Can anyone explain how this is done? My steering wheel seems a little off center (enough to annoy the heck out of me).

Front end alignment.

Remove steering wheel and re-position on shaft. Guessing this is done by removing cover off of airbag. IF you try this, disconect battery. If you jar the airbag, it could go off. Nut for wheel (I would think) is under the air bag.

NOTE - I have not done anything like this. Just sounds like a common sense thing to do...

Mine is off kilter as well. I was just wondering the same thing today. HMMMMMM! I dont know what to do either.
Ben

The only right way is to have the alignment set correctly. The tie rods have to be adjusted while on the alignment rack to get it centered. You can not take the steering wheel off and move it, it only goes on one way.

Mine is off a little also. The tire shop that I had install my tires said that it is somthing you will have to deal with. I called bs, but it is not that bad.
I was wondering if you just lifted the front end to take the stress of the tie rods and just equally turned the tie rod bolts, that this would center things out and not have to worry about getting it realigned?
This I would think would be the easiest way to deal with this but this is way down on the list of things to do.

Has nothing to do with the steering wheel. Shaft is one-way splined so you cannot move the wheel on the shaft. The steering wheel is straightened by adjusting the tie-rods the same way (left wheel out/right wheel in) If the steering wheel is off to the left, you point the wheels farther to the left, so that the steering wheel is now centered when the wheels point straight ahead. Just be sure to move them the same amount on both sides. It sound complicated, but is real easy. 1)Loosen Lock nut on both sides with 7/8 or 22mm wrench. 2) Adjust toe in/out using 13mm wrench, same amount on each side. I like to go in 1/4 turn increments, per side. Just make sure you are adjusting them to move the wheels in the SAME DIRECTION. If you start with the 13mm wrench pointing up, and pull DOWN 1/4 turn, you will start with the 13mm pointing up and pull DOWN 1/4 turn on the other side. If you are looking towards the rear of the vehicle, you will pull the 13mm wrench DOWN on both sides to move the steering wheel from right to left. You will lift the 13mm wrench UP on both sides to move the steering wheel from left to right. Does this make sense? Did I just make something easy sound complicated? I don't know? But it is pretty easy, especially on our trucks. Oh yeah, don't forget to tighten the lock nut.

Max,

Thanks for the explanation. This sounds pretty straight forward.

If I turn each side the same amount you think my alignment will be OK? Just wondering because I don't know how touchy those settings are.

Thanks.

A crooked steering wheel is the sign of a poor alignment. I use Max Paynes method often for crooked wheels with no tire wear. You have to be very carefull to do it the right way. 1/4 turn the wrong way with throw off the toe and your tires will start to wear.

Sounds good.

Do I need to have my wheels off the ground to do this or can it be done without jacking the front end up?

Also, after reading Max's post, I am a little confused as what DOWN means?

When you say rotate the wrench DOWN, is that down to the left or to the right? Because one way would be clockwise and the other would be counter-clockwise, but both are down.

Sorry for the confusion.

Max is pretty close. I used to do front end work and did a lot of trucks out on he shop floor without the front end machine. I will give you my version.

1. Park the truck on a flat surface.
2. With the engine running turn the wheel left & right a little to make sure you have it centered the way you want it.
3. Slide under the truck and sight down the inside edges of both front tires. You will be able to see more of one rear tire than the other. That is the side toed in too much.
3. Both tie rod adjusters are right handed thread so you will be screwing one in and one out.
4. You have a 50-50 chance of getting it right the first time if you remember to turn both adjusters the same. It is easy to go back the other way.
5. If it is an inch or more off I would start with a full turn. Drive it and readjust as needed. Later! Frank

Tell me if I have this right....

To move both wheels in the same direction, I need to screw one in and the other out. Right?

Right!

Guys at work always laugh at me because I have this ritual at work everytime I do an alignment. If, after the road test, I pull back on the rack because the steering wheel is off centered (bugs me bad) I stand in front of the vehicle with my back to it, hold my arms out in front of me, point them both the direction of the way the steering wheel was facing on the road test (to prevent confusion, I write "L" or "R" on my hand during the road test) Then I pretend like I am holding a steering wheel and rotate my hands back to center. I look like I am working on an aircraft carrier when I do it, but it reminds me which way to adjust the wheels so I don't have to do it twice. After several alignments in a day, they all start to melt together, ya know?

I had an interesting thing happen with my '00 crew cab, which I traded for my Dmax. When I put snow tires on the back, the steering wheel was crooked when going down the interstate. In the spring, when the snows came off, the wheel was straight again. Never did figure that out. Haven't put the snows on the Dmax yet, it'll be interesting to see if it does it too.

I took mine in this AM and told them. They fixed for free since they are the ones that did my alignment and replaced the idler arm. Fixed the problem.
Ben

save the aggrevation and just pay the 40-50 bucks for a FEA. You might need it anyways..

Max... I think I seen you today..holding your hands out directing air traffic... I was the guy to the left that couldnt figure out which way to turn the bluudy nut cause i was facing the wrong way ( and it was before coffee)

It is a good idea to at least have the alignment checked once a year, if you get it back and the steering wheel is crooked take it back and have it corrected. You paid for it, get your moneys worth. I dont know about everyone else, but tires cost too much to not have it right 1/16" will wear your tires. Its worth the cost of alignment.

Some shops do life time alignments for some extra cash. It was offered for $115 to me at Firestone dealer when I got my bridgestone Revos on my Jeep this weekend. If you are going to get it done annually and are keeping the truck for a long time, might want to consider this as an option. The Lifetime deal is supported by all the shops nationally. By the way, got a great deal on the Revos from them, buy 3 get one free. With tax, installation, road hazard etc it was about the same price as if I bought them at the tirerack.com (maybe $15 higher) and they had the tires instock.

What gets me is that our local tire dealer, Les Schwab, doesn't road test cars after an alignment. How do you know if it will be straight? Not to mention, 90% ot the tires they sell cause a radial pull, I guess they go by the "see no evil, hear no evil" approach. They also tell people that the steering wheel off center is a problem with the vehicle and should be covered by warranty...

Max Payne,
When I got my truck it had a tendency to pull to the left a bit. I went to the dealer after a couple thousand miles and told them. When I got it back the wheel was slightly turned to the left and my truck still pulled the same amount. The next time I went to the dealer I told them about the steeringwheel and the tech came out and said "You told me the truck pulled to the left and I fixed it" that was basically it. I told him the truck still pulled and he said "must be the road you're on" I guess he was having a bad day so I don't let him work on my truck anymore. I have never had my alignment rechecked after that, figured it was ok. Am I wrong in thinking this? One other thing, and this may be common, but since I'm talking to someone who does alot of alignments, my front tires feather only on the inside, they always have. I rotate and the rears end up with the same. What gives? Thanks

LA DMAX

When both front tires feather on the inside edge, the tires are towed out, meaning that it is the opposite of being pigeon towed. This grinds off the inside edge as they scuff along. This is unlikely related to your pulling problem. If you have the pull even after rotating the tires, the camber is likely out of adjustment. It is interesting that 85% of tire wear is caused by toe in/out, but when toe is off a little you can't tell by driving it. However, camber causes hardly any wear no matter how bad it is, but can make them drive terrible. Time for a thorough alignment, by someone who knows what they are doing, and cares about doing a good job. It should go down the road straight as an arrow and the steering wheel should be straight. Another thing that you have no control over is the condition of the alignment machine. I used to repair aligners, and the machine can be out of calibration and give lousy results. You can actually check the toe yourself by jacking up each front wheel, spinning the wheel while holding a pencil up to the center of the tread to make a line all the way around. Do one wheel with the jack near the wheel, then move to the other. Set it back down, then take a tape measure and measure from one line to the other, up halfway on the tire. This should be about level with the axle. (Wheels straight ahead). Measure the front, then measure the back. The front should be about 1/32" closer. If it needs adjusted, you have to loosen the adjusting sleeves on the tie rods, and turn accordingly. My guess is that your front number will be larger than the back. The pulling problem needs done with an aligner, so just get it all done at the same time.

I think yo mean CASTER. Camber can cause a pull if it is negative on one side and positive on the other, like this " / / " but will not cause a pull if it is like this, " / \ " or this " \ / " However anything over say half a degree + or -, and it will wear tires. Caster can be way out, and not wear tires, but is usually the cause of a pull. A vehicle will always lead to the side with the least positive caster, that is why it is a good idea to leave the left side caster lower than the right, to compensate for road crown.When both front tires feather on the inside edge, the tires are towed out, meaning that it is the opposite of being pigeon towed. This grinds off the inside edge as they scuff along. This is unlikely related to your pulling problem. If you have the pull even after rotating the tires, the camber is likely out of adjustment. It is interesting that 85% of tire wear is caused by toe in/out, but when toe is off a little you can't tell by driving it. However, camber causes hardly any wear no matter how bad it is, but can make them drive terrible. Time for a thorough alignment, by someone who knows what they are doing, and cares about doing a good job. It should go down the road straight as an arrow and the steering wheel should be straight. Another thing that you have no control over is the condition of the alignment machine. I used to repair aligners, and the machine can be out of calibration and give lousy results. You can actually check the toe yourself by jacking up each front wheel, spinning the wheel while holding a pencil up to the center of the tread to make a line all the way around. Do one wheel with the jack near the wheel, then move to the other. Set it back down, then take a tape measure and measure from one line to the other, up halfway on the tire. This should be about level with the axle. (Wheels straight ahead). Measure the front, then measure the back. The front should be about 1/32" closer. If it needs adjusted, you have to loosen the adjusting sleeves on the tie rods, and turn accordingly. My guess is that your front number will be larger than the back. The pulling problem needs done with an aligner, so just get it all done at the same time.

Do you have a copy of the alignment sheet that they gave you when you had it done? I would be interested to see the numbers. Try cross rotating your front tires and see if the pull goes the other way or changes any.Max Payne,
When I got my truck it had a tendency to pull to the left a bit. I went to the dealer after a couple thousand miles and told them. When I got it back the wheel was slightly turned to the left and my truck still pulled the same amount. The next time I went to the dealer I told them about the steeringwheel and the tech came out and said "You told me the truck pulled to the left and I fixed it" that was basically it. I told him the truck still pulled and he said "must be the road you're on" I guess he was having a bad day so I don't let him work on my truck anymore. I have never had my alignment rechecked after that, figured it was ok. Am I wrong in thinking this? One other thing, and this may be common, but since I'm talking to someone who does alot of alignments, my front tires feather only on the inside, they always have. I rotate and the rears end up with the same. What gives? Thanks

LA DMAX

Max, no sheet of numbers from the dealer. I believe it was just on the writeup sheet that was given as a receipt from service writer that said check/adjust alignment or something like that. Guess I got taken on that one. Thanks for all the info Max and Marc, I'll need to stop by a shop soon. Laters

LA DMAX

Max and LA Dmax, sorry for my misinformation. I can't believe I wrote all that and didn't realize I was using the word camber instead of caster. Believe it or not, I know what they are and it must have been a brain cramp.

This is the second truck I've had (an 02' and now the 04') that came this way from the factory. Both trucks went back to the dealer to have it corrected and both times they didn't change a thing. The last time I watched the mechanic "struggle" for 2.5 hours trying to align the truck. He was a moron though. Im getting new rubber in the spring and will pay the tire center to do it right.

Alignment and front end repair is a specialized craft. Most dealerships will not have a Tech good at it. Every town will have a shop with a good rep. Ask around. It is easy to tell whether they adjusted the caster or camber. There are plastic inserts in the adjusting eccentric groves. They have to pryed out before the eccentrics will turn. Later! Frank