Having good control over your vehicle is important because it helps you to keep your
wheels aligned. This also ensures safety when driving on road. But sometimes your car
moves in the wrong direction even after turning the steering wheel. Well, this happens
because of a misaligned or off-centered steering wheel.
If you are facing such an issue with your car, you should better fix your steering wheel.
Every vehicle, small or big should have a stable steering wheel. Having a shaky steering
wheel not only makes driving difficult but also make things risky. If you are wondering
how to straighten a steering wheel, you are in the right place. In this post, we will share
the steps that will help you fix the problem.
6 Steps To Straighten a Steering Wheel
If you are finding it difficult to keep your car between the lines, you have a misaligned
steering wheel. The good news is you don’t need a mechanic to fix it. You can do it all by
yourself by just following the steps given below.
Step 1: Prep your vehicle
Before you start with the repair make sure you park your car in a safe place. Lift your
car using jack stands, so that you can get underneath it.
Step 2: Loosen the tie rod nuts inside
For this, you need to slide under your car and find the tie rod nuts. Make sure you wear
protective gear to keep yourself from grime. Take a wrench and loosen the nuts present
on both sides of the car.
You should start on the passenger side. Loosen the nuts, so that you can move them
with your hand. Repeat the same thing on the other side of your vehicle.
Step 3: Straighten the steering wheel
Now it’s time to straighten the steering wheel. To do this, you need to get inside your
car and turn the steering wheel until it is centered. While doing this make sure you don’t
touch the wheels.
You need to make the required adjustments to the tie rods so that the steering wheel is
centered.
Step 4: Check the alignment of wheels
Next, you need to check the alignment of the wheels. Take a piece of string which should
be of the same length as your car. Tie both the ends to a heavy object and make it run
parallel to the center of your wheels. Now take a ruler or measuring tape and measure the rear and front side of the rim to
check whether there is a difference in the distance to the string. This will let you know
whether the wheels and the string are parallel or not.
You need to do the same thing on the front wheels as well. If you notice any difference,
you need to adjust the tie rods again.
Step 5: Adjusting the tie rod
Loosen the nuts of the tie rod and turn it about half a turn. Measure both sides to check
whether you are getting the same result on both sides.
Step 6: Tighten the lock nut
Once you are done tighten the lock nut and make sure that your wheels are not moving.
Now that you have done straightening your steering wheel, it’s time for you to take your
vehicle on a test drive. While driving your car pay close attention to all the details. Make
sure you are driving on a flat and straight road.
Straightening the steering wheel of a vehicle is an easy thing to do. If you know the right
steps, you can do it on your own. But for those who are not confident, they should take
their car to a mechanic.