1999 Ford F150 Regular Cab Logo
Brandon Winters Posted on Feb 01, 2014
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One of my tires is straight and the other one is pointed outwards. the steering wheel is sideways as like im turning

I don't need a perfect alignment, just something that can get me to drive it to a shop. I just put all new tie rods on it.

1 Answer

Chuck

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  • Expert 147 Answers
  • Posted on Feb 02, 2014
Chuck
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The easiest way to do this is straighten the steering wheel first Brandon. Next is to walk to the back of the truck and eye ball the left front tire from a looking from the side of the back tire. If that one is straight ahead before or after you adjust it, Now check the passenger side the same way.When both look straight, now take a tape measure and measure the distance from the center tread on the right front tire to the center of the left front tire.Say its 61", now do the same behind the front tires. It might say 58". You want to end up with the front measurement being 1/4 of an inch smaller then the back.

5 Related Answers

Anonymous

  • 7 Answers
  • Posted on May 21, 2009

SOURCE: Front end alignment 1987 ford bronco

That is a camber problem. most likely Axle Pivot Bushings, or lower ball joints.

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Joel Friedenberg

  • 1114 Answers
  • Posted on Jun 29, 2009

SOURCE: steering wheel off and rt front tire is turned off center

My advice is to have the front end checked by a mechanic - for your safety! There are components under the car, including the brakes, which need to be in good and safe working order.
The problem may a tie rod, but for your own safety and the safety of your passengers, I recommend you have the car checked.

Anonymous

  • 75 Answers
  • Posted on Nov 19, 2009

SOURCE: 2000 F350 4x4. Has a 6 or 8 in lift not sure, just

Look at steering shaft movement and compare to pittman arm movement. (input vs output on steering gear) If you have excess input with little output replace the steering gear box

Zeevert

Robert Veldman

  • 373 Answers
  • Posted on Mar 17, 2010

SOURCE: 2002 ford escape tie rod squeaks

My outer tie rod did the same thing when just out of warranty. I could tell it was "bad" by putting my hand on the tie rod while someone else turned the steering a little and I could easily feel the vibration.
Check the other side to feel the difference. Tie rods don't cost that much, if you can replace it yourself, and take a chance on foregoing the wheel alignment. Maybe a $150? job at the shop.
In my case, a tie rod was not readily available. I verified that it was a good joint; no shake or rattle. Then I squirted a little WD40 inside the boot, and put it back together. 70,000 miles later, the new tie rod is still on my shelf waiting for the squeak to return.

Anonymous

  • 1672 Answers
  • Posted on Dec 03, 2010

SOURCE: 1990 F-250 4x4, 7.5L. Front tires bowed outward.

Yes ur RiGHT about it!

Everytime u replace some parts in the suspension and steering linkages in any car, YOU SHOULD PROCEED TO ur nearest WHEEL ALIGNMENT services!


Hope that aligns everything!

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tip

Understand your vehicles alignment

Your vehicle's alignment - Tire Service
What is alignment?
Alignment refers to the way your car's wheels are positioned. Your wheels should be parallel and facing forward.

How does alignment affect my vehicle?
When your wheels are properly aligned, you'll get better gas mileage, your tires will last longer, steering will be easier, and your ride will be smoother and safer.

What could go wrong with my alignment?
(If your car has Air ride or air suspension, Please go here)

Several factors could contribute to a shift in alignment including old, worn-out components and poor road conditions, resulting in a few different problems including Camber, Toe and Caster, and if any of these problems develop, they will take a toll on your vehicle's tires, performance and manageability.

Camber
The wheels are tilted, either inward or outward. This will create pulling and tire wear.

Toe
A change in the distance between the front and back of the front or rear tires. This will wear on the tires, too.

Caster
A backward or forward tilt at the top of the wheel's spindle support arm. This will cause either loose or difficult steering.

If any of these problems develop, they will begin to take their toll on your car's tires and performance, as well as steering
How will I recognize a problem with my alignment?
Check your steering wheel when you're driving. Does it stay straight? Does it vibrate? When you are traveling along a straight road, does your vehicle pull to one side? Is your steering loose, or difficult to control? Have you noticed uneven tire wear?

Check your tires periodically using this chart. A number of different things can affect your tires - from alignment to suspension components to improper inflation of tires. If you recognize any of these symptoms, bring your car in for a free inspection.
How will The Wright Import,Cumming Georgia fix my alignment?
As a general rule, you should have your alignment and related components checked every 10,000 miles or once a year, and there are three types of alignment jobs with a good-better-best approach.

GOOD
Two-wheel geometric centerline alignment.

This adjusts the toe on your front wheels only. This will work only if your rear wheels are properly aligned. (Used mostly on trucks and older rear-wheel drive cars).

BETTER
Four-wheel thrust line alignment.

This aligns the front wheels to the rear-wheel alignment.

BEST
Complete four-wheel thrust line alignment.

This is the optimal approach: aligning all wheels straight ahead and parallel.

After a thorough review of your alignment, your The Wright Import technician will present you with the findings and all of your options before beginning any work on your vehicle.
0helpful
1answer

How to Diagnose an Alignment Problem?

tire wear is a method of diagnosing an alignment problem
abnormal wear on the insides or out sides of the tread indicates a problem with toe in/out and or camber settings
wheel wobble at speed ( 20 mph up ) indicates castor setting problems
steering wheel not self centering after turns indicates castor settings
steering wandering on the road indicates worn steering /ball joints and or alignment settings out
car running sideways ( crabbing)on the road indicates worn rear suspension parts , broken center bolts on leaf springs ,and rear alignment problems which will affect front end alignment
this is indicated by the steering wheel position off center when driving straight ahead
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1answer

99 mercury grand marquis.the steering wheel does not return to center on its own. And the steering wheel isn't in right position when the wheels are straight.?

the return to the center on it's own is a result of the wheel alignment castor setting
if it set at zero or minus setting ( -1 degree) it has no action requiring it to return to center
To explain how it works --- the angle at which the king pin is set back ( positive degree) lowers the car
when turning a circle , the car is lifted up and loads up the king pin
when you let the wheel go that weight tries to fall down and that is the return to center position action
so to fix that problem , have a wheel alignment done and set at positive degrees ( normally around 1 1/2 degrees)
next problem is when you set with the wheels straight ahead there is no allowance for the camber of the road ( used to allow water run off in the rain) that means that if you position the wheel straight ahead when on flat ground then when driving down the road you will have the wheel slightly off center to allow for the car trying to run off the road from the road camber
it could also mean that if you have had suspension or steering work done that the steering was not centralized when the tie rod ends were adjusted for toe in adjustment and so the box /rack is now set slightly one way
it could also mean that the rear end is out of alignment and the vehicle is running sideways down the road ( crabbing)
the fix is to find yourself an accredited wheel alignment shop and have an alignment done properly starting by aligning the rear wheels first and then the front many will say not necessary but I can assure you that it is vital for tire wear and vehicle handling and if they don't want to do the job properly go somewhere else
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2answers

When steering is centered the left wheel is out to the left and the right is straight

Unless you have had an accident or Kerbed the wheel it is probably your tracking is out/ track rod end loose!
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1answer

What does it mean when your front wheels are not parallel? Driver side points straight forward and the front left points a little to the right.

It means that your front end is out of alignment. The front wheels should be adjusted so that both point slightly inwards at the front of the car when the steering wheel is straight. This is referred to as "toe-in." The reason why cars and trucks are aligned with toe-in is because the wheels go to a straight position when traveling on a highway due to the road resistance pushing the tires back. What you have is a "toe-out" condition which will cause the tires to wear faster at the side adjacent to the back of the wheels. Have your car aligned to avoid such uneven wear.
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1answer

Inner fender splash shield

Steering rack need to be adjusted (stops need adjustment), specially with the relatively narrow Factory tires... it could be that the steering rack has worn mountong bushings or that the car was subjected to an impact or bump-pothole. Check steering rack and engine-transmission-steering subchassis alignment. To do this, you need to raise the four corners of the car on jackstands safely, then get under it with a tape measure and start taking measurements to detect if it has displaced from proper location. Only four large bolts hold it to the rest of the car body, so that it is easy to get it displaced when hard hitting a bump or large/deep pothole. this is part of the safe design of modern cars, so that in case of frontal impact or crash, the entire subchassis displaces to the rear and the engine goes down under the cabin, saving the passengers by absorbing a large part of the impact energy. Some times, surprisingly, a heavy impact with a pohhole displaces the subchassis to the rear on the impact side, and the steering Wheel need to be turned sideway to keep the vehicle going straight, but a Wheel alignement is NOT the proper fix. Measuring and restablishing the proper subchassis distances returns the proper steering, the steering Wheel returns to the exact center without any steering linkage realignmente!: the whole subchassis was displaced, but the suspensi?n kept its alignment!
Amclaussen.
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2answers

Steering wheel tilted

This is a common problem. The last time the aligned it the may have bumped the steering wheel and when they aligned it and tightened everything back up it was off center. The next time you get it aligned make them aware and they'll straighten it up for ya.
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1answer

When I turn the wheel, the car will go towards that direction but the steering doesn't bring itself back to center as it used to before I got an alignment. When I am on a perfectly flat road, the

if the tech knew your steering box was loose i dont understand why he didnt attempt to adjust it for you.some vehicles are adjustable and some need to have the steering gear box replaced when loose. the vehicle should re center itself upon letting go of the wheel. there is an issue that has gone undiagnosed. you could have tire issues (unevenly worn due to driving on them with bad alignment for long period of time) low tire pressure could cause this too. to test your alignment find a good flat round (with no crown) let go of the wheel while driving (keep your hand there so you can quickly re grab the wheel) and see if the car pulls one way or another. if the road has a crown to it the car may drift some but this is normal in a parking lot or flat road it should go in a perfectly straight line. also over tightening the steering gear box could caus this issue. my recommendation to you would to be to research a more reputable/highly recommended shop to take another look at it for you. it sounds to me that both shops you went to may do alignments but might not be trained supension/steering techs. in other words theres something going on they dont know about
1helpful
1answer

Very dull steering feel, wheel stays turned even as i slowly rev

Camber and caster settings are off. Have 4 wheel alignment done by a good shop and save your nice tires. Out of alignment will make steering feel heavy and wear tires fast!
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