Re-aligning steering wheel?

Hi there

Has anyone removed the steering wheel on the golf V?

My wheel is at about 11:55 when I'm going straight and it really sucks. I've allready had the car alligned with perfect specs on all four wheels and the tracking is totally OK, it's just the steering wheel that's a spline off center I guess.

Thanks

Thats the difference between Europeans and people from Sweden and america...their steering wheel can be 180 degrees off and they will will be cool with it as long as it goes straight. You are like a degree off, big deal.

Get a flat blade. Stick it in the holes in the back of the airbag. Turn 90 degrees and the air bag pops out. do the same to the other side and remove the airbag harness. Take that big bolt out and move the wheel over 1 spline.

what holes in the back of the airbag?

Your steering wheel being off center is an alignment issue. Your alignment may be perfect, but the tie rods need adjustment. The tech needs to shorten the tie rod on one side and lengthen the one on the other.

ever figure it was adjusted to the crown of the road?

alf said:

ever figure it was adjusted to the crown of the road?

Click to expand...

I'm an alignment tech. If you just had an alignment done, the guy didn't drive it to make sure your wheel is stright. Like a guy said a couple posts above me, one tie-rod needs to be shortened and the other lengthened in equal amounts. Take it back to where you had the alignment done and tell him to do his job right the first time!!!!

And BTW, the steering wheel most likely has a locating spline on it so you can't just remove it and recenter it. The old bugs you could do that but not now-a-days...

Nitro was right. you can take the wheel off and move it one spline position over. There are alignment marks on the spline and the wheel. I just changed my Rabbit wheel(which was straight) to a GTI wheel and now it is slightly cocked to the left. My alignment is perfect.

Premis said:

Hi there

Has anyone removed the steering wheel on the golf V?

My wheel is at about 11:55 when I'm going straight and it really sucks. I've allready had the car alligned with perfect specs on all four wheels and the tracking is totally OK, it's just the steering wheel that's a spline off center I guess.

Thanks

Click to expand...

He got it aligned! It should have been aligned properly the first time...

Akdakota said:

Nitro was right. you can take the wheel off and move it one spline position over. There are alignment marks on the spline and the wheel. I just changed my Rabbit wheel(which was straight) to a GTI wheel and now it is slightly cocked to the left. My alignment is perfect.

Click to expand...

Thank you. All vw's wheels don't have any Master spline.

The guy doing it should know the correct order of alignment. Rear camber then tow. Front camber then toe.

I prefer to lock the steering wheel straight ahead just before I start the alignment. This way everything is perfect in the end. OR you can align it first THEN straighten the wheel afterward.

hello?! how do you take out the airbag?!

bennylenny88 said:

hello?! how do you take out the airbag?!

Click to expand...

See the start of this thread,
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2938601&page=1

Dave N

I've been doing an alignment today, no luck.

I came in with the steering wheel off center to the left and left with the steering wheel off center to the right!

The tech used good laser measurement equipment and fastened the steering wheel in the correct position (maybe he did a poor job there?).

After my test drive I came back and told them that they have to fix it again and they told me that position will be hard to get right if its been in an acciden (BS, it has never been in an accident) the tracking is perfect now though which is good. Just the steering wheel that is off center.

But what the hell is the problem with the MKV?! I've been to two different respected shops and they both f**k up! Is there something else to it? Do I have to calibrate the steering angle sensor as well? I talked to the dealer and they didn't know anything (the experts are on vacation now), they said that either fix the toe or reposition the steering wheel(?!).

If this crap keeps up I won't keep the car for much longer (18 months old now). It really sucks driving it now, totally anoying.

This pic show's the wheel position when going perfectly straight:
http://img389.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ratten01fg0.jpg

Premis said:

I've been doing an alignment today, no luck.

I came in with the steering wheel off center to the left and left with the steering wheel off center to the right!

The tech used good laser measurement equipment and fastened the steering wheel in the correct position (maybe he did a poor job there?).

After my test drive I came back and told them that they have to fix it again and they told me that position will be hard to get right if its been in an acciden (BS, it has never been in an accident) the tracking is perfect now though which is good. Just the steering wheel that is off center.

But what the hell is the problem with the MKV?! I've been to two different respected shops and they both f**k up! Is there something else to it? Do I have to calibrate the steering angle sensor as well? I talked to the dealer and they didn't know anything (the experts are on vacation now), they said that either fix the toe or reposition the steering wheel(?!).

If this crap keeps up I won't keep the car for much longer (18 months old now). It really sucks driving it now, totally anoying.

This pic show's the wheel position when going perfectly straight:

Click to expand...

YOUR steering wheel is EASILY straightened!!!! They are being dicks and don't wanna do it right... Seriously, yoru steering wheel being off center the little mount that yours is, IS A LAME EXCUSE to get rid of your car... If you read this thread we described how to get your steering wheel perfect without removing your steering wheel (plus if you reposition YOUR steering wheel, based on the pic, it will then be off to the left). I'm gonna try to explain to everyone STEP-BY-STEP on how to align your steering wheel, if it's been aligned at a shop within specs, but is just BARELY off center(as your's is)...

1) Drive the car and determine which way the steering wheel is off-center...

2) In your garage, set your steering wheel where it was when you were driving it. REMEMBER your tires were just aligned, SO THEY ARE NOW STRAIGHT AHEAD...

3) Straighten your steering wheel. Here's where you need to pay attention!!! Now that your steering wheel is straight, you now know which way your tires point when your steering wheel is straight.

A easy explination -

If when you are driving,
Your STEERING WHEEL IS OFF TO THE RIGHT, you then straighten your steering wheel, your WHEELS WILL NOW BE POINTING TO THE LEFT... So you know now that you need to adjust the front of your wheels to the right...
Which means on MKV's you will need to adjust the left tie-rod OUT and your right tie-rod IN

If when you are driving,
Your STEERING WHEEL IS OFF TO THE LEFT, you then straighten your steering wheel, your WHEELS WILL NOW BE POINTING TO THE RIGHT... So you know now that you need to adjust the front of your wheels to the left...
Which means on MKV's you will need to adjust the left tie-rod IN and your right tie-rod OUT

(when I say IN/OUT I'm meaning, thread the adjuster IN/OUT the outer tie-rod)

Adjust your tie-rods EVENLY, meaning if you adjust one side a 1/4 turn adjust the other side the same amount...


I should make a video on how to do this because I feel like a lot of you guys will miss interpret how to do this and fuck up your steering even worse.

NO YOU DO NOT NEED TO CALIBRATE THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR!!!

I just aligned my car MYSELF at work and it is PERFECTLY STRAIGHT!!!

I just wish I had a video camera...:frown:

Thanks.

I understand the concept of fixing the problem, it's simple! The problem is that she shop don't care, they say they tried (which they did but pretty sloppy) and that it is my car that is wrong ... BS.

I will make som markings to show them exactly what straight is because they wouldn't care if the wheel was 180 degrees out of whack.

I had the same problem with my Land Rover, the only difference was the alignment shop took the time to correct it when I came back the next day, it took a few tries and a few test drives by the tech to get it right, but now they have proven themselves by standing by their work and giving good customer servies, so they will get future work from me for sure.