crooked steering wheel?

is there an acceptable amount a steering wheel can be crooked and still be in spec?

just got a new truck and i noticed on the highway the steering wheel is about a quarter inch lower on the right side. its just barely enough to notice, but it has started to bother me.

it tracks perfectly fine and does not pull on way or the other at all.

is that something that the dealer could straiten..or would it fall in to the category of "its within spec"?

would the front end have to be realigned to straiten it perfectly, or is there any adjustment on the wheel itself?

thanks

ps this is my second tacoma like this. my first was way off from brand new, but it was just a work truck so i never bothered having it looked it.

 

I'm confused by the "lower on the right side". You mean the whole column is lower? Or the steering wheel is tilted to the right?

 

the steering wheel is turned to the right when driving perfectly strait. the outer wheel is turned about 1/4 inches to the right if measured on the steering ring if that makes sense

 

sounds normal due to the crown in the road.

 

Sounds normal. Now I was told by and old mechanic many years ago why all vehicles do that. I told him I put larger wheels and tires on my truck and it just ever so slightly pulled to the right on the highway. Even the steering well I had to apply just moderate pressure to keep it in the lane. Nothing drastic, mind you. But he told me all vehicles do that because incase you fall asleep at the wheel, for example, the vehicle will travel (right) away from oncoming traffic.

 

im not explaining it correctly i guess. the truck does not pull to the right. even if you let go of the wheel it goes perfectly strait...but while going perfectly strait the wheel is a few degrees turned to the right.

is that normal to have the steering wheel cocked to the right even when going strait?

 

I would say yes. If you don't have any wild steering problems its normal. The symmetry of the steering wheel must be annoying you the most.

 

Take it to the dealer with your concern. They can straighten/center your steering wheel as part of a front end alignment. I expect they can do that without changing the camber , toe, caster , off-set.

 

Road crown if you're steering slightly toward center line. If you're steering slightly away (i.e. towards the shoulder) your alignment might be off.

 

i would think the alignment would be off it it pulled on way or the other.

with no pulling in either direction and the steering wheel being very slightly turned when going strait, i would think the steering wheel is not adjusted to be strait when the wheels are all aligned.

im just wondering if there is a certain degree spec it should fall into...like plus or minus 2 degrees either way, etc.

 

My own personal experience has been, the straightness of the wheel depends upon two things; how critical an eye for straight the tech posesses, and how much he gives a crap about perfect straightness.
They actually have a measurement for wheel straightness called "steer ahead". I have had techs line the wheel with the directional and wiper sticks on the column which are slightly off-center-left, when they should actually be lining it up with the bottom of the instrument cluster, which is true left-right plane. I have had to bring mine back a few times till they got this right.
Have them redo it till it's satisfactory to your eye.

 

Unless the wheel is off center by an obnoxious amount, a little is normal. Cross slopes of pavement have an effect on steering. Can't get away from it.

 

Some folks have the power to compensate for the imperfection...others it'll send down the road to psycotic OCD fits to the point they are driving down the road in a sawtooth pattern. That would be me.

 

i kept looking down at the wheel and trying to guess the degree it was off that i didnt notice i was chewing the side of my tongue off until i tasted blood.

 

Yup haha it's a sick club!

 

You're one of the lucky ones! If my wheel isn't deadon, I apparently obsess with it to the point of not hearing my girl talking to me. Once she blurted out "would you take it in and fix the wheel-you're driving me nuts!" I had no idea.

 

you can get it zeroed, to where it is back to 0°.......I get mine done about twice a year, because of my OCD.

 

If it bothers you enough, then it should be corrected under warranty. I bought my `04 new with a cocked steering wheel and they fixed it.