Steering Wheel Alignment w/ Steering Column

[UncleOOPS]

Hi everyone! First time posting here. Great forums and love seeing all the helpful posters! This forum successfully guided me through replacing my timing belt and water pump!

Anyway, now to tackle my second dilema/project: steering wheel alignment.

Ever since I bought my used 2000 4Runner, the wheel has sat slightly to the right of center when going straight down the road. It has never pulled left or right or exhibited any of the steering problems discussed in these forums. So I took it to a mech. today to have an alignment done thinking that would fix the steering wheel alignment (I'm OCD about it being straight when I'm driving straight). The mech. came back and said the front end was only a tad bit out of alignment and that he didn't have enough adjustment authority to re-center the steering wheel.

So here's my questions, would removing and then reinstalling the steering wheel, but this time re-aligned on the steering column, be a good fix? Are there easier things to try first? If I do go the route of removing the steering wheel, will a generic steering wheel puller work?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Singtoe]

The easiest thing is to take it to a Firestone complete care center and get a lifetime 4 wheel alignment.

You can take the steering wheel off and recenter it but it probably won't be perfect, maybe too far left or just right of center.

 

[nevada]

no, dont take the steering wheel off.

he didnt do the alignment job correctly if he sent it out with the wheel still offcenter. take it back, and ask them to finish the job.
or, take it somewhere else and pay them to straighten it.