Why is my steering loose after an alignment?
Loose Steering? When alignment angles are out of spec, steering can feel slightly loose. This condition can be corrected by an alignment. But if you’re noticing you need a lot more steering wheel movement than normal, there may be worn steering or suspension parts that are allowing way too much play.
Can you realign the steering?
The simplest way is to take your car to an alignment shop and have them perform a four-wheel alignment. Then, you’ll need to start the engine, turn the wheel a couple of times to relieve pressure from the power steering system. Shut the car down with the wheel locked in a straight-ahead, 12-o’clock position.
What happens when your steering wheel is off?
The difference is that the rear axle only turns the rear of the car. If your rear alignment settings — via the tie rods or axle alignment — are off, you’ll have to turn the wheel in the same direction as the rear tires to keep the car pointed down the road.
What causes a car to have loose steering?
The most common reasons for free play in the steering are looseness in the steering gear itself or looseness in one or more of the steering linkage sockets. There are many different suspension and steering system designs, however they are all composed of three basic component groups:
Why does my steering feel sloppy when I turn the steering wheel?
The linkages connect the steering box to the wheel assemblies at the front wheels, allowing them to move back and forth when the steering wheel is turned. If these linkages wear out, they become weak and allow play in the steering system and make the steering feel sloppy.
Why is my steering wheel not center aligned?
There should be no justifiable reason why the steering wheel isn’t center aligned when the job is done. If it didn’t happen, then you should be able to get the mechanic to fix the problem, or take it to someone else who can do it and hopefully you won’t have to pay that first mechanic who didn’t get the job done properly.