Why is the car's steering wheel not straight?
3 Answers
Here are the reasons why a car's steering wheel may not be straight: 1. Inconsistent tire pressure among the four wheels; 2. Wear in the braking system; the braking system cannot fully return to position, causing resistance in one of the wheels during driving. 3. Wear in various chassis components, leading to changes in alignment angles; 4. Deformation of shock absorbers or reduced elasticity of shock absorber springs, which can cause changes in vehicle height. 5. Deformation of the stabilizer bar and its small links can also result in uneven vehicle height on one side. Below are solutions for a misaligned steering wheel: 1. Inflate the tires with low pressure to maintain equal tire pressure across all four wheels; 2. Replace the braking system; 3. Perform a four-wheel alignment.
A few days ago, my car also experienced the steering wheel pulling to the right. After checking, there are several possible reasons: inconsistent tire pressure can cause the car to drift while driving, similar to the feeling of a shopping cart with a crooked wheel. It's quite common for the steering wheel to be misaligned after a wheel alignment, indicating that the alignment data wasn't adjusted accurately. Wear on the steering linkage or deformation of chassis components due to impacts, such as hitting a pothole at high speed and bending the tie rod, can also cause this. If the steering wheel is reassembled without aligning the gear teeth properly before tightening the screws, it can lead to misalignment. Once, after changing tires, my steering wheel was off by 15 degrees. The experienced mechanic said the alignment machine showed a half-degree difference in the toe angle, and a slight adjustment of the two tie rod screws fixed it. Don't attempt to fix such issues yourself; it's best to go to a professional shop for detection and adjustment with alignment equipment.
Many owners of older vehicles have experienced steering wheel misalignment. The common cause is uneven tire wear, especially when the tread depth difference between the front tires exceeds 1.5mm, which can pull the steering wheel off-center. Excessive play in the steering system also creates dead zones in the steering wheel, preventing it from automatically returning to center after turning. Last time my car hit a speed bump with a loud clunk, the steering wheel was off by 30 degrees - inspection revealed a deformed and displaced steering gear mounting bracket. Another often overlooked issue is steering wheel vibration during braking, which actually results from accumulated minor suspension component deformations caused by long-term uneven braking force distribution. We recommend performing wheel rotation and alignment every 20,000 kilometers to effectively prevent steering wheel misalignment issues.
