Centering steering wheel?

[Scooter M'Gee]

And that’s exactly what the alignment shop will do if the OP doesn’t feel confident in doing it himself.

It took a few tries but I eventually nailed it.

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[psdtime]

Exactly what I did. A small turn in the correct direction leveled the steering wheel.

I'll take a closer look at it. As long as there is a way to mark where it is now, you would think with would be easy to correct any mistake I could make.

 

[Scooter M'Gee]

I'll take a closer look at it. As long as there is a way to mark where it is now, you would think with would be easy to correct any mistake I could make.

Simple as using a Sharpie on the nut and tie rod.

 

[Brian_B]

I think my alignment is good just the steering wheel is a bit off. A little turn of the tie rod ends should fix it, but I'm a little intimidated by the job. I'm afraid that I'll turn it the wrong way or not perfectly the same. I need to take a closer look at it to wrap my head around it.

Right.

I mean, it's easy enough to just turn both tie rods the same amount, and either it gets better or worse (and then you just go the other way) - and that is all the alignment folks are going to do to fix it to.

The issue is - what if the alignment is off after the fact? The steering wheel can be straight and the vehicle can drive straight, but it can still have issues that eat tires. An alignment shop can check it on the rack real quick and make sure. You in your driveway, well, you may not know until you start to show uneven wear on the tires, and by then it's already too late.

The spline idea is a decent one - it won't affect the tire alignment at all, but it is a bit harder to get at, and if the steering position sensor in the rack gets out of whack, that's an issue too.

I'm sure lots of people have just bumped the tie rod adjusters a half turn and been fine. And you probably would be fine too. Probably.

 

[psdtime]

Do all I have to do is loosen the one jam nut and turn the tie rod by where the rubber starts equally the proper direction on each side?

 

[PWillette]

Do all I have to do is loosen the one jam nut and turn the tie rod by where the rubber starts equally the proper direction on each side?

You'll need to disconnect the outer tie rod end from the knuckle, loosen the jam nut the turn the outer tie rod end.

 

[psdtime]

You'll need to disconnect the outer tie rod end from the knuckle, loosen the jam nut the turn the outer tie rod end.

I knew it looked too easy! Thanks

 

[PWillette]

I knew it looked too easy! Thanks

Lol, that's why I suggested the steering shaft u-joint method. The tie rod method really isn't that bad, just a bit more involved. Be a good learning experience in case you snap a tie rod on the trail.

 

[GI_Jo_Nathan]

Yeah I've had the same thing happen recently. Took it to a new place for an alignment because the old place gave me grief all of a sudden. Steering wheel was just the slightest bit to the left afterwards even though the Bronco drove perfectly straight. Took it back a few days later for them to fix it. They even came and got me and had me climb up a ladder into the Bronco to put the wheel where it's "straight to me"..
However when I left it was basically exactly the same. Didn't have time to take it back before my trip. Drove 3900 miles round trip to Moab with no issues other than a slightly crooked steering wheel. I realized if I'm not looking down at the steering wheel I have no issues with how it drives.

 

[Ducati1098]

You shouldn’t need to disconnect it from the knuckle at all to make a simple adjustment. Just loosen the jam nut and turn the inner tie rod.

I would just bring it back to the alignment shop, you may end up getting the steering wheel straight, but without an alignment machine you could easily over or incorrectly adjust it and then your toe will just be off again.

 

[PWillette]

You shouldn’t need to disconnect it from the knuckle at all to make a simple adjustment. Just loosen the jam nut and turn the inner tie rod.

I would just bring it back to the alignment shop, you may end up getting the steering wheel straight, but without an alignment machine you could easily over or incorrectly adjust it and then your toe will just be off again.

Isn't the inner fixed attached to the rack

 

[SierraBronco]

Isn't the inner fixed attached to the rack

Yes but it spins in the ball joint. Only need to loosen the jam nut as @Ducati1098 said

 

[psdtime]

You shouldn’t need to disconnect it from the knuckle at all to make a simple adjustment. Just loosen the jam nut and turn the inner tie rod.

I would just bring it back to the alignment shop, you may end up getting the steering wheel straight, but without an alignment machine you could easily over or incorrectly adjust it and then your toe will just be off again.

My hesitation to bring it back to them is that's a 3 hour round trip. If I could fix it in a couple of minutes, seems like it would be worth it to try. Couldn't I just mark it well, turn each like an 1/8 of a turn an see if it helped or made it worse? If it made it worse, return it back to where I had it or slightly past? If my wheel is turning slightly passenger, shouldn't turning the both wheels slightly driver fix it?

 

[SierraBronco]

Couldn't I just mark it well, turn each like an 1/8 of a turn an see if it helped or made it worse?

When you loosen the jam nuts then turn the inner portion of the tierod, it will turn the steering wheel. I did this exact method recently in the same scenario with wifey and I turning the tierod inners at the same time. Just make sure you get your directions correct! You’ll feel it if you have one going backwards as all the weight on the tire is going to resist any movement. The rack bar is easy to move.

 

[psdtime]

When you loosen the jam nuts then turn the inner portion of the tierod, it will turn the steering wheel. I did this exact method recently in the same scenario with wifey and I turning the tierod inners at the same time. Just make sure you get your directions correct! You’ll feel it if you have one going backwards as all the weight on the tire is going to resist any movement. The rack bar is easy to move.

Do you know if I'll be turning both the same direction or if it will be opposing? Meaning push the wrench down on one side and up on the other (opposing) or both down or up?

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