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Wheel alignment

I am having this disagreement with my Dad, who owns a 1985 Jetta. The steering wheel is not centered while driving straight ahead, being off by 25 degrees or so. My Dad took the steering wheel off the splines and put it back on so it is mostly straight. I told him the car needs a 4 wheel alignment as something has happened that has caused the change. Putting the steering wheel back on in a different place is treating the symptom, not the problem. It also means the pinion is not centered on the rack. My Dad maintains the car has been four wheel aligned twice and both times he got it back, the steering wheel was crooked. He says alignment shops don't ensure the steering wheel is centered. I said that is absurd. Centering the steering wheel is part of the alignment process. My Dad maintains tire wear is fine and the car handles OK. I have driven it and that is true.

In my opinion, the shop should have centered the steering wheel. I have never had a shop that did NOT do this as part of an alignment. In addition, I think the shop should be adjusting the steering wheel by way of alignment procedures. If that does not do it, then the shop should apply equal turns of the tie rods ends, with the front wheels locked straight ahead which will turn the steering wheel one way or the other. I find it incredulous that a shop would say centering the steering wheel is not part of the alignment job. Your thoughts?

- Phil

Reply to
Phil
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I must admit, that I have not paid much attention to the position of the steering wheel after wheel alignment:-( It seems to me though, that if everything is okay , as you yourself have testified; ie car driving straight, no wear on tyres etc., then it appears it is only neccessary to correct the position of the steering wheel.

As for steering wheel alignment, I would think that came very low on the priority list of most mechanics, although I admit that cosmetically it should be done :-)

Reply to
Donald Graham Cree

I agree with you in principle, but if your Jetta still has the original tie rods, only one of them is adjustable. If this really bothers you, get a new tie rod to replace the stock driver's side non-adjustable one and recenter the steering wheel, then get another alignment.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

Most shops will not remove the steering wheel. They fear things like setting off an airbag which would cost the a bunch of money or making a mess of a wheel. As the other poster mentioned you may have fixed tie rod where setting the steering wheel to straight or level before aligning is not an option. When you replace the fixed tie rod with an adjustable then that perfect steering wheel is available. That said my cars with the fixed rod had a level wheel but the cars never had any crashes front or rear that would mess up the steering. I suspect when I rolled the one Rabbit into a telehone pole the alignment was still ok.

If you want to check it out get a level spot, a level and a set of trammel po>I am having this disagreement with my Dad, who owns a 1985 Jetta. The

Jim B.

Reply to
jimbehning

Moving the wheel that way is fine, assuming there is no other problem. That is a lot to be off, if there were some other problem and not notice the other problem. I suspect what he did was correct.

Having said that, if it were my car, I would have it checked at an alignment shop I trusted.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

Some of them old VW's only had toe adjustment on one tie rod, so when done you have to center the wheel.

Reply to
Woodchuck

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