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Brakes & Suspension Forum sponsored by The Tire Rack |
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05-02-2021, 05:14 PM | #1 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 378421
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: NC
Vehicle:2005 Cobb Stg2+ Wrx Platinum Silver |
Is the rack truly centered? Alignment q's
Hey all, might sound like a dumb question, but is the PS rack centered in the chassis?
Ever since I bought my 2005 Wrx sedan years ago, the steering wheel has always been crooked, or off center. I took it to a local shop a lot of ppl recommended for an alignment one time. The printout looked good (not perfect, but pretty good), the car drove well, tires wore evenly, but the steering wheel was still crooked, or off center. Anyways, I finally got around to replacing a few things, endlinks, balljoints, inner/outer tie rods, and then did a "rough alignment" using toe-boards/toe-plates and identical measuring tapes. According to this rough method, i got the front tires toed in about 1/32. This is after checking multiple times after multiple drive around the neighborhood. I also tried to keep both tie rods the same length as each other. They are both within 1/32 of each other. But my steering wheel is still crooked, or off center. Maybe a hair better, but pretty much the same position it always has been. Do I need to adjust the steering wheel at the steering coupler now? Or was I wrong thinking the rack is centered, or wrong thinking keeping both tied rods the same length is important? Please help :S Thanks!
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05-02-2021, 05:19 PM | #2 |
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Chapter/Region:
BAIC
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Vehicle:64 Impala |
you may have to take the steering wheel off and put it back on
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05-03-2021, 08:18 PM | #3 |
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Member#: 48377
Join Date: Nov 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: "They eat fish soaked in lye"
Vehicle:1996 Gutted, built XP class Impreza L |
The rack is centered as long as the subframe is not bent. On the left side it is locked in place side to side via the bushing.
If your steering wheel is off you need to pull it and reset it, but that would usually make the wheel a lot crooked. Most alignment shops fix this by adjusting the outer tie rods to make the wheel straight. |
05-04-2021, 06:56 AM | #4 |
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Member#: 498642
Join Date: Mar 2019
Chapter/Region:
Tri-State
Location: our wrx IS the family sedan
Vehicle:'19 WRX Ltd 6M dgm '08 Mustang GT (the toy) |
If you adjust the tierod on one side 'inward' and the tierod on the other side outward by the same amount, that'll center the steering wheel without affecting total toe. Way better than having to deal with an airbag in my book.
If the steering wheel is 'off' to the right (counterclockwise as seen from the driver seat, you'd move the left toe in the inward direction and the right to outward. If you're careful enough about counting 'flats', you can get away with adjusting and test-driving to close in on getting the steering wheel centered. I have a feeling that somewhere along the line somebody made a toe correction by adjusting only one side's tierod. Or the steering wheel wasn't locked down. I suppose it's possible somebody swapped steering wheels, but that ought to be an easy thing to diagnose. Norm |
05-04-2021, 10:09 AM | #5 |
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The steering wheel splines are very coarse compared to the tie rods. It's easier just to adjust the tie roads than dealing with moving the steering wheel on the splines. You would have to adjust the tie rods after that anyway as well.
The alignment guy should have set the steering wheel straight first or have you sit in the car and put the steering wheel in the centre. |
05-04-2021, 10:25 AM | #6 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 498642
Join Date: Mar 2019
Chapter/Region:
Tri-State
Location: our wrx IS the family sedan
Vehicle:'19 WRX Ltd 6M dgm '08 Mustang GT (the toy) |
Quote:
If that is involved, you need to get that fixed first. Norm |
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05-04-2021, 11:25 AM | #7 |
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You want to keep the tie rods approx the same length and the rack itself close to centered.
Power assist has a little bit of dead space on center, but if it's too far off center, it will be applying assist while you're driving straight and it the car will pull to one side of the road. The tie rod lengths are usually not exactly equal though. The best way to determine if your rack is actually off center is by measuring the number of turns before lock in each direction (note this can be tricky to do with a crooked steering wheel, a small piece of painters tape can help if you place it at the top of the wheel as it sits when you're driving straight down the road). If there is a large difference in number of turns in each direction, adjust at the steering wheel or linkage (my preference is the linkage so you don't have to mess with the clockspring) so that you have equal number of turns before lock to the left and right with the steering wheel fairly close to center, and then have the car realigned (after adjusting this, the wheel will likely still be off center driving down the road). If you already have a close to equal number of turns left and right, all that should need adjusted are the tie rods, and you should try a different alignment shop and EMPHASIZE that you want the steering wheel centered. Last edited by T-37; 05-04-2021 at 11:38 AM. |
05-04-2021, 02:22 PM | #8 | |
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05-06-2021, 08:08 AM | #9 |
Scooby Specialist
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: NC
Vehicle:2005 Cobb Stg2+ Wrx Platinum Silver |
I'm aware I can keep adjusting the tie rods to get the steering wheel straight, but at that point one tie rod would be like 1"+ longer than the other side and worried that would make my rack not centered ***129335;***8205;***9794;***65039;
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05-06-2021, 08:17 AM | #10 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 498642
Join Date: Mar 2019
Chapter/Region:
Tri-State
Location: our wrx IS the family sedan
Vehicle:'19 WRX Ltd 6M dgm '08 Mustang GT (the toy) |
Quote:
Norm |
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05-06-2021, 10:40 AM | #11 |
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I'm guessing the coupler is off a tooth or two if your tie rods are evenly threaded out.
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05-16-2021, 06:59 PM | #12 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 378421
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: NC
Vehicle:2005 Cobb Stg2+ Wrx Platinum Silver |
Quote:
Is that the power assist kicking in? |
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05-17-2021, 08:26 AM | #13 | |
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Quote:
As a rule once you perform your caster sweeps you center the steering wheel and then there is a tool that holds the wheel in place while you make adjustments. If I get everything perfect and notice the wheel off center during a test drive and it isn't due to tire pull - I'm back on the rack resetting the front toe. |
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05-18-2021, 12:46 PM | #14 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 378421
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: NC
Vehicle:2005 Cobb Stg2+ Wrx Platinum Silver |
Yes, alignment guy didn't do it right. I've only taken my car to a "mechanic" a few times in 15+ years, and always have trouble. so I'm trying to do it myself as usual.
Just not sure if I should center my steering wheel with tie rods and get over the fact tie rods won't be equal length, or leave tie rods equal and adjust at the steering coupler between steering wheel and the rack. |
05-18-2021, 01:34 PM | #15 |
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E. Canada
Location: Ontario, Canada
Vehicle:'18 Focus RS Red '70 Porsche 914/6 |
Again, the splines on the coupler are much coarser than the tie rods threads. You will have to adjust the tie rods after changing the coupler anyway.
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05-19-2021, 07:00 PM | #16 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 378421
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: NC
Vehicle:2005 Cobb Stg2+ Wrx Platinum Silver |
Quote:
Been trying to figure out if previous owner possibly removed steering wheel and didn't put it back the same, or disconnected steering coupler from rack and didn't back same or something. I don't want to make my rack uncentered by centering the steering wheel by making 1 tierod a lot longer/shorter than the other |
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05-23-2021, 05:00 PM | #17 |
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Vehicle:2016 Focus RS 2002 WRX Wagon |
Am I missing something?
1. Find the center of the rack by counting turns lock to lock and split the difference. Turn the wheel to it. It will probably be crooked. 2. Disconnect the steering wheel linkage and reconnect it with the steering wheel straight. 3. Adjust tie rods until your toe is back in alignment. How is that not the solution? That's what I did when I replaced my steering rack and it has been working fine. |
05-31-2021, 06:49 PM | #18 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 378421
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: NC
Vehicle:2005 Cobb Stg2+ Wrx Platinum Silver |
Quote:
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