steering question, need advice

[red line fun]

i'm 99.9% sure my steering wheel has always been straight when driving in a straight line. even after an old granny reversed into the side i seem to remember the steering wheel being straight when i drove it home and to bodyshop.

got it back saturday and i'm noticing the steering wheel is now ever so slightly off straight, if you imagine a horizontal line going through a completely straight wheel, i now reckon that line would be at 2 - 3 degrees of a slope. car isn't pulling or anything but i know it wasn't like that before.

bodyshop carried out various wheel alignment tests etc to ensure all is okay with chassis, steering etc, do you reckon this could have brought about the change in angle of my wheel? i'm thinking i'll just live with it until 1st service, or should i be taking it back in i.e. does this signify something's wrong?

 

[alx_chung]

i'm 99.9% sure my steering wheel has always been straight when driving in a straight line. even after an old granny reversed into the side i seem to remember the steering wheel being straight when i drove it home and to bodyshop.

got it back saturday and i'm noticing the steering wheel is now ever so slightly off straight, if you imagine a horizontal line going through a completely straight wheel, i now reckon that line would be at 2 - 3 degrees of a slope. car isn't pulling or anything but i know it wasn't like that before.

bodyshop carried out various wheel alignment tests etc to ensure all is okay with chassis, steering etc, do you reckon this could have brought about the change in angle of my wheel? i'm thinking i'll just live with it until 1st service, or should i be taking it back in i.e. does this signify something's wrong?

They probably realigned the wheels and didn't do the tracking on the steering wheel. I know that when I got my car back last year everything was perfect. Steering was straight on, the braked in a straight line etc. I would just take it back and ask about it seeing that they did say if you have any issues bring it back.
At the moment my steering wheel points slightly right. Again that was due to me getting the alignment done after lowering the car and the wheel wasn't straightened out.
Alex

 

[ali831]

we had the same when we had all 4 tyres replaced and the tracking done at the same time. it annoyed the hell out of my husband so i took it back for the garage to sort but it still wasnt as straight as it was before only by a degree or 2. But we sold the car last month so dont need to worry about it anymore if i was you i would take it back and get them to have a look

 

[nc30rider]

They probably realigned the wheels and didn't do the tracking on the steering wheel. I know that when I got my car back last year everything was perfect. Steering was straight on, the braked in a straight line etc. I would just take it back and ask about it seeing that they did say if you have any issues bring it back.
At the moment my steering wheel points slightly right. Again that was due to me getting the alignment done after lowering the car and the wheel wasn't straightened out.
Alex

When you do the 4 wheel alignment, you clamp the steering wheel straight ahead and do the adjustments around that. This is to make the 'Thrust Angle' perpendicular to the 4 wheels.
Sounds to me like they may have just done the front tracking!!!
When you only do the front tracking you do not align the front and back together. This is crucial to getting the car to drive straight and not 'CRAB' along the road. The rear is effectively steering the front instead of following it along the road if you know what I mean.
Done countless cars where the owners have had the car tracked somewhere and the wheel is not centred.
We put it on our machine and bingo, It's a mile out. Quick adjust and every thing is spot on

 

[red line fun]

thanks guys, i'll prob contact them and ask if i can take it back in, cheers.

 

[mrsixstring]

My steering wheel is out by about 2 degrees to the right too...it was worse than this when I get the car and had it corrected, but that's as accurate as they could get it. Annoys the hell out of me though. I've since had 2 different Seat garages look at it and they both say "It's straight"....I drive it everyday, it isn't! I've given up trying to get it sorted unless anyone can recommend a good place in the Midlands? One thing I notice is a very slight amount of greater resistance turning left at speed then turning right...perhaps all this is related to the thrust baring as nc30rider suggests!

 

[nc30rider]

My steering wheel is out by about 2 degrees to the right too...it was worse than this when I get the car and had it corrected, but that's as accurate as they could get it. Annoys the hell out of me though. I've since had 2 different Seat garages look at it and they both say "It's straight"....I drive it everyday, it isn't! I've given up trying to get it sorted unless anyone can recommend a good place in the Midlands? One thing I notice is a very slight amount of greater resistance turning left at speed then turning right...perhaps all this is related to the thrust baring as nc30rider suggests!

Check out a previous post of mine
http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=209628