[BUTTONMUSH]

Can anyone tell me if tweaking the steering wheel to a small degree is a simple task that any wheel alignment company can do?

My steering wheel is a few degrees left of centre but now I've noticed it it's driving me nuts!

It's not a road camber / windy day thing. It's also driving straight no handed.

Many cars steering wheels are slightly off and most people live with it but I hate it, especially on such a little wheel !

If centered like my last MINI the top/centre of the wheel lines up with the 4K on the rev counter.
I'm around 3.5K and I HATE IT rraaaarrrrgghhh

[pardonator]

I've never taken the wheel off but wouldn't it just be a case of undoing the center nut, aligning wheel and re tighten?

[DaFlake]

Quote: Originally Posted by pardonator (original)

I've never taken the wheel off but wouldn't it just be a case of undoing the center nut, aligning wheel and re tighten?

Not quite that easy as there is an airbag in the way that would have to be disconnected.

Did you just have the steering aligned? If yes, I would take it back and make them resolve the issue.

[BUTTONMUSH]

Phoned BMW dealer who could kindly correct the steering wheel for £200

Just took it to a local Tyre fitters who have a computerised wheel allignment but it's got to go back as it's not there yet.

Bit of a pain but at £40 it was far more resonable that the stealers quote !

[BUTTONMUSH]

Quote: Originally Posted by BUTTONMUSH (original)

Phoned BMW dealer who could kindly correct the steering wheel for £200

Just took it to a local Tyre fitters who have a computerised wheel allignment but it's got to go back as it's not there yet.

Bit of a pain but at £40 it was far more resonable that the stealers quote !

They'd aligned it with the steering column which is on the skew in a MINI so it was quickly corrected second time round.

MY MINI's a joy to drive again now, just have to get a strut brace and a couple of hundred BHP now

[joshie]

I got mine done for £29 at my local tyre centre. It took 5 mins. They use a laser machine and they said my front left wheel was 8 degrees out and this was the reason my wheel didnt stay straight.

Anyhow.. for £29 its a right bargian as my steering is spot on now!

[BRG/Blk Cooper S]

Yep,
You just needed a proper wheel alignment.
I get mine aligned and wheels balanced every 6k or so at a place called ProTyre who were recommended by the Pirelli area tech manager.
Only tyre shop I've ever seen finish off the job with a torque wrench.

Car always drives perfectly and wheel perfectly straight - costs around £85.
Stealers wanted £240...............yeah right..

Cheers, Geoff.

[richg40]

Right, what is all this i'm reading?

If you take your MINI to ATS etc for a £29.99 wheel allignment then that's exactly what you get.

When the take your beloved MINI to the 'stealers' you get a full 4 wheel laser allignment to factory specifications. It really isnt worth skimping on this, especially considering just how quickly MINIs eat tyres when the setting are even a tiny bit out.

Plus, if you have DSC your steering angle sensor will require zeroing after even the tiniest amount of adjustment of front track.

Also, letting go of the steering wheel and watching as your car drifts left is not a true test of wheel allignment, it'll do this on 99% of the roads in britain. A better test is to steer directly ahead holding the wheel with both hands.

[roland2003]

Hi, If the steering wheel is not 'vertical ' when driving straight ahead it usually (unless someones taken the steering wwheel off and put it back one spline out) needs adjusting at the track control arms. This situation can occur with A) correct tracking , or excessive toe in or out.
Assuming the tracking is correct then all you do is toe the left wheel out and the right wheel in by the same amount.(or vice versa depending which way the steering wheel is out).
What I do is drive the car first to establish which way the Steering wheel is, then check the tracking. As an example if the Steering Wheel is slightly clockwise at straight ahead AND the tracking is toeing IN too much ,I would toe the RH wheel out to get the tracking correct. NEXT I drive the car to see if with correct tracking its straightened the wheel sufficiently too .
If not (depending on the amount) I would toe the RH wheel OUT another (say) 2 spanner flats (120 deg of rotation) and wind the LH IN 2 spanner flats. This keeps the tracking still spot on as per after first adjustment but steers both wheels right (by equal amounts) but without turning the steering wheel. I dont trust anyone (Porsche main dealers were beyond belief with what they did to my new 911 C4 ten years ago...) You have to drive the car each time to know its right.

Steering wheel could be 90 degrees out of vertical (or even upside down!) and your tracking can still be 100% perfect....it will not pull the car left or right. Also when driving straight its totally impossible for one wheel to be toeing in (or out) more than the other side. For example assuming everythings perfect and I toe the RH wheel out 4 degrees, when you drive the car what you get is both wheels toeing out 2 degrees and steering wheel no longer vertical. You will get weird handling ,but it will be 'equally weird' on left or right lock.....it will NEVER pull one way MORE than the other due to incorrect tracking....Neither will it wear one front tyre MORE than the other with incorrect tracking.
ps we are talking about the front wheels here, and assuming both rear wheels have equal toe relative to the true centreline of the chassis.
Best Regards Roland GTT

[BRG/Blk Cooper S]

Quote: Originally Posted by richg40 (original)

Right, what is all this i'm reading?

If you take your MINI to ATS etc for a £29.99 wheel allignment then that's exactly what you get.

When the take your beloved MINI to the 'stealers' you get a full 4 wheel laser allignment to factory specifications. It really isnt worth skimping on this, especially considering just how quickly MINIs eat tyres when the setting are even a tiny bit out.

Ok sucker, please go and have this done at the stealers for £240 a pop..
I certainly wouldn't go to quickfit or ATS etc, but a tyre specialist will be able to give you exactly the same lazer setup for around 40% of the fee.

I use a company called ProTyre in Slough as they were recommended to me by the Pirelli technical manager for that area, the local Volvo, Honda dealers etc send all their wheel alignments there and then inflate the price charged to the customer and claim it's done in-house.

Still, your money.........
Cheers, Geoff.

[richg40]

I'm pretty sure the Pirelli technical manager would recommend Protyre, they do afterall sell tousands of pirelli tyres.

Not worth arguing about.

[BRG/Blk Cooper S]

Quote: Originally Posted by richg40 (original)

I'm pretty sure the Pirelli technical manager would recommend Protyre, they do afterall sell tousands of pirelli tyres.

Not worth arguing about.

I'm sorry, but I don't get your point, if there was one at all.

Many tyre retailers sell Pirelli tyres and ProTyre was recommended when Pirelli replaced my runflats under warranty, it just so happened I liked their service and the fact that I've never seen another tyre shop finish the job with a torque wrench that has kept me going back.

6000 miles on my new tyres with perfectly even wear so I guess the wheel alignment must be ok.....

Dealer labour charges are massively inflated and they are not the only people who have the correct laser equipment to do a 4 wheel alignment on the Mini.

[roland2003]

You can have ten grand of impressive looking alignment kit on display to the customer with flashing lights and screens.....your tracking is still only as good as the guy doing the job and the calibration of the equipment........lots of crossed fingers.
Best Regards Roland GTT

[BRG/Blk Cooper S]

Quote: Originally Posted by roland2003 (original)

You can have ten grand of impressive looking alignment kit on display to the customer with flashing lights and screens.....your tracking is still only as good as the guy doing the job and the calibration of the equipment........lots of crossed fingers.
Best Regards Roland GTT

Absolutely fair point Roland.
What would you consider to be things to look for and feel for in regards to knowing the alignment is good?

I'm happy thus far as the car feels great at speed on the motorway, no vibration, no feeling of pulling in any direction just very smooth and planted, wheel dead centre.
The tyre wear is very even on my Pirelli's that were all fitted at the same time (they did 4k on my Cooper and have done 2k on my S - I kept my wheels and tyres as they had only ever had the slightest of curb damage on 2 wheels, more a little scratch really and the tyres were obviously pretty new).
I'm sure with the S I'm going to wear fronts pretty badly - damn supercharger, you just want to hear it more and MORE