Went rallying, need alignment help with steering wheel

[synolimit]

So after my off road fun my steering wheel is turned slightly right but I drive straight as my tire hit something when I went into the grass. When I got home I jacked the car up to check the passenger front wheel and tire. All looks good. I spun and spun and spun the wheel and checked with my eyes and finger slightly pressed on the wheel for any deformation and I don't see or feel any so that's good! Wheel and tire also show no damage at all.

I also checked the bow in the tie rod end and each side are even.

So then I put the car on ramps and ran a string down the center line of the car underneath. I measured the front of the wheels to center line and the rears to center line and here's what I got...

Drivers front to center- 28.531"
Passenger front to center- 28.469"
Total 57.00"

Drivers rear to center- 28.469"
Passenger rear to center- 28.469"
Total 56.938"

Based on my last alignment I'm still slightly toed out at 0.062". But that's odd because 0.062" is also the difference of the fronts to center yet the rears are identical.

1. I'm not sure how the fronts can be off yet the rears be the same to center.

2. I checked all this with my steering wheel perfectly straight, yet when I drove home it was cocked sideways maybe 30 degrees. So I'm not sure how underneath can be what it is but my wheels off. I can get an alignment check I guess and I know you can't just pull the steering wheel and rotate it so it's centered.

[kenchan]

[karotZ]

OP, are running an aftermarket steering wheel? Anyway, 2 ways to fix it is either to remove your steering wheel (aftermarket or OEM) and then re-install it by centering it. Otherwise you will need it professionally adjusted if that doesn't work based on your explanation. Just an advise, do not step/press on your brake pedal while removing the airbag.

[Chuck33079]

Originally Posted by karotZ

OP, are running an aftermarket steering wheel? Anyway, 2 ways to fix it is either to remove your steering wheel (aftermarket or OEM) and then re-install it by centering it. Otherwise you will need it professionally adjusted if that doesn't work based on your explanation. Just an advise, do not step/press on your brake pedal while removing the airbag.

If he hit something off-road and now the steering wheel's 30 degrees off center, isn't adjusting the steering wheel itself the wrong thing to do?

[karotZ]

Originally Posted by Chuck33079

If he hit something off-road and now the steering wheel's 30 degrees off center, isn't adjusting the steering wheel itself the wrong thing to do?

It is possibly the wrong thing, but considering that if OP actually did check his toe, camber, arms and tie rods, it is possible that what happened to him is like mine which misaligned the steering rod (i forgot what it was exactly called) due to massive counter-steer when I hit something on the road. Had nissan and several shops took a look it, wherein everything was in spec, the fix was either re-align the steering rod, or pop the steering wheel off and then re-centering it. When I did mine, I just decided to put a momo steering wheel instead back then. I think the best way is to have it professionally put back.

[Chuck33079]

Originally Posted by karotZ

It is possibly the wrong thing, but considering that if OP actually did check his toe, camber, arms and tie rods, it is possible that what happened to him is like mine which misaligned the steering rod (i forgot what it was exactly called) due to massive counter-steer when I hit something on the road. Had nissan and several shops took a look it, wherein everything was in spec, the fix was either re-align the steering rod, or pop the steering wheel off and then re-centering it. When I did mine, I just decided to put a momo steering wheel instead back then. I think the best way is to have it professionally put back.

Very possible. I've never taken my Z off road, but I would think an impact sufficient to misalign the steering rod would have damaged some other stuff, right? You didn't see any damage to anything but the steering rod?

[karotZ]

Originally Posted by Chuck33079

Very possible. I've never taken my Z off road, but I would think an impact sufficient to misalign the steering rod would have damaged some other stuff, right? You didn't see any damage to anything but the steering rod?

I know right?! No damage even on the steering rod, I had all the shops scratching their heads and asked if Hulk drove it like he stole it.
But seriously, zero issues, but I no longer have an airbag. Love my Nardi!

[Chuck33079]

Originally Posted by karotZ

I know right?! No damage even on the steering rod, I had all the shops scratching their heads and asked if Hulk drove it like he stole it.
But seriously, zero issues, but I no longer have an airbag. Love my Nardi!

I'll go to my grave not understanding how a hit like that would not mess up everything else in the suspension near it.

[kenchan]

Originally Posted by karotZ

OP, are running an aftermarket steering wheel? Anyway, 2 ways to fix it is either to remove your steering wheel (aftermarket or OEM) and then re-install it by centering it. Otherwise you will need it professionally adjusted if that doesn't work based on your explanation. Just an advise, do not step/press on your brake pedal while removing the airbag.

if the aftermarket hub jumped the splines, he's going to need a new hub...or worse

[synolimit]

Originally Posted by karotZ

OP, are running an aftermarket steering wheel? Anyway, 2 ways to fix it is either to remove your steering wheel (aftermarket or OEM) and then re-install it by centering it. Otherwise you will need it professionally adjusted if that doesn't work based on your explanation. Just an advise, do not step/press on your brake pedal while removing the airbag.

No still factory. But if I do that won't I throw a bunch of lights? I know people have complained about not getting the steering shaft back on perfect when they took it off so they could do headers. Is the wheel not the same as the shaft down below? What do you mean by professional adjusted?

[synolimit]

Originally Posted by Chuck33079

If he hit something off-road and now the steering wheel's 30 degrees off center, isn't adjusting the steering wheel itself the wrong thing to do?

I drifted a corner (not on purpose, cold tires), over corrected real fast with the wheel, the car snapped back very very fast, and I went off road. There was a ditch then berm so I just implied that's what I hit. The tire did have some mud on it and some was impacted into the gap in the wheel and rim area. So I assume that's what did the steering wheel in. But everything below again seems perfect.

[SouthArk370Z]

First thing I'd do is get someone to check out the steering system to make sure you didn't do any damage - I agree with Chuck33079 that a hit hard enough to change the steering wheel position could have caused some damage. If everything checks out OK, the FSM has procedures for adjusting steering wheel position.

[Chuck33079]

I'm at a loss. If everything under the car is in spec, I don't know how the wheel would be cockeyed.

[synolimit]

Originally Posted by karotZ

It is possibly the wrong thing, but considering that if OP actually did check his toe, camber, arms and tie rods, it is possible that what happened to him is like mine which misaligned the steering rod (i forgot what it was exactly called) due to massive counter-steer when I hit something on the road. Had nissan and several shops took a look it, wherein everything was in spec, the fix was either re-align the steering rod, or pop the steering wheel off and then re-centering it. When I did mine, I just decided to put a momo steering wheel instead back then. I think the best way is to have it professionally put back.

You're talking about a bent rod from the wheel down to the power steering rack? That could be maybe.

[synolimit]

Originally Posted by Chuck33079

I'll go to my grave not understanding how a hit like that would not mess up everything else in the suspension near it.

Only thing I could find off is the sway bar but it was untouched do to seeing mud hits. If I measure the tip of the end of the sway bar to the lower control arm, drivers is like 0.98" and passenger is like 1.06". But that'd mean the huge whole lower arm is bent which I doubt, or that just the sway bar wasn't cut perfectly at the ends.