[bpu699]

Ok, a car self centers due to caster, correct? That's why if you release the steering wheel during a turn, the car straightens out... The steering rack itself, has no self centering effect... I think...

So what did I do wrong here...

Finished doing my alignment at home after adding adjustable camber plates. Camber set initially at 0 degrees. Caster equal bilaterally. Exact toe unknown, but has slight toe in. Car tracked perfectly straight but the steering wheel was slightly cocked to one side. Great, I thought. I was quite happy...

Looked at the tie rod ends, and one was screwed in a lot, while one was screwed in much less. So, rather than taking off the steering wheel, I just adjusted the tie rod ends two turns. Screwed one side in two turns, one side out two turns... So basically the toe stayed the same.

Great... Steering wheel perfectly straight now, but cars pull to the left...?!

Why? Camber, caster, toe didn't change. Does the steering rack have any centering effect??? If so, and I really don't think so, how would one know what the center is?

I would think that you could shift the tie rod end over 10 turns on each side, and as long as camber, caster, and toe didn't change...the car goes straight.... Though the steering wheel would then be very crooked...

Am I misunderstanding this?

Put another way, what causes a car with perfect camber and caster to go crooked? Assuming corner weights, for the sake of argument, aren't an issue. Playing devils advocate, if you had no toe in on the left, and 5 degrees toe in on the right.... Would the car go straight as it would self center at 2.5 degrees on each side, and the steering wheel would be crooked? Or, does the steering wheel stay straight with a wicked pull to the left?

Why?

Bo