Correct me if I'm wrong in my understanding, but isn't the steering wheel supposed to be aimed correctly, then the alignment done?

I had mine done yesterday & while the alignment feels good, tracks straight with hands off, the steering wheel is aimed at about the 10:30/11:00 position.

Don't I need to take it back? The correct way is not to pull the steering wheel & put it back on in the correct alignment, right?

 

The steering wheel should be straight after an alignment if it was done right.

 

you need to take it back and get it fixed, you can move the steering wheel a little but how much you say its off will mess up the turn signal canceling spring

 

There was a great post by SDIF awhile back on this. The wheel itself may not actually be centered. If you are concerned with having the steering linkage actually centered for even ackerman left to right (actually our cars have anti ackerman) then you have to make sure the distance from the center of the pitman arm on the box shaft to the zerk fitting on the master link side of the idler arm is the same length as the center of the idler arm pivot to the zerk fitting on the master link side of the pitman arm. You are basically drawing an X. Once those are perfectly centered you pop off the steering wheel and put it back on the teeth that most closely match center. After that you center the wheel and align the car.

Its not too hard to do an alignment at home if you have a flat garage and a laser level. I use heavy "contractor" garbage bags with wd40 sprayed inside and folded over as my slip plates. I always had bad results having someone do it for me.

FWIW the keyed center of my steering column teeth was not actually center on the steering linkage. I can't tell you how that will affect reclocking a stock steering wheel as I believe they are also keyed (?) I have an aftermarket wheel that allows me to put it back on pretty much however i like.

 

No that's not right... the wheel only goes onto the column one way, the column only hooks to the gear one way, and the Pitman arm only goes on one way. When the wheel is straight, the Pitman arm should be centered. From there the tech SHOULD HAVE adjusted the tie rods sleeves in equal and opposite directions to center the wheel. Which you could do yourself if you feel like it.

 

Dumb question (i'm sure i know the answer but i asking i eliminate any questions as to if it is just my opinion)...

Bad wheel bearings & bad idler arm. Any effect? I mean...How could it affect the steering wheel? It can't!

 

Should be centered with the pitman centered. Should be. But at least in my case, the column wasn't. Sounded like SDIF discovered this as well in the post I am referencing. Maybe I am missing something?
And yes just turning the adjusters equal and opposite directions will straighten the wheel. The wheel is pointing to the shorter tie rod.

 

the steering shaft also needs to be straight so that the steering box is diverting fluid while you're going straight. If the wheel is not straight the slug in the steering box is not centered and you'll be working the power steering pump just to go straight.

 

That's an excellent point 1MeanZ, I should check that I am centered at the box. It feels like it is (they're always tighter right in the center) but we know how reliable that is I hope the offset is just a twist from the rag joint up

 

OK....How do you determine that the shaft is straight? What about positioning the steering wheel to be straight after doing that?

 

Well on second thought, I think that the box would have to be centered if the pitman arm was squared up with the idler arm unless there was some sort of internal damage to the box or the mounting was off.

 

I go by the flat on the steering box input shaft. When parallel to the ground and facing upward the box is on center. Can also go by things such as the bolt that holds the rag-joint to the box. It should be perpendicular to the ground (vertical with the bolt head up).

Although, I do like SDIF's method that Pablo outlined for a good double check.

As for the steering wheel to shaft alignment, GM put hash marks on each. If they are lined up with each other then the wheel is on the shaft in the proper position.

RBob.

 

REally? Why? I thought that was never done on production cars (considered dangerous for some reason)... Why? (on the other hand, I've never managed to find a good definition of anti ackerman- is it just less than 100% ackerman or is it that it decreases with steering angle?)

 

the short version of the answer is yes, it should be straight forward- take it back. I'd probably either try to get a refund and take it to someone else that has a clue or hold the guy's had while he does it correctly (but it sounds like you might not know when that is the case so that may not be an option).

FWIW, when they are setting up for the alignment they should lock the wheel straight ahead (shops have a tool that fits on the wheel and will hold it in position) and then check that the pitman arm is also straight in the chassis. if it isn't then it's an indication that something is assembled incorrectly or worn out and they can't do a proper alignment and they should figure that out as part of the service (obviously, fixing whatever is causing it would be an additional charge). Once those 2 are lined up then you can adjust so both front wheels are facing straight with the correct toe by adjusting both tie rod sleeves.

 

Well I am not sure why GM did this. I'll bet packaging was a big part of it. Having the steering knuckles in front of the spindle requires them to be angled way outboard in order to get perfect ackerman. The tie rod end should be on a line drawn from the center of the rear axle forward through the kingpin axis. So a steering knuckle in the back gives more wheel clearance. From my recent research (I just started looking into this myself) it seems that actually a lot of race cars go with anti ackerman. The reason for that is to account for the slip angles the tires end up running at the track which effectively toes the car out at speed.
And I should correct what I said in that post, in thinking about it, I don't think having the steering linkage off to one side will affect ackerman. Ackerman is built into the spindle/knuckle geometry. I do think it will throw off your steering ratio left to right though.

 

Digging up bones buried five years ago! While searching how to do this, on google no doubt, it turns up this thread on TGO. Sofakingdom has saved my *** again! lol