Steering Wheel became "unaligned"! Help!

Last night I was backing up while pointing something out to my son. We were both looking at whatever I was talking about, when all of the sudden I backed into my propane tank!!! I was turning and actually took most of the blow with my right front tire, however I did manage to dent the front fender and passenger door panel right between the tire and the door!
After the lashing I gave myself and using the Bobcat to reposition the tank on the concrete pad, my steering wheel alignment was knocked off. The top of the steering wheel is at about 10:00! I just had the truck aligned two weeks ago and it still travels straight. The steering wheel is just crooked. I wasn't going very fast at all but like I sad it hit the tire pretty good. I looked at the tie rods and they appear to be fine. (I would honestly be pretty upset if they were bent for no bigger of a blow it took.). My thinking is that the alignment adjustment button under the steering column is what needs to be reset. Anybody ever had something like this? Any rock crawlers ever bumped a boulder a little hard and knocked that adjustment off without messing with the true alignment? Please advise!!!

 

Okay, I think I'm the dumbass of the day! The button under the steering column that I mentioned, may be a reset for the TPMS! Wow! Today is going to suck! Please help!!

 

Sounds like you might need an alignment now.

 

Bet they got lazy on tightening one of the nuts on the arms that are adjusted during the alignment.

Hope you didn't bend something.

 

You have bent some thing back to the alignment shop. When the wheel is turned hard one direction there is a lot of leverage at work there that's going to be the best way to bend some thing. My guess you have bent the tie rod it's self it won't take much to throw the steering wheel off.

 

Bent tie-rods from impact are common in every vehicle that uses them. It is meant to be that way. In comparison to the things at each end of them (steering rack and knuckle/spindles) rods are inexpensive and easy to replace. You don't straighten them.

Mike

 

I've done that once or twice, but I usually hear a loud pop. If the steering wheel was just not straight, you could fix that easily by adjusting the tie rods evenly from side to side. But, I suspect that you actually knocked your toe out, and you just can't tell. Mine got knocked out pretty bad a few weeks ago, and I lost about 3/32s of tread in about 3k miles. Just take it in for another alignment.

 

yup. back to the alignment shop.

hard lesson but you wont do it again. i've done dumb stuff like too and just had to suck it up.