dteering wheel not straight ahead

When a shop does a 4-wheel alignment and the steering wheel is not straight up and down when the car is headed forward, does the alignment include fixing that?

Does one normally have to remind them to check that and fix it?

Reply to
micky
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Normally it includes centering the wheel.

Usually with the newer machines, you drive the car on the rack, tell the machine what the vehicle is and check tire pressures, sizes, suspension components and ride height (these days you do that with a probe attached to the alignment rack, it tells the machine the number and it calculates whatever compensation needed). Then you follow the machine as it tells you to turn left/right then center the wheel. Then you adjust the various parts till all the settings are in the green.

Now IF the suspension isn't worn much, the tires/rims are the correct size and pressure and nothing is bent, this procedure does a good job.

Reply to
Steve W.

Shouldn't have to remind them, usually the last part of an alignment is a test drive, so they should notice if the steering wheel isn't centered and if it isn't to redo the toe/tie rod adjustments until it is.

Does this mean you got your Solara all back together OK?

nate

Reply to
N8N

Yes.

I am sorry to say it, but the vast majority of people doing alignments today are kids who have no idea what they are doing. They put the car on the machine and they do whatever the machine tells them to do without any regard to the actual state of the vehicle's suspension.

There is a vast difference between an alignment done by an expert specialist and one done by the bozos at the tire store.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

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