FRONT END PROBLEMS....STEERING WHEEL WON'T CENTER

surfbug1 · Post by **surfbug1** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 6:55 pm

Hi,

I took the 71 super surfbug in to get the front end aligned.

I told them to center the steering wheel.

They said that they cant, because the pass tie rod was at the end of its adjustment.

They said to take off the steering wheel, and move it the required amount, and place it back on.

Will this cause any problems with the steering wheel/turn signal assembly?

And, can't the mechanic ajdust the tie rod so that the adjustment is in the "middle"

Thanks for the help, and have you guys ran across this kind thing before with alignment shops?

thanks,

big al

bhowden · Post by **bhowden** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 9:23 pm

Assuming nothing is bent, they should be able to (roughly) center the two tie rods and then set the toe in and then center the steering wheel using the splines (which won't cause any issues) and finally if they are really picky, center the wheel the last bit by adjusting both tie rods together to get it exactly straight if straight is not right on one of the spline positions. If one tie rod is at the end of its adjustement, something might be a bit bent.

Brian

Bruce2 · Post by **Bruce2** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 11:43 pm

If one tie rod is at the end of it's adjustment, that means your steering box is way off. The cause was most likely due to someone in the past re-positioning the steering wheel incorrectly in the past.

IMO the best thing you can do is tear the whole thing apart and set-up things according to the manual.
You first start by setting the steering box in the center of it's travel, then set the steering wheel straight. Check the swing of the passenger side idler to ensure it is in the center of it's travel. Then adjust each tie rod so that each front wheel appears to be pointing straight. After all this, there should be only small adjustments to get the toe correct.