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04-08-2008, 10:45 PM
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#1
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Somerset, NJ
Posts: 4,223
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steering wheel column problem or what? help.
got an 87 camaro...the alignment is absolutely fine, however the steering wheel goes toward the right when its going straight or at idle. any idea what it may be? any input would be appreciated
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04-08-2008, 10:51 PM
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#2
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Old Bridge NJ
Posts: 60
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i had this same problem on my Old Camaro it turned out to be a front brake caliper
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86 Trans Am- 5 speed project
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04-08-2008, 11:28 PM
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#3
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Somerset, NJ
Posts: 4,223
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tonymazz1
i had this same problem on my Old Camaro it turned out to be a front brake caliper
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whaaaa? how did that affect it
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04-08-2008, 11:36 PM
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#4
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Old Bridge NJ
Posts: 60
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I'm not definetly saying that this is whats wrong with yours but i also looked into the steering column and everything, i finally took it to a mechanic and i was told the caliper was sticking causing the steering wheel to vibrate and pull at low speeds
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86 Trans Am- 5 speed project
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04-09-2008, 05:53 AM
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#5
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Stalker
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 12,077
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Quote:
Originally Posted by madness410
steering wheel goes toward the right when its going straight or at idle.
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if you do mean what i think, as if the cars parked... then your camaro is haunted...
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04-09-2008, 08:26 AM
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#6
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Ayatollah of Rock N Rolla / Admin
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 12,573
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At idle? So if you center it and then let go it turns by itself? If this is correct, disconnect the power steering and see if it still does it with the engine running. If it doesn't, you know something with the PS is wrong and not the column.
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04-29-2008, 12:49 AM
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#7
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Brick
Posts: 415
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my steering wheel is always to the left abit when the wheels are straight. then again the guy I bought it from put a firebird wheel on it.
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04-29-2008, 03:31 PM
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#8
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Meet Coordinator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: brick/pt. pleasant beach
Posts: 19,341
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yeah a caliper sticking would not affect idle...i'm goin with its haunted. does it turn or is it just sitting off to the right with the wheels straight?
edit:just saw this is an old thread. did you figure it out?
Last edited by sweetbmxrider; 04-29-2008 at 03:31 PM.
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04-29-2008, 03:33 PM
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#9
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Somerset, NJ
Posts: 4,223
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider
yeah a caliper sticking would not affect idle...i'm goin with its haunted. does it turn or is it just sitting off to the right with the wheels straight?
edit:just saw this is an old thread. did you figure it out?
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it turns...it sitfs off to the right when the wheels are straight...if i were driving straight the wheel would be to the right. then if i turned the power steering would turn it back and then going straight again would turn the steering wheel back to the right. its wierd.
i havent fixed it yet but ive sort of gotten along with it, but id like to fix it
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Jon
1999 Trans am WS6
1996 Corvette LT4 6 speed
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04-29-2008, 03:39 PM
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#10
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Meet Coordinator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: brick/pt. pleasant beach
Posts: 19,341
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well if the steering wheel is off to the right, i would say its misaligned. but i think they only sit one way, not really sure only tightened one up a long time ago. and if it turns by itself, i would think something is bent in the column or something internal in the p/s rack(not too familiar with those) causing it to slump over to the right.
this might be a bad idea, but you could disconnect the steering column from the rack and see if its the rack turning or the column.
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04-29-2008, 03:44 PM
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#11
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Somerset, NJ
Posts: 4,223
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider
well if the steering wheel is off to the right, i would say its misaligned. but i think they only sit one way, not really sure only tightened one up a long time ago. and if it turns by itself, i would think something is bent in the column or something internal in the p/s rack(not too familiar with those) causing it to slump over to the right.
this might be a bad idea, but you could disconnect the steering column from the rack and see if its the rack turning or the column.
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arrite ill definately check that out next week or so...i have 3 finals before the end of this week so im studying my ass off hahah
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Jon
1999 Trans am WS6
1996 Corvette LT4 6 speed
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04-29-2008, 04:01 PM
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#12
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Meet Coordinator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: brick/pt. pleasant beach
Posts: 19,341
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fuuun
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04-29-2008, 04:06 PM
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#13
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Somerset, NJ
Posts: 4,223
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider
fuuun
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hah not really...but ill look into that steering wheel problem and let u know how it goes. thanks for the advice
__________________
Jon
1999 Trans am WS6
1996 Corvette LT4 6 speed
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04-29-2008, 09:46 PM
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#14
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Haledon, NJ
Posts: 5,162
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aftermarket steering wheel?
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1989 IROC-Z 355 LT1 T56 Swapped
2016 Chevy Colorado LT 3.6 v6
2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4.7L RIP 12/29/2016
1998 Honda CBR 600F3
2003 Yamaha FX140
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04-29-2008, 10:25 PM
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#15
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Admin.
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hamilton, NJ
Posts: 20,149
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Quote:
Originally Posted by madness410
it turns...it sitfs off to the right when the wheels are straight...if i were driving straight the wheel would be to the right. then if i turned the power steering would turn it back and then going straight again would turn the steering wheel back to the right. its wierd.
i havent fixed it yet but ive sort of gotten along with it, but id like to fix it
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Wait, so if you turn it then goes straight you then have a straight wheel? If you could clarify that we can hone in on it. Or at anytime driving straight the steering wheel is to the right?
If the latter, which I think you are saying, at a minimum you need an alignment - you straighten a wheel with toe adjustment. If the steering wheel is way off then it might need to come off & be put back on moved a spline or 2. But given this is a 3rd gen, I'd sure have the front end checked - idler arm & center link are very common wear items.
If the first scenario you may have parts wear issues or a pump or box problem. Worn hydraulics do weird things.
It is not a column issue.
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Vent Windows Forever!
The looser the waistband, the deeper the quicksand. Or so I have read.
Feather-light suspension, Konis just couldn't hold. I'm so glad I took a look inside your showroom doors.
Hey everybody, it's good to have you on the Baba-too-da-ba-too-ba-ba-buh-doo-ga-ga-bop-a-dop
Last edited by BonzoHansen; 04-29-2008 at 10:26 PM.
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04-29-2008, 10:26 PM
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#16
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Somerset, NJ
Posts: 4,223
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Teds89IROC
aftermarket steering wheel?
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yes its a grant steering wheel
__________________
Jon
1999 Trans am WS6
1996 Corvette LT4 6 speed
Last edited by madness410; 04-29-2008 at 10:26 PM.
Reason: typo
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04-29-2008, 10:28 PM
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#17
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Somerset, NJ
Posts: 4,223
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BonzoHansen
Wait, so if you turn it then goes straight you then have a straight wheel? If you could clarify that we can hone in on it. Or at anytime driving straight the steering wheel is to the right?
If the latter, which I think you are saying, at a minimum you need an alignment - you straighten a wheel with toe adjustment. If the steering wheel is way off then it might need to come off & be put back on moved a spline or 2. But given this is a 3rd gen, I'd sure have the front end checked - idler arm & center link are very common wear items.
If the first scenario you may have parts wear issues or a pump or box problem. Worn hydraulics do weird things.
It is not a column issue.
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well...whenever i go straight basically the wheel is turned to the right, but im going straight. the alignment is ok, if i drive straight without my hands on the wheel i can go straight forever. i forgot to mention i do have an aftermarket grant steering wheel
__________________
Jon
1999 Trans am WS6
1996 Corvette LT4 6 speed
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04-29-2008, 10:34 PM
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#18
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Admin.
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hamilton, NJ
Posts: 20,149
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Quote:
Originally Posted by madness410
well...whenever i go straight basically the wheel is turned to the right, but im going straight. the alignment is ok, if i drive straight without my hands on the wheel i can go straight forever. i forgot to mention i do have an aftermarket grant steering wheel
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You are missing the point - toe adjustment is how you straighten a steering wheel. If the s/w is off a lot (say>30* or so) then the wheel has to come off & go back on in a better position. But you still fine tune it with toe. An equal adjustment to toe-in on one side and toe-out on the other straightens the wheel and does not change the alignment. In theory you could do it yourself, but in my experience few people can do this well. Someone with no experience probably cannot.
the fact the wheel is not OE is irrelevant.
<--done 1000s of alignments
__________________
Vent Windows Forever!
The looser the waistband, the deeper the quicksand. Or so I have read.
Feather-light suspension, Konis just couldn't hold. I'm so glad I took a look inside your showroom doors.
Hey everybody, it's good to have you on the Baba-too-da-ba-too-ba-ba-buh-doo-ga-ga-bop-a-dop
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04-29-2008, 10:37 PM
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#19
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Somerset, NJ
Posts: 4,223
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BonzoHansen
You are missing the point - toe adjustment is how you straighten a steering wheel. If the s/w is off a lot (say>30* or so) then the wheel has to come off & go back on in a better position. But you still fine tune it with toe. An equal adjustment to toe-in on one side and toe-out on the other straightens the wheel and does not change the alignment. In theory you could do it yourself, but in my experience few people can do this well. Someone with no experience probably cannot.
the fact the wheel is not OE is irrelevant.
<--done 1000s of alignments
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o ok im sorry about that dude i wasnt quite sure what u meant by toe adjustment, ill definately look into that and see if anybody does that in this area, because i wouldnt trust myself with that...
thank you for your advice its greatly appreciated
__________________
Jon
1999 Trans am WS6
1996 Corvette LT4 6 speed
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04-29-2008, 10:45 PM
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#20
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Admin.
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hamilton, NJ
Posts: 20,149
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Quote:
Originally Posted by madness410
o ok im sorry about that dude i wasnt quite sure what u meant by toe adjustment, ill definately look into that and see if anybody does that in this area, because i wouldnt trust myself with that...
thank you for your advice its greatly appreciated
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Anyone with an alignment machine can do it right. Most places probably won't want to be bothered eyeballing it. But I'd have the front end checked too.
__________________
Vent Windows Forever!
The looser the waistband, the deeper the quicksand. Or so I have read.
Feather-light suspension, Konis just couldn't hold. I'm so glad I took a look inside your showroom doors.
Hey everybody, it's good to have you on the Baba-too-da-ba-too-ba-ba-buh-doo-ga-ga-bop-a-dop
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04-30-2008, 10:29 PM
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#21
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Haledon, NJ
Posts: 5,162
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I agree with Bonzo, get the alignment. Also, I have the Grant Challenger wheel and it has further adjustment on the wheel itself than I originally knew. My alignment was off but not as much as the steering wheel showed. It was 90 degrees off when the actual wheels were straight. I didn't feel like messing with it so when I has the alignment done Friday I had them also adjust the wheel.
__________________
1989 IROC-Z 355 LT1 T56 Swapped
2016 Chevy Colorado LT 3.6 v6
2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4.7L RIP 12/29/2016
1998 Honda CBR 600F3
2003 Yamaha FX140
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