steering wheel pointed to the field to the right. Edited June 29, 2009 by Pezzy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanuatoo Posted June 23, 2009 Author Share Posted June 23, 2009 (edited) Doesn't sound like a very educated or confident mechanic to me. Try another shop. I guess he does not know how to adjust rack and pinion steering. I will try to find another shop. BTW will it cause some damage to the steering system if it's not adjusted? I don't think it pulls, just off-centered right, not very much but visually noticeable. It does not bother me, just wanted to know if this problem can be solved. You don't know how many times I dreamt to teleport to USA with my car for qualified inspection. Edited June 23, 2009 by vanuatoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87pathy Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 vanuatoo, you should not have accepted the vehicle until he centered the steering wheel. the steering rack is not adjustable on any vehicle. it is not designed to move, nor is it capable of moving laterally. indeed, it's time to replace the bushings and/or mounts if you have lateral movement in the rack. (this lateral movement could account for an off-center steering wheel.) our vehicles do not come from the factory with a camber adjustment. the only way to adjust camber is to replace the lower strut mount bolts with cam bolts. caster is not adjustable; if caster is out of spec, then something is bent in your suspension. the only real adjustment on the front of your Pathfinder is the toe, which is adjusted via the steering tie-rod ends. adjustment is pretty simple, you turn the rod in either direction so that it points the tire in the proper direction, then tighten it with a lock nut. if the steering wheel is just that bit off during alignment, then that is the position that everything will be aligned to. it's possible that you have a perfect wheel alignment, but the steering wheel is just slightly off-center. if the vehicle does not pull to either side, and there's no obvious visual difference from the left to the right, then you might just deal with it, if the mechanic refuses to fix it. it won't harm anything to drive on it, other than the annoyance of driving straight with your steering wheel pointed to the field to the right. wouldn't this be the fix.. You cannot move the "rack" but you can adjust your tie rods to essentially "point" your steering wheel where it needs to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexrex20 Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 wouldn't this be the fix.. You cannot move the "rack" but you can adjust your tie rods to essentially "point" your steering wheel where it needs to be. ya, it's the same concept as adjusting the steering link, but you have to do both sides independently; on a W/D21 you just square everything up with the center link, then align the steering wheel by adjusting the steering link. there a lot of ways to mess up an alignment on any vehicle, despite how easy it is. if you forget to put the vehicle on its weight before making adjustments, or if you don't unlock the wheel pads that the tires rest on (which allow low-friction movement of the tire, even with full weight on it), or if the steering wheel was just secured in the wrong position, you will ultimately have an incorrect alignment spec. it is a very easy fix, but it is also very easily prevented, assuming the mechanic did everything correctly except center the steering wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
180sx Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 yea, my wheel is way off center. I was just gonna adjust the tie rods till its straight, i.e. "tighten" one end and "loosen" the other side. till its straight. And vuala! straight steering wheel! Oh, and there is a way to adjust camber, its with the strut mount and coil hat. if you install them in different direction that f's up your alignment also. SO MAKE SURE THEY ARE STAIGHT!!! Jose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanuatoo Posted June 23, 2009 Author Share Posted June 23, 2009 yea, my wheel is way off center. I was just gonna adjust the tie rods till its straight, i.e. "tighten" one end and "loosen" the other side. till its straight. And vuala! straight steering wheel! Oh, and there is a way to adjust camber, its with the strut mount and coil hat. if you install them in different direction that f's up your alignment also. SO MAKE SURE THEY ARE STAIGHT!!! Jose Mechanic told me that he could straight the steering wheel but in that case wheel alignment would not be OK. I just don't know how it works. What could you say from the above sentence? 1. mechanic does not know what he's talking about or he does not know how to center the steering and not break the alignment at the same time. 2. that is possible and some other actions need to be conducted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 It is possible to have correct alignment, even after adjusting the steering wheel. I've done this to my truck several times. Since the R50's only adjustable alignment parameter is toe (camber and caster are not adjustable without aftermarket parts), here's how to correct the steering wheel center position yourself. First, note which way the steering wheel is tilted while driving straight. If it's tilted RIGHT, do this: Climb under the front of the truck and note the number of threads showing on each tie rod adjuster. Next, loosen the nuts holding the adjuster against the tie rod end. I just use a large crescent wrench, because I usually can't remember what size wrench to use. Using a 13mm open-ended wrench around the center of the adjuster, TIGHTEN the LEFT tie rod exactly 1/2 turn, and LOOSEN the RIGHT tie rod exactly 1/2 turn. You may need to hold the tie rod ends from rotating while you do this. Snug up the tie rod nuts with very light pressure; do not tighten them down fully yet. Go for a short test drive (no more than 1 mile) to check the steering wheel position. If it's not enough, repeat another 1/2 turn on each tie rod. When you're happy with the position, TIGHTEN both nuts securely, making sure that neither the tie rod ends nor the tie rod adjusters rotate while you tighten. If it's tilted LEFT, do this: Climb under the front of the truck and note the number of threads showing on each tie rod adjuster. Next, loosen the nuts holding the adjuster against the tie rod end. I just use a large crescent wrench, because I usually can't remember what size wrench to use. Using a 13mm open-ended wrench around the center of the adjuster, LOOSEN the LEFT tie rod exactly 1/2 turn, and TIGHTEN the RIGHT tie rod exactly 1/2 turn. You may need to hold the tie rod ends from rotating while you do this. Snug up the tie rod nuts with very light pressure; do not tighten them down fully yet. Go for a short test drive (no more than 1 mile) to check the steering wheel position. If it's not enough, repeat another 1/2 turn on each tie rod. When you're happy with the position, TIGHTEN both nuts securely, making sure that neither the tie rod ends nor the tie rod adjusters rotate while you tighten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJBBMANO Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 I have the same problem on a 97. I took it to two shops and was told the rack and pinion needs to be changed. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ It is possible to have correct alignment, even after adjusting the steering wheel. I've done this to my truck several times. Since the R50's only adjustable alignment parameter is toe (camber and caster are not adjustable without aftermarket parts), here's how to correct the steering wheel center position yourself. First, note which way the steering wheel is tilted while driving straight. If it's tilted RIGHT, do this: Climb under the front of the truck and note the number of threads showing on each tie rod adjuster. Next, loosen the nuts holding the adjuster against the tie rod end. I just use a large crescent wrench, because I usually can't remember what size wrench to use. Using a 13mm open-ended wrench around the center of the adjuster, TIGHTEN the LEFT tie rod exactly 1/2 turn, and LOOSEN the RIGHT tie rod exactly 1/2 turn. You may need to hold the tie rod ends from rotating while you do this. Snug up the tie rod nuts with very light pressure; do not tighten them down fully yet. Go for a short test drive (no more than 1 mile) to check the steering wheel position. If it's not enough, repeat another 1/2 turn on each tie rod. When you're happy with the position, TIGHTEN both nuts securely, making sure that neither the tie rod ends nor the tie rod adjusters rotate while you tighten. If it's tilted LEFT, do this: Climb under the front of the truck and note the number of threads showing on each tie rod adjuster. Next, loosen the nuts holding the adjuster against the tie rod end. I just use a large crescent wrench, because I usually can't remember what size wrench to use. Using a 13mm open-ended wrench around the center of the adjuster, LOOSEN the LEFT tie rod exactly 1/2 turn, and TIGHTEN the RIGHT tie rod exactly 1/2 turn. You may need to hold the tie rod ends from rotating while you do this. Snug up the tie rod nuts with very light pressure; do not tighten them down fully yet. Go for a short test drive (no more than 1 mile) to check the steering wheel position. If it's not enough, repeat another 1/2 turn on each tie rod. When you're happy with the position, TIGHTEN both nuts securely, making sure that neither the tie rod ends nor the tie rod adjusters rotate while you tighten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisherdude Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 I have the same problem on a 97. I took it to two shops and was told the rack and pinion needs to be changed. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mine was perfectly centered but then i hit a giant pot hole on a trail when i was goin like 20 mph and suddenly the steering wheel was 3 inches off center to the right...go figure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Mine was perfectly centered but then i hit a giant pot hole on a trail when i was goin like 20 mph and suddenly the steering wheel was 3 inches off center to the right...go figure You probably bent something under there. Check your A-arms, tie rods, and the position of the steering rack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vengeful Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Also, check the rear suspension. If your rear suspension links are bent, it'll tweak the rear axle, and you'll have to counter with the front wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman0324 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Also, check the rear suspension. If your rear suspension links are bent, it'll tweak the rear axle, and you'll have to counter with the front wheels. you would know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 you would know... More than most R50 owners, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman0324 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 More than most R50 owners, I think. I don't think more than a handful have bent their links, Dan's were mangled when I saw the old black R50... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 I don't think more than a handful have bent their links, Dan's were mangled when I saw the old black R50... Haha, yeah. He sent me pics of those... Hilarious. He really took that R50 to the limit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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