Crooked steering wheel after wreck

[El Bronco]

Hi eveyone, I was in a wreck in September and afterwards, and now the steering wheel is about 6-7 inches to the right. I took the pitman arm off with hope that I could just turn the wheel a bit and lock it back on but it only goes back on in the same position. The same thing happened when I tried that with the steering wheel. If I just turn the tie rod ends to make the wheel straight, will that throw anything off?

 

[miesk5]

yo EL,

I wouldn't try to adj the TREs for that much off-center.

Have you inspected all srg & susp parts?

verify; strg gear box, wheel bearings, ball joints, radius arm/ bushings and tie rods are not loose or damaged

I ran into a *** hole last fall; was dEEp; now I need a reman strg gear box due to internal damage;

Visually check linkage with assistant turning steering wheel from stop to stop. Check for binding or lack of smooth operation



3A131 Tie Rod Ball Stud

2 3310 Front Wheel Spindle Tie Rod Adjusting Sleeve

3 3304 Steering Sector Shaft Arm Drag Link

4 Drag Link Ball Stud

(Part of 3304)

5 3A131 Tie Rod

6 N800895-S56 Nut

7 3590 Steering Gear Sector Shaft Arm

A Tighten to 70-100 Nm

(51-73 Lb-Ft)

The Bronco steering linkage have adjustments in both the tie rod end and the steering sector shaft arm drag link

Replace the steering gear sector shaft arm if it is bent. If the steering gear sector shaft arm is bent, also check the drag link, steering tie rod, tie rod adjustment sleeves and tie rod ball studs for signs of damage. Replace damaged steering linkage as required. Do not attempt to straighten the steering gear sector shaft arm or any other steering linkage components.



DIY TTB Alignment Procedures Source: by OX1 (OX, Jim, James O)

 

[Bully Bob]

What 5 said, PLUS....

You left a lot out of your description.

How "bad" was this crash..? Who did the repairs.? Were they certified.?

They are obligated to re-align your veh.

Worst case.., the frame is bent., & can & should be straightened. Otherwise your truck will have that "dog-walk" look while underway., & excess tire wear.

Depending on what, where, how this truck was hit., the rear axle could need alignment and/or could be the main issue. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I would take it back to the shop & have them finish what you already paid for....

 

[El Bronco]

Thanks Miesk5, everything seems to be undamaged. What do I need to look for on the steering box?

Thank you as well Bully Bob. The truck drifted sideways and took out a telephone support wire. There is a little damage to the passanger door but that's it. The truck still drives exactly the same, just with a crooked wheel. I didn't have any repairs done to it either since it wasn't too bad.

 

[Seabronc]

By crooked wheel do you mean that the steering column is off to one side or do you mean that the steering wheel itself is in a position that it would be when turning vs strait as in the attached picture?

Goos luck,

 

[El Bronco]

The wheel itself is crooked.

 

[Seabronc]

Is the steering sloppy? Does it pull to one side if you let go of the wheel while driving?

 

[El Bronco]

It pulls to the right a little bit but it did that before the wreck.

 

[Seabronc]

It pulls to the right a little bit but it did that before the wreck.

So then what I think you are saying is, that in order to drive strait down the road, you have to hold the steering wheel in a position that would normally look like you are making a right turn, correct?

After you made either of the two adjustments, did it immediate go back to that condition?

 

[El Bronco]

So then what I think you are saying is, that in order to drive strait down the road, you have to hold the steering wheel in a position that would normally look like you are making a right turn, correct?

After you made either of the two adjustments, did it immediate go back to that condition?

Correct. Everything remained the same except the wheel is tilted 6-7 inched to the right. I didn't make any adjustments on the truck. What adjustments are you referring to?

 

[Seabronc]

Hi eveyone, I was in a wreck in September and afterwards, and now the steering wheel is about 6-7 inches to the right. I took the pitman arm off with hope that I could just turn the wheel a bit and lock it back on but it only goes back on in the same position. The same thing happened when I tried that with the steering wheel . If I just turn the tie rod ends to make the wheel straight [/b], will that throw anything off?

I'm talking about the adjustment listed above

 

[El Bronco]

Neither did anything. I thought the shaft arm/pitman arm (whatever it's called) or the steering wheel got twisted from the accident and that I could simply remove it, then replace it where I wanted it but I didn't know one of the teeth on it is bigger than the rest, so it only goes on one way. Hope you know what I meant there. I'm not a wordsmith when it comes to explaining something like this.

 

[Seabronc]

OK, I was thinking that perhaps a bolt was sheared and allowing the shaft to slip in one direction and then sticking there. Without being able to see the truck, it is all guess work. A couple of diagrams attached but probably not very helpful to you. I would suggest that you take it to a mechanic and have him take a close look at it. something is either bent or broken and it probably isn't a good idea to continue to drive it like that. Whatever the problem is may get worse at a time when you least need it to happen.

Good luck,

 

[Krafty]

when something like your steering or braking is changed in any way big or small after an accident then it is a MUST to have a certified mechanic look at it, not only for your safety but also for your passengers and everyone else on the road.

this is a what if situation: some critical component is hanging by a thread inside your steering box or brake lines that you cannot see or diagnose without the correct tools, and your vehicle is one pothole away from becoming a 60mph uncontrollable rocket?

me personally I don't take any chances with my family's safety.

 

[Rons beast]

Ditto Krafty. Go to a certified alignment shop with modern equipment. Tell them the problem and ask for a "****** angle 4 wheel alignment".

That checks that the front and rear wheels are running parallel and equidistent. They should check all the steering components and suspention while the truck is on the alignment rack. A small kink in the tie rods or sleaves can cause the wheel to be off center as much as you described. But you may also have a bent wheel and /or a bad tire that can cause a pull and off center strng. whl.

A good alignment shop should be able to find any problem. That is their job, to make cars go straight and wear tires properly.

Good Luck

 

[El Bronco]

Thanks a lot guys. I'll set something up to have it looked at next week.