5 replies to this topic

[Pickwah]

Basically my steering wheel sits slightly to the left when i'm driving (About 2 inches) when the car is parked and the wheels are pointing forward it looks fine!

Any idea would be very helpful!

Thanks, Matt

[Cooperman]

Drive the car forward on a straight road or driveway, remove the steering wheel and put it back on straight.
Or adjust the track rod ends equally on both sides screwing one side in and the other out until the wheel is straight. A tyre shop could do this, re-racking the car at the same time.

[Pickwah]

Drive the car forward on a straight road or driveway, remove the steering wheel and put it back on straight.
Or adjust the track rod ends equally on both sides screwing one side in and the other out until the wheel is straight. A tyre shop could do this, re-racking the car at the same time.

Its not how ive put the steering wheel on as it just moves 2 inches the other way. My dad said something about the tracking being out, if thats something your saying?

[Carlos W]

Take it to a tyre place and get the tracking done, I think I paid 20 quid last time I got it done (although not on a mini)

[tom1234177]

Either the steering wheel wasn't put on straight, or it's been tracked while the wheel wasn't straight, like Cooperman said, either take the wheel off once you've drove in a straight line, or take it to a garage and get them to track it up. If it doesn't pull to one side while driving, just pop the steering wheel off yourself and refit straight!

Edited by tom1234177, 18 November 2011 - 03:02 PM.

[tiger99]

The tracking needs to be set with the rack centred properly, otherwise the track rods will end up being unequal lengths and you will get bump steer, amongst other things. You do not centre the steering wheel by adjusting the track rods, but you can offset the wheel by mis-adjusting the track rods! I am guessing that adjusting the tracking by only altering one track rod, or doing it with the rack off-centre, is what caused the wheel to seem to be in the wrong position. I have seen an idiot at a tyre dealer making a large adjustment to one track rod only, probably becasue he was too lazy to do it properly, so beware. That was not a Mini, but the same principle applies.

There used to be, and hopefully still is on later models, a rubber plug in the front toeboard above the rack, and a blanking plug in the rack, which you remove, insert a locating pin to centre the rack, and then adjust the tracking. If that facility is not there, you may need to remove the rack gaiters and make some measurements from balljoints to end of rack housing to get it central. Or, but somewhat second best, adjust both track rods so that exactly equal lengths of thread are exposed and the toe is correct. Ignore the wheel position until that is done.

Then, finally, you can move the steering wheel on its splines until you are happy with it. If the car needs a tiny bit of right steering input to make it run straight, due to road camber, you may at your own discretion move the wheel one spline to the left so it is centred in normal driving, although it is not all that important.

Remember, centre the rack, adjust tracking, then last of all, set steering wheel position, and you will not go wrong.