MobRacing2

my steering wheel sits about a quarter turn off center, and i recently replaced my steering rack... of course i know that the problem is that i didnt get the steering shaft and the pinion gear lined up correctly.does anybody know a way to "adjust it with out taking those parts off? or if you do have to take them off perhaps any easy way to line it up??

thanks for the help

AutoXer

You need an alignment. They will set the toe with the steering wheel straight.

Average Al

get an alignment

the adjustment is the tie rod.

u can always take off the steering wheel and move it over a notch but thats ghetto

wheelmanbg

I don't think alignment will fix 1/4 turn

SHG_Beans

daaammnn a quarter turn? just do what you didnt do correctly to begin with. Alignment i highly doubt will correct a 1/4 turn, thats quite a bit.

MobRacing2

yeah well how do you line it up right? thats my question. i had the wheels straight and the steering wheel straight. how do i do it right??

Slopoke

I would suggest disconnecting the rack and pinion and recentering everything.

If you just pull your steering wheel off an stick it back on straight, you have the possibility of breaking the clock spring and disabling your airbag.

MobRacing2

no air bag.. aftermarket wheel.

but let me run this by you people. what if i recenter it. i imagine that it might not be exact. should i get it as close as i can then get it alligned?? does this sound right. because i am thinking that there is no way that car that i got the rack from had the exact same alignment adjustment setup as mine..

tallyturbo

alright here is what to do. look above your gas pedal and remove the plastic covering the steering rack. it should be held on by 2 clips. then you will see the knuckle that connects the two shafts. take a 10mm and undo the two bolts that hold it on. then you are going to have to wiggle the knuckle up until it comes off the bottom shaft. your steering wheel should fall loose. straighten the wheel add the kunckle back on and tighten the bolts.

a tip:
since you are going to have to turn your wheel to get the bolts off that hold on the kunckle your wheels arnt going to be straight. to get the best results undo the bolts then drive the car 10 feet. this assures that the tires are straight and after that take the knuckle loose. and the recenter it. this should almost make it perfectly straight.

5 Skware

If you have an aftermarket wheel was it crooked to begin with? If so the rack may not have anything to do with it.

MobRacing2

nope it was straight. so i should just try to realign it. then get an allignment??

tallyturbo

you probably just put the wheel on crooked. doing what i said will still fix the problem and it is easy to do. you dont even need an alignment.

MobRacing2

ok man i never moved the wheel..... i replaced the power steering rack with a non power steeringing one.

what i am asking is: is there a special way to line up the teeth on the steering shaft... or do you just do it by looks??

SHG_Beans

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tallyturbo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">alright here is what to do. look above your gas pedal and remove the plastic covering the steering rack. it should be held on by 2 clips. then you will see the knuckle that connects the two shafts. take a 10mm and undo the two bolts that hold it on. then you are going to have to wiggle the knuckle up until it comes off the bottom shaft. your steering wheel should fall loose. straighten the wheel add the kunckle back on and tighten the bolts.

a tip:
since you are going to have to turn your wheel to get the bolts off that hold on the kunckle your wheels arnt going to be straight. to get the best results undo the bolts then drive the car 10 feet. this assures that the tires are straight and after that take the knuckle loose. and the recenter it. this should almost make it perfectly straight.</TD></TR></TABLE>


What he said, do that and you're set. Its quite easy.

tallyturbo

chill out im just trying to help. i garentee if you do what i said that will fix your problem.

MobRacing2

ok so let me run this past you to see if i am comprehending it.. i take off the knuckle from the steering rack. i straighten the tires as best as i can then straighten the steering wheel. reconnect the knuckle. drive or in my case push (cause no motor)car 10 feet to see if wheel stays straight. if not dissconnect knuckle and straighten wheel..

does that sound about right??

SHG_Beans

close, i think what tallyturbo was saying was that you have to turn the wheel to loosen the bolts before you disconnect the knuckle, so loosen them first, drive the car 10 ft, THEN remove it and straighten your wheel and refasten.

MobRacing2

i dont see why you would have to turn the wheel to loosen anything. you take the bolts out and take pinion gear out of the knuckle..

MobRacing2

bump

spock_rocker

when i put on my sparco wheel it was a little off, i learned to live with it. i got an alignment, found out i had a broken tie rod.. the combo of the two straightened the wheel!

Syndacate

just take it to get aligned, they can straighten the wheel's to align with the wheel np &gt;.&lt;

they usually have a piece that they put on teh steering wheel that keeps it centered, then they adjust the tie rod so it's straight and 4 wheel align it, that's what they do at tire discount, by me, anyways :-\

tallyturbo

the reason you have to turn the wheel is because of where the bolts are. trust me once you see it you will be wondering why you are asking so many questions. undo the bolts. bush you car 10 ft to make sure the tires are straight. unloose the knuckle, straight the wheel and reconect. after its reconected add the bolts back and voolia

SHG_Beans

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MobRacing2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i dont see why you would have to turn the wheel to loosen anything. you take the bolts out and take pinion gear out of the knuckle..</TD></TR></TABLE>

I think to get access to the bolts on the knuckle you have to turn the wheel.

SHG_Beans

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tallyturbo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the reason you have to turn the wheel is because of where the bolts are. trust me once you see it you will be wondering why you are asking so many questions. undo the bolts. bush you car 10 ft to make sure the tires are straight. unloose the knuckle, straight the wheel and reconect. after its reconected add the bolts back and voolia</TD></TR></TABLE>


Yeah seriously, just f-in try it already god damnit! itll fix the problem!