I had replaced the front lower ball joints on my EK and went for an alignment. Car tracks straight with no issue on the go. But the steering wheel will not return automatically when I turn the wheel past half a turn or more towards either side from center. Called my alignment guy and he says its the ball joints which are not original Honda parts. The mech who installed the ball joints tells me to go to my alignment guy. Can a non-original lower ball joint cause this? I don't recall my mech greasing the ball joints, should they come with grease already in the boot? Please someone help me here.

 

your mech is wrong i just had my ball joints done with autozone specials and it was like that and it won't turn back by itself but it'll wear off once you break it in after 500 miles.

 

If that was the case, would that mean all brand new cars will exhibit this problem until 500miles of breaking in?

 

Ooh. Good info, I'm replacing my outer tie rod ends today in fact.

Good to know this in advance, so I don't let off the wheel and end up in someone's living room. Sideways.

 

You will not get this problem with tie rod end replacements. I would say get genuine Honda parts to prevent this sort of problems.

 

if the steering wheel wont return it sounds like you have to much caster. to much caster will cause the steering to not auto correct. when you got the alignment did the guy show you the specs print out. did the tech. that did the ball joints put them in right. i know that the honda ones go in a specific way. that one way has more movement that the other. jsut a thought. this same problem happened with my truck when i lowered it to much and the caster was miles off.

 

I have the printout and the caster 10deg reads Left:+0deg53min Right: +0deg37min. As for the KPI 10deg Left: +5deg37min and Right +3deg37min. Toe is Zero left right camber has been adjusted to ~2deg left right. Rear camber is ~1deg40min left right. Toe at rear is +0deg08min.