Steering wheel off-center, please help

Greetings, I really would like some advice on how to cure my steering wheel off-center problem.

A little back gorund: I have a 2002 tacoma reg cab 4x2. I have had a new set of Michelin X-radial tires from Sam's since new. Recently I have noticed that my steering wheel is about 10 degrees off center while driving on a completely flat highway, and the truck does not pull at all. I have been to two different alignment shops to get this fixed. both tried but could not fix the problem. they seem to just stick the truck on the rack and if the computer tells them the wheel is straight they just won't touch the truck, i mean all they have to do is test drive the damn thing and they would see the tilt....

Question: what the hell is wrong with this truck that two differnet shops cannot fix the off-center steering wheel? is this inherent in other toyota trucks? this never happened in my old corolla.

Another question: since the truck drives absolutely straight and the tire wear is virtually perfect I was wondering if I could adjust this my self? where would it be? getting under the truck i noticed a bolt right above the universal joint that seems to hold the steering column shaft coming from inside the cab. could i just loosen the bolt and make the slight adjustment and then tighten it up again?

In my old 260Z i could adjust the off-center problem from the inside but with the air bag etc i don't think this way is an option anymore.

I am going crazy, since my past cars did not have this much tilt, and i've tried really hard,but i cannot learn to live with the problem.

Please help....

Reply to
Tar
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loosen and or take the steering wheel nut off, then drive down a straight empty street that has a line down the center, drive along the line untill you know you are driving straight, then slowly stop to amke sure the sterring wheel does not turn at all, then take the steering wheel off and recenter it, the put the nut back on then tighten the nut... very simple

Tar wrote:

Reply to
Joe Zito

Joe Zito wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com:

down

drive

then

at

put

Not quite...tinkering with an airbag is not for amateurs.

Reply to
me

You could always reset the steering shaft in the clamp at the firewall. Just stop w/ wheels pointing straight, loosen the clamp and rag joint, pull the shaft out, turn the wheel where you want it and reinsert the shaft into the clamp.

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Reply to
Roger Brown

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NOT with an Airbag. You don't want to mess with anything on the steering column unless the problem is really there.

You have to put the car on an alignment rack and crank the tie rod ends in opposite directions (shorten one, lengthen the other) to center the steering wheel again. And then check the toe-in alignment.

They probably messed the centering of the steering wheel up the last time they did an alignment on it.

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Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman

I had the same annoying problem and fixed it by shortening one tie rod half a turn and lengthening the other tie rod half a turn. That was about 70,000 miles ago and the tire wear was not affected.

Q

Reply to
Q

Thanks to everyone for the info.

One thing, I am not sure of it is the bolt on the tie rod itself(kind of like adjusting a curtin rod) or if it the bolt on top of the "knuckle" that connects the tie rod to the steering arm.

Would anyone know of a place where I can just see a picture of the bolt(s) that I need to be turning.

Thanks for your help

Reply to
Tar

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