steering wheel out of line

[flib1]

Hello, my car recently failed its MOT due to the inner edges of the tyres being worn down past the legal limit.
So I swapped my wheels and tyres for a new set and fitted them on. After a few miles with them fitted the steering wheel was ever so slightly out of line, so if the steering wheel was straight the car would very slightly drive over to the right.
Didn't think it was a problem because the wheels needed to be tracked to stop them wearing down the inner part of the tyre.
So I had them tracked and that laser alignment thingie done today but now the steering wheel is even more of an angle.. If the steering wheel is held straight then the car pulls over to the right quite quickly.
Do you think i've somehow put the wheels on wrong or could the garage have done the tracking badly? Just wanted to ask if there was anything obvious I could try before going back the garage.
thanks very much
Dan

[Kieran]

Dan - where did you get it tracked? Not many people realise that the rear axle on these cars can be adjusted too. If only the front axle has been aligned, then you could well be in a situation where they've unwittingly misaligned the front axle by using the rear as the reference point and assuming it's correct. I've been in this situation and it made the car crab like you wouldn't believe!

To sort it out, I went to Nottingham 4 Car wheel alignment afer seeing several recommendations on various owner clubs (Corvette, Lexus to name but two). Not only did they check that they'd got the correct alignment settings (it turns out that the VR-4 is the same as the 2WD variants, however the other 4WD models ARE different) but they were happy to do so and talked and let me watch and so on. Couldn't recommend them highly enough.

They have 2 branches, I used the one in Basford - it's round the back of the Variava mitsubishi dealership, before you go over the big bridge on the ring road (I assume you know that area?).
Here's the website:

http://www.alignment-services.co.uk/contact_us_about_Four_wheel_alignment.asp

[I-S]

It's amazing how few places are prepared to touch the tracking of the rear wheels - quite annoying really.

[Paul Beazer]

They usually make the excuse that the rear adjuster bolt sieze up and wont touch it!

[flib1]

thanks for the replies, I went to Formula 1 auto centre on chesterfield road in mansfield. They've done my skyline and my friends subaru before and they were OK but this time they were really quick doing, only waited about 10 minutes whereas before i've been there for about half an hour.
Will definately try that place in Nottingham, while i'm there i'll get a quote from mitsubishi for my 90,000 mile service :sad3:
Was worried that I might have damaged something with the steering, so hopefully it was just someone having a numpty day and didn't do it properly

[Kieran]

Good luck! - Oh, might be wise to book with the nottingham place, they do get a lot of custom.

[Rambaud]

thanks for the replies, I went to Formula 1 auto centre on chesterfield road in mansfield. They've done my skyline and my friends subaru before and they were OK but this time they were really quick doing, only waited about 10 minutes whereas before i've been there for about half an hour.
Will definately try that place in Nottingham, while i'm there i'll get a quote from mitsubishi for my 90,000 mile service :sad3:
Was worried that I might have damaged something with the steering, so hopefully it was just someone having a numpty day and didn't do it properly

If using a Mitsi garage for servicing, it's worth ring round as you are likely to get different quotes.

I delayed having my Galant serviced in Cambridge and had it serviced in Scotland whilst I was up there. It saved me around £50.00 on a standard 9000 mile service.

Also had other work done at the same time (pads, track rod ends etc), which probably saved me another £100. :)

[flib1]

yay! got it booked in for monday, will let you know how it goes. I think i might give another garage a go for my service now as I very nearly suffered a minor heart attack when they told me how much it was going to be.

[serenity88]

The problem with wheel alingment is the point of reference!!!
It's a real hassle, sounds like your wheel alingnment has been out for a while (camber sounds wrong, or maybe lowered?)

If the tech takes the starting point of reference from a wheel thats out of alignment with the overall chasis alignment, all the rest of the wheels will follow suit. It really is just lazy mechanics, sounds like you may have been ripped or fallen prey to an ameture.

This is why I do all my alingments myself, it is a matter of figuring out how your chasis lays, there all different. The jap standard is up to 5 % off square, depending on whats happened to your car after manufacture this can make a big difference to further alignments


It really is time and knowledge that works, I've seen cars crabing down the road almost going sideways, All in the name of four wheels going straight!

I hope you can find a tech worth his pay!
If the problem persists I (hopefully) can start a thread on how to measure your cars alignment, This will give you a starting point of reference for the alignment of your wheels.

[flib1]

I've been to the one in nottingham and all is sorted now, thanks very much Kieran. They looked up the setting for the VR-4 and it turns out that the other garage had pretty much guessed at the settings and got them wrong and not braced the steering wheel when altering the wheel the bunch of numpties.

[Kieran]

Good news - Glad you're sorted. They're good lads there!:scholar:

[The Vee]

Seems you're sorted now, but a very common and simple problem with tracking is that they often only adjust one track rod end and of course that'll throw your steering wheel alignment straight out. I have seen them then remove the steering wheel and turn it on it's splines to "correct" the issue/pan