What comes first - new steering wheel or front end alignment?

[FloydPink]

Hey all,

I recently bought a momo prototipo to put on my 3.2 Carrera. My only reservation for now is that the car pulls noticeably to the right when the current (and original) steering wheel is straight, therefor I need to get a front end alignment. Should I have the front end aligned before or after putting on the new prototipo wheel? Does this even matter?

[Cory M]

The steering shaft is splined. When you put the new steering wheel on you need to clock it in the same orientation as the steering wheel you took off. If you are unable to do this you need to realign the front of the car with the steering wheel pointed straight ahead.

[Noah930]

Is the car new to you? Or did it track straight in the past, but now suddenly pulls to one side with the wheel straight? I would think along the same lines as mentioned by Cory above, where the wheel may have been reinstalled by someone one spline off.

[smadsen]

Roll the car straight ahead (with the steering wheel attached) on a level surface. Come to a stop. Don't wiggle the wheel. Then re-clock the wheel so it sits where you want it when you're driving straight ahead. Badda-boom.

You may want to check your front alignment, particularly front toe. Easy to do at home with four jack stands & a ball of fishing line. Very inexpensive. Many threads on this board. Be advised it all starts with centering the steering rack, the the steering wheel, which most shops don't do, but you can fairly easily.

[famoroso]

The short answer is to install the steering wheel first. Then your alignment shop can ensure it's centered when they set the front toe. Hopefully, they use a tool like this, or something similar, to get the wheel centered correctly...



...and hopefully, your shop is as diligent about protecting the seat and interior as Völlig was in this case.

Also, just because your existing steering wheel is centered doesn't mean your replacement steering wheel will also be. The splines aren't necessarily clocked the same. I have sometimes found this to be the case even across stock steering wheels of the same part number.

I notify my alignment provider that I'm quite particular that the steering wheel be centered post-alignment. I point out that I'll return for them to correct it if not.

[88911coupe]

Only problem is that sometimes the splines on the wheel are too coarse to get the steering wheel dead center. Thats the issue I have on my '88. I will have to adjust each tie rod end by the same amount to get it centered. I decided its not worth the trouble but it's annoying nonetheless.

[proporsche]

88911 it`s doable..just turn the tie rod ends same direction....also mark the original position..

Ivan

[FloydPink]

Thanks all, I’ll take famoroso & Cory’s advice and put the new steering wheel on first (in the same orientation as the original) before getting the car aligned.

[darrin]

Originally Posted by FloydPink

Thanks all, I’ll take famoroso & Cory’s advice and put the new steering wheel on first (in the same orientation as the original) before getting the car aligned.

also ask the alignment shop to make sure the wheel is precisely centered once alignment is done

[88911coupe]

Thanks Ivan, will give it a shot. Trying to estimate how much of a turn on each side is needed. It's only about 2-3 degrees off.

[smadsen]

Centering the steering rack is the key to a balanced system. If you center the steering wheel only, but have six inches of rack sticking out the left side of the housing and four inches out the other your alignment will be cockeyed even if the toe is then set properly and the steering wheel is centered. It'll work going straight down the road, but your turning radius will be different side to side and the bumpsteer, while less important, will be different side to side. The problem is, without prior knowledge, you don't know where the center of the rack is located relative to the steering wheel. The sequence should be:
1) get under the car, pull back the bellows, measure how much rack is sticking out the housing on both sides;
2) move the rack to center by turning the steering wheel, keep measuring;
3) the install the steering wheel as close to center as possible given the spline issue;
4) it would be permissible to then move the steering wheel a degree or two so it sits level; it may un-center the rack minimally, but who wants to drive with a cockeyed steering wheel (by half a spline);
5) then clamp it down somehow (hose clamps on the rack?) and set your toe in/out.

On the toe setting, most books I've seen say 0 toe, but I think 1/16th toe in each wheel is a better bet when suspension components have a little wear. Prolly goes 0 at 60 mph.