I have a 93 LX 5.0. The steering wheel is slightly off center. The tie rods were replaced about 1,000 miles ago, along with an alignment. (The problem existed before the installation of the tie rods.) The wheel seemed back on center on the drive home, but is now off to the right again. I've aligned it twice now with the same results. Any advice/input is greatly appreciated.
Steering Wheel Alignment
- Thread starter CW1343
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Can you post a picture of where the steering wheel is when you're driving in relation to being centered, or, in relation to a clock (like it's at the 1 o'clock position)?
This should be fairly easy to explain if I can see a reference point. And the best part is you can do this yourself without paying for another alignment.
This should be fairly easy to explain if I can see a reference point. And the best part is you can do this yourself without paying for another alignment.
Okay, thanks for the picture that helps alot. Now on to fixing this concern.
Start by turning the steering wheel all the way to the right. Now you will be able to see the right side outer tie rod end with the jam nut and threads. Loosen the jam nut, when you do this the tie rod will rotate up slightly until it stops. Now mark the threaded shaft with sharpie or crayon so you have a point of reference. Move the loosened tie rod end at the spindle down till it stops, now start by threading the outer threaded shaft down one-quarter turn then tighten the jam nut.
Now move to the left side and turn the steering wheel all the way to the left. Because you're loosening the left side jam nut the outer assembly will move down. Make the outer tie rod end for reference and thread it down one-quarter of a turn, then tighten the jam nut and take it for a drive. The steering wheel shoud have moved to the left and be centered.
When you moved both tie rod ends down one-quarter turn you subtracted toe from one side and added an equal amout to the other side so the toe will not change but the position of the steering wheel will. Btw, this is in the Ford service manual, and I was a Ford tech that did alignments among other things.
Hope this helps, and let me know how it turned out. You may have to fine tune it to get it exact but now you have a starting point.
Start by turning the steering wheel all the way to the right. Now you will be able to see the right side outer tie rod end with the jam nut and threads. Loosen the jam nut, when you do this the tie rod will rotate up slightly until it stops. Now mark the threaded shaft with sharpie or crayon so you have a point of reference. Move the loosened tie rod end at the spindle down till it stops, now start by threading the outer threaded shaft down one-quarter turn then tighten the jam nut.
Now move to the left side and turn the steering wheel all the way to the left. Because you're loosening the left side jam nut the outer assembly will move down. Make the outer tie rod end for reference and thread it down one-quarter of a turn, then tighten the jam nut and take it for a drive. The steering wheel shoud have moved to the left and be centered.
When you moved both tie rod ends down one-quarter turn you subtracted toe from one side and added an equal amout to the other side so the toe will not change but the position of the steering wheel will. Btw, this is in the Ford service manual, and I was a Ford tech that did alignments among other things.
Hope this helps, and let me know how it turned out. You may have to fine tune it to get it exact but now you have a starting point.
A corretion needs to be made in my instructions. I was thinking of a front wheel drive vehicle when I told you to reposition the tie rod end down on the right after you loosened the jam nut and the left side would move down when you performed the same procedure (loosening the jam nut), it's just the opposite, the right will move down when loosening the nut and the left will move up and have to be moved down after the jam nut is loosened.
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