Thank you! I'm glad it's still helping people out. I tried to make it quick and hit all the points. I should of probably used a headmount for the GoPro, but I just ran what I had lol.
This is exactly what has happened to my car literally the day after my alignment my steering wheel is slightly to the right Only I don’t have a jack or a wrench or the confidence to do this myself. Tried calling the shop telling them about it and they’re trying to tell me that I may need additional work and I know that they’re lying. I’m simply going to mention that they need to “adjust the tie rods” and that it doesn’t take very long and they need to correct it and watch their face as they freak out not expecting a woman to know what she’s talking about lol. Thanks for this video.
This worked like a charm. I recently did an at home alignment on my lifted 4runner. It drove just fine but going straight down the road, the wheel was crooked. I gave each side a single turn in the appropriate direction and now it's as close to perfect as you could get. Super easy, makes sense.....
Thank you for your video! I just had an alignment done, and they gave it back to me with my steering wheel to left just slightly. It was bugging the crap out of me, so instead of going back to the shop, and them getting annoyed with me, I searched it on RUclips, and your video was the second to pop up. Very good explanation. I did it, and turning it your way actually made the steering wheel go more to the left, so I got back underneath again, and went opposite turn per your instructions, and voila, the steering wheel is perfectly centered. TY!!!
lol perfect!!! Yeah your situation is exactly who/why I made this video. I was trying to help someone on the forums and typed everything out in this video. Then decided to just make a video for him.
I recently had a 4 wheel alignment done on a 2018 Lexus RX350 after getting new tires. The technician told me my steering wheel was not straight, which I had never noticed. Anyway, after doing the alignment, he reviewed a Hunter alignment printout with me and said that only one wheel was out of alignment. On the way home I now noticed the steering wheel was not straight. I am thinking of doing the procedure in this video, but wouldn't it possibly foul up the alignment that was just done?
Remember folks, this procedure is only done after the alignment is done, otherwise you could be making the steering wheel straight on a car with a bad alignment. Not what we want... 😊
Dude. I just got an alignment done and the steering was off to right and pull ever so slightly to the right. So I had to go the opposite way you did by a quarter to half turn on both sides. So much better!!!! Thank you much
Had both lower ball joints, one lower control arm, and an outer tie rod end replaced on my 07 Jeep XK. It still tracks down the road straight as an arrow but the steering wheel is in just about the same position as yours. I'll be trying your method to get everything lined up again. Thanks for posting this! Probably saved me $150.
Great viedo right to the point. My wheel was to the left after a alignment they said order for my wheel to be straight i needed a new rack and pinion replacement. 1200.00 came home found ur video followed ur instruction wheel is back straight and drives straight now thanks for tje right to the point instructions
I don't always wear sandals but when I do I make sure my alignment is on point. Thanks brother. I recently got an alignment done and the shop didn't straighten my wheel properly. I told them but they blame my aftermarket lift and I know damn well that has nothing to do with it because my other lifted truck steering is straight like a damn arrow.
😂 My day off! My truck is over 7" wider plus the lower backspacing on aftermarket wheels. They said it wouldn't fit on the alignment machine... So I learned and do all my alignments now.
@@JDawgBuilds yeah that seems now what I have to do. Thanks for making the video. Surely did help me understand it properly on how the correcting the wheel works.
I paid tire shop/inspection station to fix my alignment. My jam nut was absolutely stuck. I figured they could get it out and it would save me the trouble of trying to break it loose. They didn't fix it. Didn't even test drive it. Used a machine, I believe all they did was balance the tires. I left, immediately knew it wasn't fixed. Went back next day. They test drove it on the road. I watched closely this time, and all they did was hammer more weights on the rim. Test drove came back and tell me they can't align it. They then proceed to tell me that the car was in an accident. So they are telling me it was in an accident I don't know about and repaired before I drove it somehow. I was pissed. I never once saw them adjust a tie rod. I paid them to fix the alignment. They balanced the tires. I gave this place a good review one time but have changed it. This video was simple to understand and I am sure I am not crazy now about straightening the wheel. They never tried. Good Tires on Monroe Rd Charlotte NC will steal your money
Man that's a bummer... When ever I tell people to get an alignment I always tell them to call and ask if they can get a print out before they even take the car. At the end the shop can print out your alignment specs of before and after. So you can actually see what/if they adjusted it.
Yes!! I followed the steps you laid out and my steering wheel is mostly straight now! I added my own step just because of how my brain works, so I wouldn't get confused - I used a silver Sharpie paint marker before I started adjusting anything to put a reference line from the tie rod end to the tie rod itself. I used the silver line to index my turns. Worked great. Thanks again!
@@JDawgBuilds - it keeps getting better, my brother. I never mentioned that I had traction control and ESP/BAS faults that I thought were unrelated to my off center steering wheel. After driving a few dozen miles with my newly straight steering wheel, these faults cleared. I found out on a forum that a crooked steering wheel is 100% related to the traction control fault! Again, thank you!
@@wes11bravo Ah yeah sometimes if the alignment is off it will trip those too. The Subaru I rebuilt kept having that code since my lower control arm was bent. I bought a used LCA and pressed in some new busing on both sides and boom no more traction control light lol.
Thank you for a great video. Had new tires put on my F-150. Idiots couldn't get the alignment correct at the tire place. Steering wheel was the same way yours was in the video. Went back 3 times and finally got a refund after the tech at Mavis told me there must be something wrong with my truck. Wrong!...found your video and had my truck perfect in 5 minutes. Thanks again for the no nonsense video. This is how they all should be made!
Wasted money going to tma told them to straighten my steering wheel. I don't think they even turned s fucking wrench. Went home did it myself. 2009 f150. Perfect.
lol It's a long story, but my truck was to wide to fit on the alignment machine. So I learned how to do alignments. Then someone asked how to fix a crooked steering wheel and I made a video since it was easier than trying to type everything out.
@@JDawgBuilds respect, its amazing even people at the alignment shop don't know what they are talking about. In my opinion (having worked in the trade for 35 years) a lot of people talk and do rubbish. I have now retired, bought me a nice car, the salesman said oh it still feels nice and tight in the steering (it's low mileage), I test drove it and the alignment was way off, I said feels like toeing out, they lied when they said they would get it aligned before I picked it up, they didn't. I took it too an alignment shop and he said " it's way of, its toeing in badly, I looked at the screen and said no it's toeing out but he would not believe me, he then had to abandon it as he could not get the bolts undone. I took it home, squared it up with pieces of string WITH THE STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT, took it back to be checked and it was more or less spot on with only minimal adjustment needed. I've lost count in the past of coming out of alignment shops with the steering wheel not straight. The motor trade is full of baloney. Greetings from the uk
@@bonkeydollocks1879 I've never worked in the auto industry before. It's more of a hobby for me. I have figured out a ton of stuff along the way though. Toe out is scary! My truck was toed out and drove decently straight on the road, but when one tire hit a bump or even the little lines on the freeway it would try to turn. I had to keep a death grip on the wheel lol. I know the feeling I've taken mine to alignment shops and decided I'm going to learn how to do this myself and if it's not perfect I'll deal with it. I try to get it as perfect as I can and take multiple trips around the block and on the freeway with the tools to readjust over and over.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH SIR, you were of very much help , l took my truck 6 times to correct this problem, like the proverb says, "lf you want something done right , do it yourself. 👍
Thanks for the great video. I Will also try DIY. I have the same situation as u are and a alignment workshop didn't manage to fix it. I was already thinking that someone fixed the steering wrong....well maybe he was 😄
If you got it done recently most shops should have a guarantee. I'm very picky about how I do full alignments. When I drive the seat position, mirrors and alignment have to be perfect otherwise I'll be super annoyed driving lol.
lol thanks man. Yeah I learned how to do alignments and a friend needed help with his crooked steering wheel so instead of typing all this out I figured it was easier to just make a video. I also couldn't find a good video explaining it at the time I posted it for 2nd gen Tacomas.
lol this is just how I learned and passing the info along. My truck is "modified" and couldn't fit on an alignment rack so I learned how to do my own alignments.
Ill also chime in and thank you for posting this. I have a 4runner and after 2 alignments my wheel was still just slightly off to the left. Not as much as yours but enough to be annoying. While I know this method isnt as exact as a Hunter alignment, I went ahead and did this and only had to adjust about 1/4 a turn. I actually went too much the first time.
lol no problem glad it helped! Yeah I kinda over exaggerated it for the video so people can see it. Usually it's just slightly off just enough to be annoying. I used one of those computer alignment machines I honestly couldn't remember the name of it though.
@@johndelapena3484 he's talking about something that doesn't directly apply to this video, in fact it's useless info here because were only focusing on fixing steering wheel angle in relation to the wheels and not a full frontal alignment.. This video assumes you have had a proper alignment done but that the steering wheel is still crooked. As long as you turn the same distance for both tie rods (let's say 1/4 clockwise and 1/4 turn counter-clockwise), then you should end up with same toe angle for both wheels with just an altered steering wheel position (which is what this video demonstrates).
@@johndelapena3484 yes to track straight on a road you want each wheel toed inward 1/16th of an inch or roughly .15 of a degree inward on each side. But it doesn't apply to what's shown in the video.
lol I usually tell people to ask for a print out so it shows before and after the alignment to see if they actually did anything besides set the toe. Yeah I have to make a video... I learned how to do driveway alignments without training or machines so I had to figure out unconventional ways of finding caster, camber, toe and straightening the steering wheel by actually adjusting stuff and test driving to understand how the different adjustments works.
Thanks for video. I adjusted my crooked steering wheel after installed new suspension on my Tacoma and after the alignment. Alignment shop said I needed the SPC UCA’s to correct the crooked steering wheel. I didn’t understand that. Otherwise everything aligned perfectly with my TC UCA’s
I think something that should be noted is that the position of your tie rod end on the knuckle matters. For example, I have a car that has the tie rod end mounted aft on the knuckle, so adjusting it in or making it shorter pulls the passenger side wheel out for a toe-out condition and vice versa. The opposite would be true on the left side. So I had to do everything opposite of this video for my crooked wheel to be fixed.
Yeah. Originally made the video for another guy with a Tacoma on the forums. I was typing all these instructions out and ended up making a video. Then other people started watching it. I try to respond to everyone that has trouble though.
Thanks for this, just got an alignment but my wheel is still off so it FEELS like the alignment didn't help but it drives way smoother so it did. Just gotta adjust these so my wheel is straight and I should be good. Right now taking a curve to the left on the hwy barely needs any movement of the wheel past center to the left and taking a right curve needs to be quite a bit past center to the right lol.
Sounds like your alignment is off could also be worn bushings/steering components. Maybe try another shop. I tell people call and ask if they print out the alignment. The printout will show what it was when you brought it and what they adjusted. At the alignment shop they will also tell you if anything needs replaced.
You can also run a string from the back tires to the front to check the toe in or out and make sure its the same side to side before doing this steering wheel adjustment . About an 1/8 toe in should be good from back to front.
Yeah I've used the string method before there's just a couple things I found out. Some cars have different WMS to WMS front and rear so my measurements and toe were off lol. It's a good starting point though gets them square-ish. Then you can measure across front and rear of the front tires and front and rear of the back tires to find a good toe for the car. Then also the 1/8 is pretty good rule of thumb, but different via tire size 1/8" on a 35" is a small amount degree of toe vs 24" car tire 1/8" is a big degree of toe. If you want to know more message me. I've learned a ton over the years doing alignments myself.
Pretty much the same thing on a 4 wheeler which I’ve done a few times before…. My neighbor will be happy once I show him this video cause his steering wheel is off almost by 90deg to the left. Tryin to help him out. 👍🏼
@@mullaway5746 Adjusting the tie rods will fix the crooked steering wheel, but they will also adjust the toe so make sure they are evenly turned. I'd suggest getting a good alignment at a shop that will print out the numbers.
Thank you for the simple, detailed explanation. Another to think about this: the steering wheel will ALWAYS point in the direction of the SHORTER tie rod (with wheels pointed forward).
@@bradleypark1936 not true. It's self-explanatory it'll be opposite when the rack is opposite side of axle. If the rack is behind the axle the side the steering wheel points towards is too long & needs shortened(inner rod needs screwed into outer) & the opposite side is too short & needs lengthened(screwed out of outer rod). This was the case on my Acura CL-S.
@@katmanluke7187 he's talking about before adjustments are made and yes he's correct. It's only making the adjustments clock wise or counter-clockwise that are dependent on if the the rack is in front or behind the axles.
Yes it's supposed to be part of the alignment process, but I guess some shops don't test drive it to check... They only center the steering wheel before putting it on the alignment machine, align it and give it back to customer.
Good video but I would like to add to it. BEFORE you do anything, take a marker and draw a horizontal line across the 2 pieces the you will be adjusting. This will allow you to see how far you’ve turned one side so you will know far to turn the next side. This needs to be done because the whole tie rod end will pivot even before you loosen the jamb nut which will mess you up when trying to eye ball it.
Yeah it can. Usually it wont if it's adjusted evenly and the steering wheel is only slightly off. When I do alignments I do caster, then camber, then toe and at the end straighten the steering wheel.
Did you ever get a reply? I think yes you have to have your wheel straight before making the adjustments. Just makes it easier. I assume the same about having it jacked up (although I don't have a jack so I'm hoping I can do it while it's on the ground!)
Thanks for this write up! I have the same issue with my 2007 Corolla. I want to do it myself but I'm kinda confused on which direction I should turn. In the video, you turned the tie rod both counter clockwise. What I'm reading from car forums is that you turn the passenger side clockwise and the driver side counter clockwise or vice versa. I really want to fix my crooked steering wheel because it drives me crazy! Alignment guys don't want to fix it. They say its straight.
That sucks that they wont properly align it... Alright. I think those corolla's tie rods are behind the hub. So it will be a little backwards than the video. *If the steering wheel is tilted to the left and going straight, Driver side tie rod needs to screw into (Clock wise) the tie rod end and passenger side tie rod needs to be screwed out (Counter clock wise) of the tie rod end. *If the steering wheel is tilted to the right and going straight, Driver side tie rod needs to be screwed out (Counter clock wise) of the tie rod end and Passenger side tie rod needs to screw into (Clock wise) the tie rod end.
They can for this, but I usually keep them on the ground because I'm usually doing a wheel alignment and straightening the steering wheel at the same time. Wheel alignment needs to be done with vehicle at ride height. Adjusting the steering wheel can be done with wheels in the air. Lift car, adjust tie rods, go for a short drive and repeat till it's centered.
great video! thanks! my tacoma wheel is exactly crooked like yours. one question, when you do a half turn, roughly how much did it move your steering wheel?? can i do a full turn?
Whats your opinion on alignments every 3 thousand miles while doing uber? I for the life me can't keep my suspension straight when i start doing uber. I live in Chicago its a lot of pot holes i do my best to avoid them. I have a 2024 equinox and I've put 2500 miles on it in 2 months. Im already experiencing loose steering when driving at low speeds and my car wiggles side to side when driving on expressway that have those groove lines surfaces. Do i need an alignment already? And can i do anything preventive maintenance wise to not have to run into rack and pinions or busted tie rods problems if im doing uber this often?
That's way to often. I usually only do my alignment when changing suspension components or maybe of I hit a rock off road. What I'm thinking is something in your suspension wasn't tightened enough and when you hit a pot hole it slid in the slot and is now loose/moving. With something that new I don't think anything would be broken and still should have plenty of life. Get an alignment and ask if they can print out before and after of your alignment to prove they actually adjusted stuff.
Added to my list of maintenance items. My 4runner has been aligned so much in the past year, but they get my wheel straight. Also truck seems to wander to the side the wheel is crooked to. going to try this first see if it helps, at the very least straighten my wheel!
Did you ever try this fix and did it stop your car from wandering? The dealer says my alignment specs are perfect but the steering is off center to the right and wanders in that direction also, just as you mentioned.
Thanks for putting this together. Your Tacoma has plenty of space without lifting the front. Does it matter if you put it on stands? And do you have to straighten the steering wheels before working on it?
Yeah my Tacoma isn't stock anymore lol. I'm pretty sure you have enough room, but it will be tight squeeze. It's better to have it straight, but not needed on this. If you do an alignment you need to have the steering wheel straight otherwise this exact problem will come up at the end.
I could be wrong but I think he did the driver side wrong for the fact that he needed to pull the driver side wheel in. By by lifting the big wrench up, it took the threaded arm going into the tie rod end , out . If he had screwed that into the tie rod and going in the down direction that would have pulled the wheel in which is what was needed.
Trying straighten my wheels up myself as i took it to an alignment shop twice and everytime i get it back its worse, tryed string trick but its still off because now its obvious both front wheels are now toeing by out exactly the same amount each side, i have just learned that my rear wheel track base is 1445 and my front track is 1450. I am disigning a laser alignment kit now i start on it tmro. If i cant solve my wheel alignment issues i will have to get rid of a perfectly reliable car with nothing wrong with it just because of wheels.
What kind of car and year do you have? Try another alignment shop or an off road shop. I do alignments a few different ways. If it's a truck with a solid axle rear/no adjustments. Go to the front tire and on the front of the front tire pick a tread and measure across to the other front tire. Write that measurement down. Now on the front tire go to the back of the front tire and measure across to the other tire. Write that measurement down. They should be relatively close. If the rear number is smaller you have toe out if the front number is smaller you have toe in. You want slight toe in for tracking straight 1/16"-1/8" depending on tire size.
This video is awesome! I have the same problem with my kia rio 2005. Can I just pull out the steering wheel and put it back in right position? Thanks for the answer!
Yeah you can, but the tie rods wont be centered so you might get lower turning radius on one side than the other. I would take it to an alignment shop. If you do take off the steering wheel disconnect a battery terminal (air bags kinda scare me). 1st take off battery terminal. 2nd take off air bag.(disconnect wires if needed). 3rd Impact and loosen the steering wheel nut. Only loosen it till it's flush so when you wiggle the steering wheel and pull it you don't smack yourself in the face or pull out the wires. 4th take off steering wheel nut and reinstall steering wheel. Again I'd take it to an alignment shop.
Hello, isn't it easier/ faster to just readjust the steeringwheel if it's already aligned? This might seem straight to the eye, but there's a reason they have that sensitive equipment in the shop. This might pull to the left/right, while braking or eat up tour tires. Regards
Maybe. I've ran into a few steering wheels that were stuck stuck on there. Adjusting steering wheel and/or tie rods can also make the steering rack non centered. I've been doing custom alignments based off feel for types of driving/racing. So it's honestly easier for me to just do the tie rods. There's also splined joints you can unbolt and turn too. I just feel like the tie rods will get it perfect with adjusting. The steering wheel off may only get it close one way or the other.
@@kevsweat No, David is correct - if your steering wheel is to the right when you're going straight then you want to make your wheels move more to the right
This video is really informative but I have a Subaru legacy and we replaced the rack and pinion and the guy who did it left the steering wheel upside down, while the wheels drive straight. Can I do the same thing you did for my situation?
lol I just did a full alignment on my 08 sti today! What I would do first is count/measure the threads on the inner tie rods. -If they are the close to the same then when you installed the rack and pinion wrong. (Happens often) -If they are not the same lets say one side has way more threads then you can use this method. If you installed the rack and pinion wrong then you either need to unbolt the rack and pinion, turn the steering wheel straight, tie/lock the steering wheel and reinstall. The other and probably easier way would be to take off the steering wheel. Just make sure you don't smack yourself in the face, disconnect battery and careful of the wires.
Really appreciate the help, J Dawg. I used adjustable wrenches just like you and the nut loosened fairly easily. I soaked the nut with penetrating oil for a while before attempting this. The tie rod ends on my 2010 Nissan Versa hatchback are aft of the McPherson struts on the driver and passenger sides (opposite of your vehicle) so I had to extend the tie rod end outward more to move the aft end of the wheel outward to straighten the passenger side. After the adjustment, my steering wheel is very close to level - not perfect. I am going to get a four wheel alignment. Also, I needed to remove the clamp from the boot so I could turn the tie rod. Not sure how you were able to rotate the tie rod with the clamp still on the boot and not twist the boot like I did before noticing that I needed to remove the clamp.
Update on my earlier comment. With vauxhall it's easier cause the steeringaxle is " serrated ". So it's easy to adjust the steeringwheel just a couple of degrees. Found out that Ford uses what looks like a "hexagon " type mounting on the steering axle on the focus mk1. So that makes it almost impossible to make minor adjustments. Regards
Yeh just pull it straight off the column while sitting in the seat. Say abracadabra twice while pulling and it should come off. Reposition it to your liking and say abracadabra twice and you should be good to go
Are your tie rods in front or behind the knuckle? If they are in front of the knuckle like the video, but your steering wheel is slanted to the right. The tie rods on the right wheel has to unscrew and the left screw in.
Everytime I go to a track day and attack the curbs my steering wheel is off centre to the left, a tyre shop fixes it for me usually but this video seems helpful and I'm gonna do it myself now, quick question, do I need those big wrenches (I don't really know the proper name for them) or I can use a normal wrench?
"adjustable wrenches" No you don't need them. If you know what size you can use regular wrenches. I just use the longer ones for more leverage those jam nuts are on there tight if on correctly. Recheck all torque specs too! I took my truck off road and found out my lower control arm bolt wasn't at the right torque and it kept throwing my alignment off. On my STI my lower control arm bushing was tearing so my alignment was always off too. It now has urethane bushings and feels like it's on rails, but a little more bumpy feeling on the street.
I got the exact same problem to this video and after I did exactly like he said in this video by toe in (1/2 turn) on passenger side and toe out (1/2 turn) on driver side, it got worse; so, I did an opposite to what he did in this video; then the problem is resolved. I have to toe out (1 full turn) on the passenger side and toe in (1 full turn) on driver side to resolve the issue. Now my steering wheel is straight like I want it.
Was your tie rods in front or behind the knuckle? Some cars have the tie rods behind. You still want the tires to turn a certain way but, if the tie rods are behind you need to turn them in and out opposite of the video.
@@tuanngnt Yeah that model the tie rods are behind the knuckle. If you watch this video the tie rods are in front of the knuckle. Wheels need to turn the same way just getting them there is kinda backwards since the tie rod location is different. Hopefully my hands showing which way the wheels need to turn helped lol. Good job fixing it though! Keep on wrenching!
@@tuanngnt It's the part that kinda connects all the suspension, steering, axle to your wheel. If you google "Car knuckle" you can see the images and may make more sense.
Super cool. I little rock jumped out and bit my front end when off roading and I have the same issue. Drives perfectly straight yet my steering wheel is barely crooked. HAHA, just like yours (drives me nuts). So I will have fun and adjust it shortly. Thanks!
1LifeLive lol! Yeah that happens to me a lot. I had to learn how to do my whole alignment because my truck didn't fit on the alignment machine at 2 different places!
Awesome to learn and do it yourself! I just keep buying tools and I sit my arse down and do it myself. Saves so much money and best of all, you know how to fix your rig! So thanks again and I love how you treated us like newbies and showed us over and over, nice! Makes it VERY easy to understand! Thanks again! Happy driving!
1LifeLive yeah I know how hard it can be to learn something new and if I skipped a step lol. My truck has only been in a 2 shops tire mount and balance and the dealership to change the motor oil for a free 5 point inspection once lol. Everything else was done in my driveway or my friends driveway. 😁
Thank you for the awesome video! I had the same situation as you mentioned the crooked steering wheel and it was off to the left like 15 degree. The shop realigned three times to fix the problem. But they can't correct it even the alignment report is correct. I think the mechanic relies on the machine too much. I'll just do it by myself. If it is 15 degree off, would you do 1/4 turn for the beginning? THX!
This happens often. You get the print out and everything is within the spec(Which is great), but your steering wheel isn't centered. What model and year is your vehicle?
@@JDawgBuilds Yeah That's really pain in the ass... It's a 2011 Land Rover LR4. They even switched the front two tires, but the steering wheel is still crooked, which is wired.
@@shawnxiao6950 Ah alright, I don't know if the steering rack is more froward or more back on the spindle. You should be able to do this though just make sure the left wheel goes out and the right goes in equally.
I wouldn't give that shop my business anymore! Any shop that does alignments can perform the same procedure in this video 2 straighten out your steering wheel 4 you, they're just being lazy or don't wanna take the time but if you decide to correct it yourself the general rule of thumb is to start out by turning them 90 to 100 degrees for each clock hour the wheel is off by...
![Gunna - HIM ALL ALONG [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HiCxoDeo0hc/mqdefault.jpg)
Its almost 2024 and this video is still the best out there describing this procedure.
lol thanks man! Not bad for an old GoPro, flip flops and hardly knowing what anything was called. 😂
Old video, but it really is still the best video demonstrating and explaining this process. Very straightforward, easy to follow and understand.
Thank you! I'm glad it's still helping people out. I tried to make it quick and hit all the points. I should of probably used a headmount for the GoPro, but I just ran what I had lol.
This video should be in a museum.
Lol it a good way or bad way 😂🤔
@@JDawgBuilds haha GOOD!!
@@InfoSparkClips 😂😂
Might be the best most well explained walkthrough on RUclips
XP thanks!
No
Agreed, video really helped and well walked through
This is exactly what has happened to my car literally the day after my alignment my steering wheel is slightly to the right
Only I don’t have a jack or a wrench or the confidence to do this myself. Tried calling the shop telling them about it and they’re trying to tell me that I may need additional work and I know that they’re lying. I’m simply going to mention that they need to “adjust the tie rods” and that it doesn’t take very long and they need to correct it and watch their face as they freak out not expecting a woman to know what she’s talking about lol. Thanks for this video.
You only "need additional work" because they didn't do it right the 1st time... lol Perfect, I'd like to see their faces too 😂.
This worked like a charm. I recently did an at home alignment on my lifted 4runner. It drove just fine but going straight down the road, the wheel was crooked. I gave each side a single turn in the appropriate direction and now it's as close to perfect as you could get. Super easy, makes sense.....
lol awesome! Glad it helped!
Thank you for your video! I just had an alignment done, and they gave it back to me with my steering wheel to left just slightly. It was bugging the crap out of me, so instead of going back to the shop, and them getting annoyed with me, I searched it on RUclips, and your video was the second to pop up.
Very good explanation. I did it, and turning it your way actually made the steering wheel go more to the left, so I got back underneath again, and went opposite turn per your instructions, and voila, the steering wheel is perfectly centered. TY!!!
lol perfect!!! Yeah your situation is exactly who/why I made this video. I was trying to help someone on the forums and typed everything out in this video. Then decided to just make a video for him.
I recently had a 4 wheel alignment done on a 2018 Lexus RX350 after getting new tires. The technician told me my steering wheel was not straight, which I had never noticed. Anyway, after doing the alignment, he reviewed a Hunter alignment printout with me and said that only one wheel was out of alignment. On the way home I now noticed the steering wheel was not straight. I am thinking of doing the procedure in this video, but wouldn't it possibly foul up the alignment that was just done?
Remember folks, this procedure is only done after the alignment is done, otherwise you could be making the steering wheel straight on a car with a bad alignment. Not what we want... 😊
100%. I think I said that in the video somewhere.
@@JDawgBuilds I may have missed that. Thanks for getting back.
Isn’t this just the same as alignment anyway?
@@nibblebytes No, not the same thing. The toe in, the castor, and the camber can be looking like a bad hair day but someone gave it a comb over.
Can I do this before alignment?
Dude. I just got an alignment done and the steering was off to right and pull ever so slightly to the right. So I had to go the opposite way you did by a quarter to half turn on both sides. So much better!!!! Thank you much
Awesome glad it helped!
The more beers you drink the Straighter it's going to look
It bugs me the crap out that my steering wheel is not straight,I will need 2 cases
yeah, straight to heaven.
😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂
I fixed my crooked steering wheel by just angling my instrumental cluster to match it. = P
Great simple and to the point video. Couldn't get it sorted out on my truck at a bunch of alignment shops so went under and did it myself.
Had both lower ball joints, one lower control arm, and an outer tie rod end replaced on my 07 Jeep XK. It still tracks down the road straight as an arrow but the steering wheel is in just about the same position as yours. I'll be trying your method to get everything lined up again. Thanks for posting this! Probably saved me $150.
Sweet! Just keep an eye on tire wear.
Great viedo right to the point. My wheel was to the left after a alignment they said order for my wheel to be straight i needed a new rack and pinion replacement. 1200.00 came home found ur video followed ur instruction wheel is back straight and drives straight now thanks for tje right to the point instructions
Damn!!!! lol really glad it save you money!!!
Finally! Thanks to you and your video, I managed to get the wheel straight. Just half a turn was perfect for my car.
Awesome glad it helped!
Thanks !!! Bro I just did my whole suspension. I was not able to drive my alignment was crazy off until I watch this video.
lol awesome glad it helped!
Thank you bro. After two times on tire store to have alignment done , I did by myself after watch your post.
lol Awesome glad it worked out man!
I don't always wear sandals but when I do I make sure my alignment is on point. Thanks brother. I recently got an alignment done and the shop didn't straighten my wheel properly. I told them but they blame my aftermarket lift and I know damn well that has nothing to do with it because my other lifted truck steering is straight like a damn arrow.
😂 My day off! My truck is over 7" wider plus the lower backspacing on aftermarket wheels. They said it wouldn't fit on the alignment machine... So I learned and do all my alignments now.
@@JDawgBuilds yeah that seems now what I have to do. Thanks for making the video. Surely did help me understand it properly on how the correcting the wheel works.
@@Ray00069 lol no problem glad it could help!
I had the same issue - Truck is lifted they wouldnt fix my wheel
Thanks man my brother just drove my eclipse over a curb and messed up my allignment thanks so much.
Can we applaud him for doing this while being the camera guy?
I paid tire shop/inspection station to fix my alignment. My jam nut was absolutely stuck. I figured they could get it out and it would save me the trouble of trying to break it loose. They didn't fix it. Didn't even test drive it. Used a machine, I believe all they did was balance the tires. I left, immediately knew it wasn't fixed. Went back next day. They test drove it on the road. I watched closely this time, and all they did was hammer more weights on the rim. Test drove came back and tell me they can't align it. They then proceed to tell me that the car was in an accident. So they are telling me it was in an accident I don't know about and repaired before I drove it somehow. I was pissed. I never once saw them adjust a tie rod. I paid them to fix the alignment. They balanced the tires. I gave this place a good review one time but have changed it.
This video was simple to understand and I am sure I am not crazy now about straightening the wheel. They never tried.
Good Tires on Monroe Rd Charlotte NC will steal your money
Man that's a bummer... When ever I tell people to get an alignment I always tell them to call and ask if they can get a print out before they even take the car. At the end the shop can print out your alignment specs of before and after. So you can actually see what/if they adjusted it.
Yes!! I followed the steps you laid out and my steering wheel is mostly straight now! I added my own step just because of how my brain works, so I wouldn't get confused - I used a silver Sharpie paint marker before I started adjusting anything to put a reference line from the tie rod end to the tie rod itself. I used the silver line to index my turns. Worked great. Thanks again!
lol I think I did the same when I 1st started too. Glad it worked out!
@@JDawgBuilds - it keeps getting better, my brother. I never mentioned that I had traction control and ESP/BAS faults that I thought were unrelated to my off center steering wheel. After driving a few dozen miles with my newly straight steering wheel, these faults cleared. I found out on a forum that a crooked steering wheel is 100% related to the traction control fault! Again, thank you!
@@wes11bravo Ah yeah sometimes if the alignment is off it will trip those too. The Subaru I rebuilt kept having that code since my lower control arm was bent. I bought a used LCA and pressed in some new busing on both sides and boom no more traction control light lol.
I took the vehicle back to the shop and they corrected it fast and true, under warranty!
Sweet! That’s the best fast, free and they know what they’re doing.
Thank you for a great video. Had new tires put on my F-150. Idiots couldn't get the alignment correct at the tire place. Steering wheel was the same way yours was in the video. Went back 3 times and finally got a refund after the tech at Mavis told me there must be something wrong with my truck. Wrong!...found your video and had my truck perfect in 5 minutes. Thanks again for the no nonsense video. This is how they all should be made!
:lol: Mavis. They hire guys that McDonalds fired.
Wasted money going to tma told them to straighten my steering wheel. I don't think they even turned s fucking wrench. Went home did it myself. 2009 f150. Perfect.
Installing new tires has no effect on alignment.
Finally somebody who knows what they are talking about
lol It's a long story, but my truck was to wide to fit on the alignment machine. So I learned how to do alignments. Then someone asked how to fix a crooked steering wheel and I made a video since it was easier than trying to type everything out.
@@JDawgBuilds respect, its amazing even people at the alignment shop don't know what they are talking about. In my opinion (having worked in the trade for 35 years) a lot of people talk and do rubbish. I have now retired, bought me a nice car, the salesman said oh it still feels nice and tight in the steering (it's low mileage), I test drove it and the alignment was way off, I said feels like toeing out, they lied when they said they would get it aligned before I picked it up, they didn't. I took it too an alignment shop and he said " it's way of, its toeing in badly, I looked at the screen and said no it's toeing out but he would not believe me, he then had to abandon it as he could not get the bolts undone. I took it home, squared it up with pieces of string WITH THE STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT, took it back to be checked and it was more or less spot on with only minimal adjustment needed. I've lost count in the past of coming out of alignment shops with the steering wheel not straight. The motor trade is full of baloney. Greetings from the uk
@@bonkeydollocks1879 I've never worked in the auto industry before. It's more of a hobby for me. I have figured out a ton of stuff along the way though. Toe out is scary! My truck was toed out and drove decently straight on the road, but when one tire hit a bump or even the little lines on the freeway it would try to turn. I had to keep a death grip on the wheel lol. I know the feeling I've taken mine to alignment shops and decided I'm going to learn how to do this myself and if it's not perfect I'll deal with it. I try to get it as perfect as I can and take multiple trips around the block and on the freeway with the tools to readjust over and over.
Exact same process for 5th gen and works like a charm. Thanks!
4Runner? Glad it helped!
@@JDawgBuildsYes, thanks!
The best experience and explanation ever .very clear
lol not bad with an old gopro and a stick while holding wrenches huh 😆
Thank you for this video. I finally fixed my steering wheel on my taco
lol No problem, glad it helped.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH SIR, you were of very much help , l took my truck 6 times to correct this problem, like the proverb says, "lf you want something done right , do it yourself. 👍
Glad it worked out for you!
This video is very helpful. I used it every year for the past 2 years
Thanks for the great video. I Will also try DIY. I have the same situation as u are and a alignment workshop didn't manage to fix it. I was already thinking that someone fixed the steering wrong....well maybe he was 😄
If you got it done recently most shops should have a guarantee.
I'm very picky about how I do full alignments. When I drive the seat position, mirrors and alignment have to be perfect otherwise I'll be super annoyed driving lol.
this was the best video so far. lucky its still here two years later. thanks bro u earned new sub and ofcourse gave thumbs up. keep it going. :)
Awesome thanks! Yeah I made this video to help someone, it was to confusing when I typed it all out so I made a video for him lol.
This dude out of all the videos I watched know what he is talking about your method fixed my car th and man
lol thanks man. Yeah I learned how to do alignments and a friend needed help with his crooked steering wheel so instead of typing all this out I figured it was easier to just make a video. I also couldn't find a good video explaining it at the time I posted it for 2nd gen Tacomas.
Thank you for having just a easy simple straight to the point video. this helped me out a lot.
No problem, glad the video could help you out!
this video is the correct way. many other videos are either wrong or unconventional way
lol this is just how I learned and passing the info along. My truck is "modified" and couldn't fit on an alignment rack so I learned how to do my own alignments.
Ill also chime in and thank you for posting this. I have a 4runner and after 2 alignments my wheel was still just slightly off to the left. Not as much as yours but enough to be annoying. While I know this method isnt as exact as a Hunter alignment, I went ahead and did this and only had to adjust about 1/4 a turn. I actually went too much the first time.
lol no problem glad it helped! Yeah I kinda over exaggerated it for the video so people can see it. Usually it's just slightly off just enough to be annoying. I used one of those computer alignment machines I honestly couldn't remember the name of it though.
Important tip: you need to toe in 1/16" each side to go straight.
can someone explain more what this means? toe in what to go straight?
@@johndelapena3484 he's talking about something that doesn't directly apply to this video, in fact it's useless info here because were only focusing on fixing steering wheel angle in relation to the wheels and not a full frontal alignment..
This video assumes you have had a proper alignment done but that the steering wheel is still crooked.
As long as you turn the same distance for both tie rods (let's say 1/4 clockwise and 1/4 turn counter-clockwise), then you should end up with same toe angle for both wheels with just an altered steering wheel position (which is what this video demonstrates).
@@johndelapena3484 yes to track straight on a road you want each wheel toed inward 1/16th of an inch or roughly .15 of a degree inward on each side. But it doesn't apply to what's shown in the video.
I had exactly the same experience as yours, just can't trust alignment shop anymore. Could you please shoot a video on how you did alignment yourself?
lol I usually tell people to ask for a print out so it shows before and after the alignment to see if they actually did anything besides set the toe.
Yeah I have to make a video... I learned how to do driveway alignments without training or machines so I had to figure out unconventional ways of finding caster, camber, toe and straightening the steering wheel by actually adjusting stuff and test driving to understand how the different adjustments works.
I just did this. Worked like a dream!
Awesome! Glad it helped!
Thanks for video. I adjusted my crooked steering wheel after installed new suspension on my Tacoma and after the alignment. Alignment shop said I needed the SPC UCA’s to correct the crooked steering wheel. I didn’t understand that. Otherwise everything aligned perfectly with my TC UCA’s
Hummm interesting lol. Glad it helped you 🤙🏽
Just had a 6inch lift installed and they left my steering wheel crooked. Thanks for posting this. It really helps!!
Mark the nut and the parts you rotate with a marker. Makes it easier to know exact number of turns.
This is a great excuse for me to get some big boy wrenches 🔧
Great video mate , thanks for sharing 👍
No problem, hope it helped!
I think something that should be noted is that the position of your tie rod end on the knuckle matters. For example, I have a car that has the tie rod end mounted aft on the knuckle, so adjusting it in or making it shorter pulls the passenger side wheel out for a toe-out condition and vice versa. The opposite would be true on the left side. So I had to do everything opposite of this video for my crooked wheel to be fixed.
Yeah. Originally made the video for another guy with a Tacoma on the forums. I was typing all these instructions out and ended up making a video. Then other people started watching it. I try to respond to everyone that has trouble though.
Thanks for this, just got an alignment but my wheel is still off so it FEELS like the alignment didn't help but it drives way smoother so it did. Just gotta adjust these so my wheel is straight and I should be good. Right now taking a curve to the left on the hwy barely needs any movement of the wheel past center to the left and taking a right curve needs to be quite a bit past center to the right lol.
Sounds like your alignment is off could also be worn bushings/steering components. Maybe try another shop. I tell people call and ask if they print out the alignment. The printout will show what it was when you brought it and what they adjusted. At the alignment shop they will also tell you if anything needs replaced.
You can also run a string from the back tires to the front to check the toe in or out and make sure its the same side to side before doing this steering wheel adjustment . About an 1/8 toe in should be good from back to front.
Yeah I've used the string method before there's just a couple things I found out. Some cars have different WMS to WMS front and rear so my measurements and toe were off lol. It's a good starting point though gets them square-ish. Then you can measure across front and rear of the front tires and front and rear of the back tires to find a good toe for the car. Then also the 1/8 is pretty good rule of thumb, but different via tire size 1/8" on a 35" is a small amount degree of toe vs 24" car tire 1/8" is a big degree of toe. If you want to know more message me. I've learned a ton over the years doing alignments myself.
Pretty much the same thing on a 4 wheeler which I’ve done a few times before…. My neighbor will be happy once I show him this video cause his steering wheel is off almost by 90deg to the left. Tryin to help him out. 👍🏼
Awesome glad it helped!
Great vid. Thanks for making it. Changed all my ball joints, shocks, and links and now need to straighten wheel and get an alignment.
Thats how my steering wheel is when i got the car a month ago, great tip thanks bro
Bummer! Hope it helps.
@@JDawgBuilds thanks mate , do i straighten the steering wheel first or will the tierods do that
@@mullaway5746 Adjusting the tie rods will fix the crooked steering wheel, but they will also adjust the toe so make sure they are evenly turned. I'd suggest getting a good alignment at a shop that will print out the numbers.
Nice step by step demonstration.
Thank you for the simple, detailed explanation. Another to think about this: the steering wheel will ALWAYS point in the direction of the SHORTER tie rod (with wheels pointed forward).
Good tip Mike this works if the rack is mounted forward or rear of the axle.
@@bradleypark1936 not true. It's self-explanatory it'll be opposite when the rack is opposite side of axle. If the rack is behind the axle the side the steering wheel points towards is too long & needs shortened(inner rod needs screwed into outer) & the opposite side is too short & needs lengthened(screwed out of outer rod). This was the case on my Acura CL-S.
@@katmanluke7187 he's talking about before adjustments are made and yes he's correct.
It's only making the adjustments clock wise or counter-clockwise that are dependent on if the the rack is in front or behind the axles.
So is this what they do when you take it to get aligned ?
Yes it's supposed to be part of the alignment process, but I guess some shops don't test drive it to check... They only center the steering wheel before putting it on the alignment machine, align it and give it back to customer.
Good video but I would like to add to it. BEFORE you do anything, take a marker and draw a horizontal line across the 2 pieces the you will be adjusting. This will allow you to see how far you’ve turned one side so you will know far to turn the next side. This needs to be done because the whole tie rod end will pivot even before you loosen the jamb nut which will mess you up when trying to eye ball it.
Yeah, that's a good tip so simple too lol.
This method works on my 2022 Ram vehicle 👍🏽
Ah good to know thanks.
The best video in tube.
Solid video. Short and sweet.
Awesome! Finally a video that explains it all.
=]
Just had my car alignered.. twice. Will doing the throw out the alignment?
Yeah it can. Usually it wont if it's adjusted evenly and the steering wheel is only slightly off. When I do alignments I do caster, then camber, then toe and at the end straighten the steering wheel.
I think you could just move the intermediate shaft over one spline over and see if that corrects it. The intermediate shaft has splined on both ends.
Yeah that’s one way. You can pop off the steering wheel too. You’d probably still have to adjust the tie rods unless you’re lucky lol.
Do these adjustments need to be done while the truck is jacked up?Also do you make your wheel straight before making these adjustments?
Did you ever get a reply? I think yes you have to have your wheel straight before making the adjustments. Just makes it easier. I assume the same about having it jacked up (although I don't have a jack so I'm hoping I can do it while it's on the ground!)
Thanks for this write up! I have the same issue with my 2007 Corolla. I want to do it myself but I'm kinda confused on which direction I should turn. In the video, you turned the tie rod both counter clockwise. What I'm reading from car forums is that you turn the passenger side clockwise and the driver side counter clockwise or vice versa. I really want to fix my crooked steering wheel because it drives me crazy! Alignment guys don't want to fix it. They say its straight.
That sucks that they wont properly align it...
Alright. I think those corolla's tie rods are behind the hub. So it will be a little backwards than the video.
*If the steering wheel is tilted to the left and going straight, Driver side tie rod needs to screw into (Clock wise) the tie rod end and passenger side tie rod needs to be screwed out (Counter clock wise) of the tie rod end.
*If the steering wheel is tilted to the right and going straight, Driver side tie rod needs to be screwed out (Counter clock wise) of the tie rod end and Passenger side tie rod needs to screw into (Clock wise) the tie rod end.
I have a lowered car, do my tires need to be on the ground before I do this? Because I’m going to have to jack the car up to get underneath
Yeah just make sure you adjust each side them the same.
For anyone wondering, that's a 22mm nut that you have to loosen and tighten against the tie-rod end there.
Nice!
Thank for this great video. It really came in handy after I replaced my inner tied rod
Thanks man for taking the time to make this video
No problem hope it helps!
Hi, do the front wheels need to be off the ground to do this?
They can for this, but I usually keep them on the ground because I'm usually doing a wheel alignment and straightening the steering wheel at the same time. Wheel alignment needs to be done with vehicle at ride height. Adjusting the steering wheel can be done with wheels in the air. Lift car, adjust tie rods, go for a short drive and repeat till it's centered.
You literally had the exact problem I had ....thanks man helped alot
Thanks bud 👍
Exactly what I was looking for!
great video! thanks! my tacoma wheel is exactly crooked like yours. one question, when you do a half turn, roughly how much did it move your steering wheel?? can i do a full turn?
I had the steering wheel more exaggerated for the video. Try a full turn then test drive it. Then adjust the amounts of turns accordingly.
Rule of thumb is 2 turn them 90 to 100 degrees for every clock hour the wheel is off by
Thank you sir! Awesome tutorial!
No problem, Hope it helped!
Whats your opinion on alignments every 3 thousand miles while doing uber? I for the life me can't keep my suspension straight when i start doing uber. I live in Chicago its a lot of pot holes i do my best to avoid them. I have a 2024 equinox and I've put 2500 miles on it in 2 months. Im already experiencing loose steering when driving at low speeds and my car wiggles side to side when driving on expressway that have those groove lines surfaces. Do i need an alignment already? And can i do anything preventive maintenance wise to not have to run into rack and pinions or busted tie rods problems if im doing uber this often?
That's way to often. I usually only do my alignment when changing suspension components or maybe of I hit a rock off road.
What I'm thinking is something in your suspension wasn't tightened enough and when you hit a pot hole it slid in the slot and is now loose/moving. With something that new I don't think anything would be broken and still should have plenty of life.
Get an alignment and ask if they can print out before and after of your alignment to prove they actually adjusted stuff.
Great vid. Thanks!
No problem. Hope it helped!
Dude your the greatest I was able to fix my crooked ass steering wheel on my 2013 Tundra with a 10" BDS lift Good Vid
Added to my list of maintenance items. My 4runner has been aligned so much in the past year, but they get my wheel straight. Also truck seems to wander to the side the wheel is crooked to. going to try this first see if it helps, at the very least straighten my wheel!
Did you ever try this fix and did it stop your car from wandering? The dealer says my alignment specs are perfect but the steering is off center to the right and wanders in that direction also, just as you mentioned.
You are awesome, thank you so much, you can explain very well!
lol no problem. Glad it helped.
Thanks for putting this together. Your Tacoma has plenty of space without lifting the front. Does it matter if you put it on stands? And do you have to straighten the steering wheels before working on it?
Yeah my Tacoma isn't stock anymore lol. I'm pretty sure you have enough room, but it will be tight squeeze. It's better to have it straight, but not needed on this. If you do an alignment you need to have the steering wheel straight otherwise this exact problem will come up at the end.
@@JDawgBuilds I appreciate your responses!
I could be wrong but I think he did the driver side wrong for the fact that he needed to pull the driver side wheel in. By by lifting the big wrench up, it took the threaded arm going into the tie rod end , out . If he had screwed that into the tie rod and going in the down direction that would have pulled the wheel in which is what was needed.
Try and rewatch it. I'm turning the passenger tie rod into the tie rod end to make it shorter. I think you might be looking at the jam nut maybe?
Thank you very much. God bless always.
Glad it helped!
Trying straighten my wheels up myself as i took it to an alignment shop twice and everytime i get it back its worse, tryed string trick but its still off because now its obvious both front wheels are now toeing by out exactly the same amount each side, i have just learned that my rear wheel track base is 1445 and my front track is 1450. I am disigning a laser alignment kit now i start on it tmro. If i cant solve my wheel alignment issues i will have to get rid of a perfectly reliable car with nothing wrong with it just because of wheels.
What kind of car and year do you have?
Try another alignment shop or an off road shop.
I do alignments a few different ways. If it's a truck with a solid axle rear/no adjustments. Go to the front tire and on the front of the front tire pick a tread and measure across to the other front tire. Write that measurement down. Now on the front tire go to the back of the front tire and measure across to the other tire. Write that measurement down. They should be relatively close. If the rear number is smaller you have toe out if the front number is smaller you have toe in. You want slight toe in for tracking straight 1/16"-1/8" depending on tire size.
Wow props to you man I saved big money now thank you!!!!
lol awesome man!
If your wheels are pointing straight but the wheel is not you need to straighten the steering wheel. I see this all the time.
This video is awesome!
I have the same problem with my kia rio 2005.
Can I just pull out the steering wheel and put it back in right position?
Thanks for the answer!
Yeah you can, but the tie rods wont be centered so you might get lower turning radius on one side than the other. I would take it to an alignment shop.
If you do take off the steering wheel disconnect a battery terminal (air bags kinda scare me). 1st take off battery terminal. 2nd take off air bag.(disconnect wires if needed). 3rd Impact and loosen the steering wheel nut. Only loosen it till it's flush so when you wiggle the steering wheel and pull it you don't smack yourself in the face or pull out the wires. 4th take off steering wheel nut and reinstall steering wheel.
Again I'd take it to an alignment shop.
Hello, isn't it easier/ faster to just readjust the steeringwheel if it's already aligned? This might seem straight to the eye, but there's a reason they have that sensitive equipment in the shop. This might pull to the left/right, while braking or eat up tour tires. Regards
Maybe. I've ran into a few steering wheels that were stuck stuck on there. Adjusting steering wheel and/or tie rods can also make the steering rack non centered. I've been doing custom alignments based off feel for types of driving/racing. So it's honestly easier for me to just do the tie rods. There's also splined joints you can unbolt and turn too. I just feel like the tie rods will get it perfect with adjusting. The steering wheel off may only get it close one way or the other.
Note: align both wheels in the same direction as the crooked steering wheel.
You mean the opposite way of the crooked wheel bud
@@kevsweat No, David is correct - if your steering wheel is to the right when you're going straight then you want to make your wheels move more to the right
@@michaelkelly3158correct
This video is really informative but I have a Subaru legacy and we replaced the rack and pinion and the guy who did it left the steering wheel upside down, while the wheels drive straight. Can I do the same thing you did for my situation?
lol I just did a full alignment on my 08 sti today!
What I would do first is count/measure the threads on the inner tie rods.
-If they are the close to the same then when you installed the rack and pinion wrong. (Happens often)
-If they are not the same lets say one side has way more threads then you can use this method.
If you installed the rack and pinion wrong then you either need to unbolt the rack and pinion, turn the steering wheel straight, tie/lock the steering wheel and reinstall.
The other and probably easier way would be to take off the steering wheel. Just make sure you don't smack yourself in the face, disconnect battery and careful of the wires.
Really appreciate the help, J Dawg. I used adjustable wrenches just like you and the nut loosened fairly easily. I soaked the nut with penetrating oil for a while before attempting this.
The tie rod ends on my 2010 Nissan Versa hatchback are aft of the McPherson struts on the driver and passenger sides (opposite of your vehicle) so I had to extend the tie rod end outward more to move the aft end of the wheel outward to straighten the passenger side. After the adjustment, my steering wheel is very close to level - not perfect. I am going to get a four wheel alignment. Also, I needed to remove the clamp from the boot so I could turn the tie rod. Not sure how you were able to rotate the tie rod with the clamp still on the boot and not twist the boot like I did before noticing that I needed to remove the clamp.
My boots are old and the clamps probably aren't tight anymore. I've noticed some of the boots will slip and others are on there to tight to slip.
Update on my earlier comment. With vauxhall it's easier cause the steeringaxle is " serrated ". So it's easy to adjust the steeringwheel just a couple of degrees. Found out that Ford uses what looks like a "hexagon " type mounting on the steering axle on the focus mk1. So that makes it almost impossible to make minor adjustments. Regards
If the alignment was good but the steering wheel is crooked why not just re adjust the steering wheel under the dash. Is that not a thing?
Yeh just pull it straight off the column while sitting in the seat. Say abracadabra twice while pulling and it should come off. Reposition it to your liking and say abracadabra twice and you should be good to go
See this is for left side slanted. How about right side slanted? Do I do the opposite by pulling it down ?
Are your tie rods in front or behind the knuckle?
If they are in front of the knuckle like the video, but your steering wheel is slanted to the right. The tie rods on the right wheel has to unscrew and the left screw in.
Behind the knuckle just like your car.
@@joManTan What's your car year and model?
Toyota Sienna 2013
@@joManTan Ok those are behind the knuckle. So the tie rods on the right side screw in and left screw out will start straightening the steering wheel.
Brilliant.
lol thanks. Hope it helped!
Will be doing this to my avalon the shop left the steering wheel at the 10 o’clock when driving straight and its bothering me so bad
Sweet! Just a heads up I believe your tie rods are behind the knuckle. So on the tie rods driver side screw in and passenger side screw out.
Everytime I go to a track day and attack the curbs my steering wheel is off centre to the left, a tyre shop fixes it for me usually but this video seems helpful and I'm gonna do it myself now, quick question, do I need those big wrenches (I don't really know the proper name for them) or I can use a normal wrench?
"adjustable wrenches" No you don't need them. If you know what size you can use regular wrenches. I just use the longer ones for more leverage those jam nuts are on there tight if on correctly.
Recheck all torque specs too! I took my truck off road and found out my lower control arm bolt wasn't at the right torque and it kept throwing my alignment off. On my STI my lower control arm bushing was tearing so my alignment was always off too. It now has urethane bushings and feels like it's on rails, but a little more bumpy feeling on the street.
Do you have to lock the steering wheel before performing this?
Nope.
Does that mean that the tire is not straight either my steering wheel is the same but also the tire looks like it goes inside and botto of tire sits
Yeah sounds like alignment.
I got the exact same problem to this video and after I did exactly like he said in this video by toe in (1/2 turn) on passenger side and toe out (1/2 turn) on driver side, it got worse; so, I did an opposite to what he did in this video; then the problem is resolved. I have to toe out (1 full turn) on the passenger side and toe in (1 full turn) on driver side to resolve the issue. Now my steering wheel is straight like I want it.
Was your tie rods in front or behind the knuckle? Some cars have the tie rods behind. You still want the tires to turn a certain way but, if the tie rods are behind you need to turn them in and out opposite of the video.
@@JDawgBuilds My vehicle is 2006 Honda Pilot.
@@tuanngnt Yeah that model the tie rods are behind the knuckle. If you watch this video the tie rods are in front of the knuckle. Wheels need to turn the same way just getting them there is kinda backwards since the tie rod location is different. Hopefully my hands showing which way the wheels need to turn helped lol. Good job fixing it though! Keep on wrenching!
@@JDawgBuilds Thank you for a terrific video instructions on how straighten the steering wheel. By the way what is a knuckle any way?
@@tuanngnt It's the part that kinda connects all the suspension, steering, axle to your wheel. If you google "Car knuckle" you can see the images and may make more sense.
Do you have to straighten the steering wheel before the adjustment
Nope. Just adjust it and test drive it.
Super cool. I little rock jumped out and bit my front end when off roading and I have the same issue. Drives perfectly straight yet my steering wheel is barely crooked. HAHA, just like yours (drives me nuts). So I will have fun and adjust it shortly. Thanks!
1LifeLive lol! Yeah that happens to me a lot. I had to learn how to do my whole alignment because my truck didn't fit on the alignment machine at 2 different places!
Awesome to learn and do it yourself! I just keep buying tools and I sit my arse down and do it myself. Saves so much money and best of all, you know how to fix your rig! So thanks again and I love how you treated us like newbies and showed us over and over, nice! Makes it VERY easy to understand! Thanks again! Happy driving!
1LifeLive yeah I know how hard it can be to learn something new and if I skipped a step lol. My truck has only been in a 2 shops tire mount and balance and the dealership to change the motor oil for a free 5 point inspection once lol. Everything else was done in my driveway or my friends driveway. 😁
It’s the other way round if your tie rods are behind instead of in front ?
Yes correct.
Very good video,,, Thank you.
Thank you! Glad you liked it!
Thank you for the awesome video! I had the same situation as you mentioned the crooked steering wheel and it was off to the left like 15 degree. The shop realigned three times to fix the problem. But they can't correct it even the alignment report is correct. I think the mechanic relies on the machine too much. I'll just do it by myself. If it is 15 degree off, would you do 1/4 turn for the beginning? THX!
This happens often. You get the print out and everything is within the spec(Which is great), but your steering wheel isn't centered.
What model and year is your vehicle?
@@JDawgBuilds Yeah That's really pain in the ass... It's a 2011 Land Rover LR4. They even switched the front two tires, but the steering wheel is still crooked, which is wired.
@@shawnxiao6950 Ah alright, I don't know if the steering rack is more froward or more back on the spindle. You should be able to do this though just make sure the left wheel goes out and the right goes in equally.
@@JDawgBuilds Got you. Thanks!
I wouldn't give that shop my business anymore! Any shop that does alignments can perform the same procedure in this video 2 straighten out your steering wheel 4 you, they're just being lazy or don't wanna take the time but if you decide to correct it yourself the general rule of thumb is to start out by turning them 90 to 100 degrees for each clock hour the wheel is off by...