well i finally got out there to look at this - disconnected the tie rods and it was actually the rack that was tight - removed and disassembled it - the grease was like hardened plastic inside - cleaned everything up, re-greased and it and it now returns to center when driving - my son drove it and said it's a little tighter than his manual but that could be that his is probably too loose - now whether the alignment is good or not is the question - i'll drive it a bit and see how it handles on the highway - thanks to all for the advice