Toyota Corolla Steering Issue

across2587

Hi,

I am having a problem with the steering on my car and I would like to get peoples opinion on what may be wrong. To give you some background, in late 2014 I had the two front tyres on my 1999 Toyota Corolla replaced and I was advised by garage that I would need the wheel alignment done as the old tyres were wearing unevenly and to return in a few 1000 miles to have this undertaken.

I returned to the same garage at the end of January to get the wheel alignment done. When I collected the car I noticed that the car was drifting to the right when the steering was kept straight, this was not a problem before I had the wheel alignment done. I was then told that the issue was a leaking track rod end. They replaced this part but it made no difference. Following this the garage took off the steering wheel and adjusted its position to try and address the problem. They adjusted it too much and the car was now drifting to the left when the steering wheel was kept straight. I again returned to them and following further adjustment the car is now back to drifting to the right when the steering wheel is kept straight. I was told that there was nothing more there they could do. The steering wheel position now naturally sits about 10 degrees off straight and if I was to turn it so that the steering wheel is actually straight, I would veer to the right. Has anyone experienced this before or have any idea how to address it. I know it’s only a minor issue but it’s kind of annoying.

Many thanks,

Andrew

joujoujou

If you're on level road and keep driving exactly straight (regardless of steering wheel position) and take your hands off a wheel - does a car go straight?

If yes, I'd assume they just went lazy when set tracking and adjusted it just on one (easier for them) side.

across2587

Hi Joujoujou,

Thanks for the reply. Yes, if I take my hands off the steering wheel the car will drive straight, but the steering wheel will not be straight.

The car was returned to them every day for four days and on the final day he showed me the tracking gauges on both sides and they were both at zero, with the steering wheel straight. Its just when I take it out on the road that the steering wheel will go to a position about 10 degrees off level in order for the car to drive straight.

Thanks

joujoujou

Tell them car is not driven on their test lane. Let them do a test drive, take a passenger seat and watch them struggling.

The job's done inappropriately.

across2587

I have gone on two test drives with them and they agree that there is a problem but when they bring it back to the garage and track it with the steering wheel set straight it shows that its tracking ok. They have as much as told me there is nothing more that they can do.

slimjimmc

When the steering wheel is in dead centre the steering rack should also be in dead centre (i.e. same amount of full lock to left/right). This cannot change unless someone set the steering wheel that way, it certainly should not normally done as part of the wheel alignment.
The garage should first centre the steering rack and reposition the steering wheel correctly regardless of the road wheel alignment. Once the steering wheel and rack are set correctly they should adjust the track rod ends (only the track rod ends) to get the correct the wheel alignment. If the car doesn't drive straight on a flat road after that then you have other problems.

across2587

Hi Slimjimmc,

Thanks for the reply. When they originally tracked the car the steering wheel was not removed. They only removed the steering wheel and adjusted its position in an effort to rectify the problem of the car drifting right when the steering wheel was kept straight. I have lost confidence in their ability to rectify the problem having taken the car back to them four separate times over the space of a week. I will probably have to take the car some where else to get it looked at. Could anybody recommend someone good in south Dublin to fix this as I don't want to go through the same process of having to constantly go back to the garage again.

Assuming they have done everything you said, what "other problems" could be causing it, keeping in mind this was not a problem before the car went in for tracking.

Thanks

9935452

across2587 wrote: »

Hi Slimjimmc,

Thanks for the reply. When they originally tracked the car the steering wheel was not removed. They only removed the steering wheel and adjusted its position in an effort to rectify the problem of the car drifting right when the steering wheel was kept straight. I have lost confidence in their ability to rectify the problem having taken the car back to them four separate times over the space of a week. I will probably have to take the car some where else to get it looked at. Could anybody recommend someone good in south Dublin to fix this as I don't want to go through the same process of having to constantly go back to the garage again.

Assuming they have done everything you said, what "other problems" could be causing it, keeping in mind this was not a problem before the car went in for tracking.

Thanks

The steering wheel should never have to be removed to track a car.
Its probably a half assed attempt to botch a repair

across2587

9935452 wrote: »

The steering wheel should never have to be removed to track a car.
Its probably a half assed attempt to botch a repair

I thought the same thing. The problem started after the tracking was done so trying to fixed it by removing the steering wheel seems to be avoiding the actual cause!

across2587

Thanks for all the replies. Could anybody recommend someone competent in wheel alignment in south Dublin that would be able to fix this issue? They will probably have to take the steering wheel off and correct its positioning as the previous garage took it off and moved it in an effort to fix the problem.