steering wheel help

[lancejlove]

I recently had work done to my car and the guy did pretty good work for a very reasonable price. The only problem now is my steering wheel is pointed to the left but my wheels are straight. I tried removing the steering linkage and twisting the steering wheel and wheels themselves(car is jacked up) but I still end up getting the same combination of the wheels pointing straight but the steering wheel to the left. I took the car back to the shop but the guy that worked on it was about to try to fix it but one of his bosses came by and saw that the car is slightly out of alignment. I never would have known because the car drive fine before. Anyways that being said his boss would have to make him charge me for shop time to fix my car even though it's mainly his fault it's messed up. I was wondering was there anything else I could try to adjust to fix the crazy steering wheel. He had to remove the linkage or one of the bolts when he worked on my car I just can't seem to figure out how to straighten it.

[dmjarosz]

There's nothing you can do. The car needs to be re-aligned. That shop should not be charging you to fix it since they did it improperly in the first place.

[lancejlove]

I don't understand why there isn't anything I can do to fix the steering wheel issue if all he did was unbolt the steering linkage.

[MOTOWN]

I don't understand why there isn't anything I can do to fix the steering wheel issue if all he did was unbolt the steering linkage.

Because its an alignment issue.

[lancejlove]

So it's an alignment issue even if nothing was wrong with the steering wheel before he unbolted the steering shaft? I just never heard of a car overnight coming out of alignment. I thought it was something gradual


Because its an alignment issue.

[fastblackmerc]

If the guy disconnected the steering shaft then the shop needs to fix it. It's not an alignment issue if no alignment was done.

[lancejlove]

Yea that's what I was saying I don't think it would be an alignment issue since the only that was touched was the steering shaft



If the guy disconnected the steering shaft then the shop needs to fix it. It's not an alignment issue if no alignment was done.

[Krytin]

Did he unbolt the shaft (and why?) or did he unbolt the steering linkage - tie rod end(s)?

If he worked on the tie rod ends then he put the car out of alignment and got the steering wheel off to one side - common problem when changing tie rods.

I'm trying to understand how you can unbolt the shaft between the steering wheel and the steering rack and put it back together w/the steering wheel off. What ever got unbolted on the shaft should only have gone back on the same way it came off.

[lancejlove]

The guy told me he had to drop the steering shaft to get my headers to fit and that's all he removed



Did he unbolt the shaft (and why?) or did he unbolt the steering linkage - tie rod end(s)?

If he worked on the tie rod ends then he put the car out of alignment and got the steering wheel off to one side - common problem when changing tie rods.

I'm trying to understand how you can unbolt the shaft between the steering wheel and the steering rack and put it back together w/the steering wheel off. What ever got unbolted on the shaft should only have gone back on the same way it came off.

[Krytin]

Then he has to make it right - regardless of the alignment specs!

Ask him where he unbolted it - you might be able to try if you knew where he broke the connection.

[GreekGod]

I would take it to a reliable shop, and never let those idiots touch your car again! And then file a complaint with whoever in your state licenses them (after a reliable shop corrects the screw-up).

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