Quote:
Originally Posted by Bad Luck
No shop that does alignments is going to take the time to even out the tie rod ends on the rack and then remove your steering wheel to change your steering wheel orientation. All GM vehicles that I work on at my dealership have a key in the steering shaft where the wheel attaches and the steering wheel will only go on 1 way. The OP got a shitty alignment and should get it checked to make sure his toe is still correct. Toe can be way out and the vehicle will still drive straight.
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Just got back from the alignment/tire shop and they pretty much said the same thing. They said they don't remove steering wheels and stuck by their explanation that the tie rods were maxed out to one side. The said the cross member was 'bent' which prevented them from doing any further adjustment of the steering wheel. I looked; it didn't look bent to me. When I explained to them that it was a 5 minute job to remove the air bag and steering wheel, rotate it to level, then button it up; they said no one does that. I said maybe they should start.
In the end the supervisor handed half my money back and I thanked him for making it right. The car was barely driveable with the steering wheel 40-43 degrees off level. Just using the cruise control with it at the bottom of the wheel was miserable.
My personal thoughts, since he said they did that on old cars, is they should adjust their methods and attitude a bit by being a leader so that people like me don't come back looking to make it right. Just do it. Jeeps and Toyota's must be among the top 5 wheel alignments they do so just learn how to do them, including resetting the steering wheel to center, to give the customer what they paid for. If we have to be charged an extra $20 for an extra 15 minutes of their time; I would be good with that.
I found this to be a true learning experience. Other than one time about 30 years ago when I rebuilt part of a front end on a 70 Camaro; I've never needed a front wheel alignment. I haven't been off roading other than dirt roads but that may change now and I don't hit curbs or potholes. I guess I've just been lucky with the potholes because I ride motorcycles. It becomes second nature to avoid them suckers unless one wants to face plant on the asphalt.