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      09-24-2012, 10:23 PM   #1
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DIY: Centering the steering wheel after getting an alignment easily!

DIY: How to Center Your Crooked Steering Wheel After Getting a Four Wheel Alignment

Disclaimer: I make no warranties or guarantees to anything I suggest or recommend here. You shall perform all the activities I describe below to your own will and observe common sense. If you don't know what your doing, please have someone who is mechanically inclined perform this for you.

The Rundown (My Story)

I recently got an alignment done at a reputable independent shop after Sears Auto botched an alignment job for me. Anyways, long story short, the other independent shop did an awesome job. However, I always feel that all the alignment shops never always "perfectly" aligned that steering wheel at what I feel is the true center! I'm sure many of you feel this way. The reason is because they don't really test the car at highway speeds to accurately spend the time to tweak and tune it. The adjustments are so minute that it isn't worth their time to fine-tune it for you, because there's another customer waiting.

At the same time, I also don't feel like spending $300-400 at the dealership for an alignment. So, here's an easy way to center your steering wheel WITHOUT having to bother your alignment mechanic every day to get it right.

Remember, everybody has their own feeling of what their "centerness" is. So today, we're going to get you that "centerness" you deserve!

The Science: Total Toe
I won't go into detail about alignment and toe, you need to read this online. Basically, the problem is that when the alignment shop aligns your car, they center your steering wheel. The centerness of your steering wheel represents the "reference" for the alignment computer when it makes its adjustments. If the shop puts the top of your steering wheel at 10 o clock, and aligns your car, you will then drive the car straight while your steering wheel is at 10 o clock. Yet, all your front toe settings will be correct. Why is this??

This is because, the alignment system doesn't really give a damn where the steering wheel is. It can be slightly crooked for all it cares. It is trying to center the car for you mechanically at the position of where the steering wheel is.

So here's what my settings were when I got my alignment:

Left Front Toe: 0.12 degrees
Right Front Toe: 0.12 degrees
Total Toe: 0.24 degrees

Okay, the key here to remember is total toe. Total toe is the sum of the left and right toe. What we want to do here today, is to MODIFY the total left and right toe, BUT keep the total toe the same. This ensures that we didn't change the actual alignment specifications, only the "reference" the steering wheel's offset is in relation to the left and right toe.

Okay, that probably doesn't make sense. So let me do the math for you.


If the car is supposed to go 100% straight at 0.12 degrees left / right toe, then you shall hold the steering wheel straight. But for me, I have to steer a bit left to get the car to go straight. So when I steer the car left a bit, the left and right toe changes, but the total toe does not. So when I hold the steering wheel left, the toe probably looks like this:

Left Front Toe: 0.10 degrees
Right Front Toe: 0.14 degrees
Total Toe: 0.24 degrees

Now, looky here! See what happened? When you turn your steering wheel, your toe's are changing, but the total toe still stays the same. So both the left and right front wheels turn evenly.

So what we want to do now, is to correct this offset problem. When I center my steering wheel, my toe is "realistically" like this:

Left Front Toe: 0.13 degrees
Right Front Toe: 0.11 degrees
Total Toe: 0.24 degrees

So what I need to do is to change the left and right toe the same amount, relative to where the steering wheel is now. Because I just centered my steering wheel to MY settings, the front toes are off. So we need to correct this and bring it to 0.12/0.12 for the same total toe of 0.24. Realistically, I didn't touch my alignment dynamics, just how the car tracks in relation to the steering wheel.


Step 1: Get yourself an alignment first at a good shop! Check even air pressure on both tires. When you're done, figure out whether or not the car is going to the left or right when you "center" the steering wheel to your liking.

For me, after I got the alignment done, it was nearly perfect. But after I took it on the highway at excess speeds, I noticed that I have to push my steering wheel down on the left to maintain straight line tracking. For me, my center is when I see both stalks evenly when the car is tracking straight.

Step 2: Drive the car up onto rhino ramps or race ramps

When you drive up the ramp, make sure you drive up straight! Also, do not use jack stands to jack up the car! Because the front wheels are free to move, which causes the steering wheel/rack to move since there is no friction. That is why alignment shops lock the steering wheel when they perform alignments. The plates that the wheels are on allow the wheels to move. So when they make a toe adjustment on one side, it could cause the steering rack to move, changing the toe on the other wheel. But when the car is sitting on the tires, you're not likely to accidentally screw up the other side since the car's weight is sitting on the tires. In addition, you are only doing very minute adjustments.

Step 3: Mark both front tie rods for your reference

You need to mark the tie rods for your reference for two reasons. One, in case you messed up, and you have a seizure and recover, you need to know where to move it back to and start over. Two, you need know how much you're are turning.

Step 4: Make the adjustments to the tie rods

Loosen the nut on the tie rod but do not take it out! Using an open wrench, there is a flat spot on the tie rod which allows you to turn. On the driver side, turn counter-clockwise a 1/4 turn. This will lengthen the rod, and now my toe has changed. On the passenger side, turn clockwise a 1/4 turn. This will shorten the rod. So now I have turn both tires more to the left. If you are trying to turn to the right, you must turn clockwise on the driver side, and counter-clockwise on the passenger side.

Start with a 1/4 turn. In this case, a 1/4 turn was just all I needed!

Step 5: Tighten the Lock Nut

Tighten the lock nut up and drive the car off the ramps. Go for a test drive on the freeway. If everything is now straight, perfect! If it is still not enough, go back and try another 1/8 turn or 1/4 turn. If the steering wheel is now off to the other side, you've turned too much! Go back and turn the rod backwards a bit.

Step 6: Go get a FREE alignment check at Sears Auto (5 minutes!)

Right now, Sears Auto is offering free alignment checks using the latest state of the art Hunter HawkEye 3D. You basically pull up, they put the sensors on four wheels and scan your VIN at your door. Then they select the car profile and print out the specs. Your car doesn't need to go on the lift. But do not get your alignment done at Sears Auto! They do not know WTF they are doing on BMWs!

http://www.sears.com/auto-center-raa...20000000160554

Everything looks perfect for me! I got even toe all around in the front.

So now my steering wheel is perfectly centered to my satisfaction when I'm hauling ass on the freeway and on surface streets.
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Last edited by nukezero; 09-24-2012 at 10:40 PM..
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      09-24-2012, 10:52 PM   #2
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The alignment shop should have done that for you by aligning when the steering wheel was straight. The wheel is obviously crooked in your first picture, so whoever the alignment tech was just didn't care...
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      09-24-2012, 10:59 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VTECaddict View Post
The alignment shop should have done that for you by aligning when the steering wheel was straight. The wheel is obviously crooked in your first picture, so whoever the alignment tech was just didn't care...
I've been to a lot of alignment shops and they literally set it straight or so they told me. The last one even used a water leveler on the steering wheel! That was awesome I thought, but I still found myself feeling that the steering wheel was not as straight as I had hoped.

I think it is just the small variations in the steering rack, tires, rims, and power steering that gets all added together to create a bias.
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      09-24-2012, 11:06 PM   #4
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Awesome writeup!
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      09-25-2012, 06:47 AM   #5
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This is great. Makes me feel better about my wheel also being slightly off. Maybe I will give it a try.
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      03-31-2013, 11:11 AM   #6
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Can't you just turn the left wheel out and adjust the tie rod, and then turn the right wheel out and adjust the other tie rod by the same measurement to get the same result?
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      03-31-2013, 05:41 PM   #7
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great info!
thanks!
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      03-31-2013, 05:45 PM   #8
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Thanks for the info.. Had the same problem myself but it is kinda bs you would pay for it and they fuck it up
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      01-01-2014, 08:20 AM   #9
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Could not have said it better

I thought i was the only one that noticed my steering wheel is off center.
You are correct, not many local shops specialize in aligning BMW's. Very helpful tutorial indeed, thanks for posting.
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      01-01-2014, 11:40 PM   #10
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The shop is responsible for ensuring the steering wheel is level after the alignment. Why not just take it back and ask them to fix it for you?
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      02-26-2014, 09:21 AM   #11
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thanks for this.
i have the same exact situation on my 2011 E90.
The dealer "master" mechanic and the shop forman don't see the wheel off set but to their defense they did try three times to straighten it. they just repeat how it all numbers are green, everything in spec, this is million dollar laser tool, its accurate -- just a losing battle with them.
i went to an independent guy to give him a shot, no b same BS. But i have not gone back to ask him for another try at it. i would gladly pay a skilled tech to straighten the wheel but there does not seem to many skilled techs around that are willing or capable of doing it.
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      03-04-2014, 02:40 PM   #12
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Directions were unclear. I got my dick stuck in the steering wheel!?

Just kidding. I need to do this, my steering wheel isn't straight and the car doesn't pull to either side, so my alignment is good. What size torx bit for the lock nut?

Last edited by Gizm0; 03-04-2014 at 02:50 PM..
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      03-20-2014, 11:35 AM   #13
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update. called the indie shop told them about the off set steering wheel and to my amazement they said. bring the car in and we will put the steering when where ever you want it - half sarcastically but I'' take it.
Turns out the hard part is to get the car to track straight, the easy part is to make the steering wheel centered. i think its missed because the majority of the people don't notice it. 4 different people said my steering wheel was straight, and i can tell immediately that it was slight off. bottomline - they centered it when road is flat.
steering is still a bit phucked because the first inch off the center steering left is looser than the first inch off center steering right - which is nice and tight. this was the case before he alignment so i am not blaming a crap alignment for the loose to the left
now i know why people do their own repair work.
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      05-27-2014, 03:00 PM   #14
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I just did this yesterday. Thanks for the DIY! The passenger side tie rod end was a pain in the ass to rotate, I ended up having to use a 3ft long breaker bar to make it move!
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      06-17-2014, 08:24 AM   #15
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I've been correcting slightly off center steering wheels for many years using this technique, but thanks for articulating this into an actual DIY! Many times the alignment shop can never get it spot-on perfect, no matter how many times I bring it back under their alignment warranties, which absolutes bugs the beejeezus out of my OCD complex.
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      02-24-2015, 03:42 PM   #16
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*** JUST AN UPDATE AFTER 2 YEARS ***

Lots of you have been emailing me and thanking me for doing this. I appreciate your feedback and glad to have helped everyone.

After 2 years, my front two tires are STILL good after 48k miles and I have NOT needed to adjust the toe at all! In fact, I have not gotten an alignment for over 2 years now. No problems!

Remember, each time you get an alignment, you'll probably have to do this step if you're not happy with what the shops did. But don't worry, it's real easy. The key is to make small 1/4 turn adjustments evenly on both sides until it is centered and proper.

There is no damage to turning the tie rod when the wheels are not off the ground. In fact, that's what the power steering's job is. To overcome the forces of the weight of the car and make the wheels turn. Just don't yank the tie round too hard while rotating and you'll be golden.

Remember to make EVEN adjustments, 1/4 turn or 1/2 turn on both sides. Do not MIX up the amount of turns or else you will screw up the total toe, and that is not what we want.
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      03-04-2015, 08:10 AM   #17
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How tight does the lock nut need to be when re-tightening?

is that lock nut and where you adjust the tie rod on the inner tie rod, our outer tight rod closer to wheel?
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      03-05-2015, 07:17 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Augster View Post
I've been correcting slightly off center steering wheels for many years using this technique, but thanks for articulating this into an actual DIY! Many times the alignment shop can never get it spot-on perfect, no matter how many times I bring it back under their alignment warranties, which absolutes bugs the beejeezus out of my OCD complex.
X2. Have done this many times after lifting or lowering my vehicles.
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      03-09-2015, 02:44 AM   #19
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super useful, just had my alignment done at BMW to specs. Yet, the steering wheel was off-center, had to take it back couple times to get it done right. If only I saw this earlier! Thanks
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      06-15-2015, 01:13 PM   #20
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Hi,

So, I read several DIYs and tried to shorten my passenger side rod. Here are my steps:

First, loosen the tie rod adjuster pinch bolt.
Second, grip tie rod end.
Third, turn the tie rod.

The problem is, when I was trying to turn the tie rod, it's not moving at all. I sprayed some WD-40 on it but it's still not moving. I was wondering if anyone experienced this before? Thanks for your help.
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      06-26-2015, 07:43 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sismy View Post
Hi,

So, I read several DIYs and tried to shorten my passenger side rod. Here are my steps:

First, loosen the tie rod adjuster pinch bolt.
Second, grip tie rod end.
Third, turn the tie rod.

The problem is, when I was trying to turn the tie rod, it's not moving at all. I sprayed some WD-40 on it but it's still not moving. I was wondering if anyone experienced this before? Thanks for your help.
OK I figured this out by myself. This time I didn't hold the tie rod end. I just turned the tie rod carefully and it worked!
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      06-26-2015, 07:01 PM   #22
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nukezero... where in Socal do you live ??? I'm near rancho cucamonga
can u fix mine ? I'll buy you lunch !
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