I just took my 91se in to get two new front tires and an alignment. My car is not lowered (yet), and I am still running stock wheels. Of course I had the all too common inner tire wear, but unlike most, my camber was dead on fact. specs., my toe was way off though. The thing that bothers me is that my steering wheel is still crooked by 10-15 degrees or so (guestimate) Isn't an alignment supposed to fix that or do I have another problem.
Thanks,
Tony

 

Yup, alignment should fix that. Just go back to the place where you get alignment from, and ask them to fix it! They just didn't bother to do that the first time.

 

if the car drives str8 then the alignment is correct, they just didnt bither to centyer the wheel before setting the toe. you can either remove the wheel and straighten it, or correctthe wheel and reset the toe. if you take it back make sure they reset the toe, as its the proper way to do it

 

Was on time for my appointment, then my wife and I waited 2 1/2 hours for 2 tires and an alignment and they screwed it up to boot. I should take my wife back there and say "sick 'em honey" they'll be sorry they messed it up!

 

mine is still crooked once in a while, but straightens up after a full turn or sumpth like that. i attributed that to my needing a lower control arm bushing or sumpth along those lines.

 

You ought to take your car back to that shop and insist they do it correctly this time (for no charge!), but in the future avoid that establishment like plague! It's obvious what they think of their customer...

 

setting the wheel is part of the alignment...if it's not straight then the alignment is NOT correct. DO NOT WHAT SO EVER IN ANY WAY remove the steering wheel to "set" the alignment.

 

i wasnt saying he should do that, but theoretically speaking if the toe is set correctly and the wheel is slightly off, it is an option. if you paid for a service and it was performed incorrectly have them rectify the problem, and i did say to make sure he resets the toe, not just realign the wheel.

 

no matter how slight the toe is...you do not disconnect the steering wheel to reset any alignment problem.

 

i didnt say that. i said if the toe, camber caster sai are correct and the wheel is slightly off, an option is to remove the wheel and set it straight. if the toe is off the car will pull, so what will it matter if the wheel is straight.

 

Well rather than telling you guys a long boring I'll fill you in on whats been happening short and sweet like.
Ok, to start things off my wife and I are TRYING like hell to sell our house, and 2 weeks before our conservatively set moving date (to another state no less,) and the deal goes sour. STRESS! BIG TIME!! And who's stessing the most, my wife of course. Well after being PO'd about the crappy service at the tire place I call and tell her about the steering wheel thing, woops, should have kept that to myself. They made her furious during one of the most stressful times in our lives, I ALMOST feel sorry for them, ALMOST. We'll see how much doo-doo hits the fan tomorrow, rest asured that the problem will get fixed right this time. Knowing the wrath of a woman scorned, she will probably get more out of them than just the alignment fixed!!! Sick 'em honey, sick 'em!
Let you know what happens (this could get funny)
Tony

 

When you are holding the wheel straight on a flat road is the wheel straight? I hate it when customers come back to me and say 'when i let go of the steering wheel it goes slightly to the right after about 1/8 mile.' Thats all due to road crown which 90% of all roads have, then i tell them thats what they put the steering wheel there for you to hold on to it. If your car goes straight when the wheel is crooked then the alignment is fine but your steer-ahead is off. If this is the case and you don't feel like going back to the shop live with it. The true purpose of an alignment is to prevent impropper tire wear but to most people its getting the wheel straight. If I were you i'd take it back ASAP since part of the alignment is setting the wheel straight, but it is possible to have a propper alignment with a crooked wheel.

 

then why can't you just set the steering wheel and set the toe correctly?
if it's equally 3 degress off but drives straight (driverside) then set both of them equally 3 degrees the other way to align the wheel..(pass side).
so NO the option should not be to remove the steering wheel unless it's been serviced (steering column/rack and pinon) and the person who installed it did it incorrectly.

and to your statement u did say it..and you're saying it now in this post to remove the steering wheel. what i'm saying is NOT to remove the steering wheel and get it set correctly...also removal is not an option.

 

have you ever changed your steering wheel? you can put the wheel upside down for all that matters as long as the toe is correct the car will drive str8. i agree that the tyech fu(ked up, but there are options.

 

yes u CAN put it wherever u want...but what i'm saying is that fix the root of the problem..(set the tie rods right) instead of pulling the steering wheel to fix it.

 

ok