Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: alfie on 13 March 2011, 15:19:25
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Hi,problem with the steering wheel being off centre,it,s about if you can imagine 8.10 on a clock,thats the position of the wheel boss.
I have just replaced the o/s track rod,exactly the same number of threads showing,do I need to get the tracking checked,and would that solve it.
Or????? if the tracking is ok,how easy is it to reset the steering wheel at the correct angle.
If the tracking has to be done,I might as well replace the inner track rod,rather than at a later date and grease the the connecting tube.
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Hi,problem with the steering wheel being off centre,it,s about if you can imagine 8.10 on a clock,thats the position of the wheel boss.
I have just replaced the o/s track rod,exactly the same number of threads showing,do I need to get the tracking checked,and would that solve it.
Or????? if the tracking is ok,how easy is it to reset the steering wheel at the correct angle.
If the tracking has to be done,I might as well replace the inner track rod,rather than at a later date and grease the the connecting tube.
You need to get at least your tracking done, preferably a geometry check ie camber as well as toe in/out. If your wheel isn't centred it's either cos there's something on the steering that's bent, or tracking has been done at sometime previous without the steering wheel being centred.
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Hi,problem with the steering wheel being off centre,it,s about if you can imagine 8.10 on a clock,thats the position of the wheel boss.
I have just replaced the o/s track rod,exactly the same number of threads showing,do I need to get the tracking checked,and would that solve it.
Or????? if the tracking is ok,how easy is it to reset the steering wheel at the correct angle.
If the tracking has to be done,I might as well replace the inner track rod,rather than at a later date and grease the the connecting tube.
you could try droping the track rod and giving it another turn, taking it for a spin and see how much this has righted your steering wheel alignment, you might have to do this 2 or 3 times to get it spot on, I did mine 2 months ago and it is perfect now.
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was the wheel streight before you sorted the track rod end ?
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Could it also be that somebody has removed the steering wheel in a "previous life" and not got it back on dead center.
Any amount of tracking/realigning would not correct that.
I assume there is not a set locking point for the steering wheel if it has previously been removed .
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once your happy all worn parts hav been replaced...
Park the car with the steering straight, then adjust the track rod so the outside adges of the front wheel line up with leading edge of the rear when look along the side of the car from the front.
Then get it set up for full geometric set up.
Counting threads is all you can do changing track rods, but it can still be miles out, half a turn makes a fair bit of differance. As you'll see when doing above. :y
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Could it also be that somebody has removed the steering wheel in a "previous life" and not got it back on dead center.
Any amount of tracking/realigning would not correct that.
I assume there is not a set locking point for the steering wheel if it has previously been removed .
Pretty sure it will only go on one way, its not splined like they used to be. ;)
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[was the wheel streight before you sorted the track rod end ?
Yes,np problem before I changed the o/s track rod+ steering idler.
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[was the wheel streight before you sorted the track rod end ?
Yes,np problem before I changed the o/s track rod+ steering idler.
So that track rod just needs adjusting, as described previosly. :y
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Pretty sure it will only go on one way, its not splined like they used to be. ;)
It's splined. ;) ;) ;)
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So if the shaft is splined,it could be something as simple as the wheel had been removed before its present ownership and not put back in the exact same position.
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Pretty sure it will only go on one way, its not splined like they used to be
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the steering wheel will go on anyway you want it just watch the squib behind it (shouldnt need to come off) but before you mess around with the steering wheel i would at least get you tracking checked (making sure they centre the steering wheel) you will know for certain then :y
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Pretty sure it will only go on one way, its not splined like they used to be. ;)
It's splined. ;) ;) ;)
Itook the wheel off my old prefacelift to try to centre it, bit there was a slot of some sort iirc that it had to go on and couldnt be put on in a different position. :-/
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Pretty sure it will only go on one way, its not splined like they used to be. ;)
It's splined. ;) ;) ;)
Itook the wheel off my old prefacelift to try to centre it, bit there was a slot of some sort iirc that it had to go on and couldnt be put on in a different position. :-/
Mmm? :-/
I've just had a look at my old steering wheel and there does indeed look to be a master spline at 12 o'clock :-/ I can't think that there was the same on the column though ............. but I ain't taking my steering wheel off to look just at the moment! ;D ;D ;D
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Go on you know you want to, it will eat away at you all night if you dont. :y :D ;D
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Go on you know you want to, it will eat away at you all night if you dont. :y :D ;D
Not a chance! ;D ;D ;D
It's dark & I can smell a Sunday roast in the kitchen! :y :y :y :y
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Think I,ve sorted it.It seemed to be just 2 more turns on the track rods,all seems right now,mot tomorrow get the tracking checked the same time.
PS.steering wheel normal.
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Could it also be that somebody has removed the steering wheel in a "previous life" and not got it back on dead center.
Any amount of tracking/realigning would not correct that.
I assume there is not a set locking point for the steering wheel if it has previously been removed .
Pretty sure it will only go on one way, its not splined like they used to be. ;)
local garage to me, not mentioning any names (lee motors of thorpe lane, Leeds),
refitted my steering wheel off-centre, despite the spline.
it was the marks from the hammerhead that p'd me off most.
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When I first bought my car some years ago it had a really nasty crunch coming from the steering column on full lock due to build up of rust due to being stood for long time.
I sort the help of a local garage to fit me a new adjustable steering column,which resolved the noise however I have always thought the steering wheel was never exactly correct when travelling in a straight line.It is only out at the most 1 or 2 teeth on the spline but never got around to dealing with it.
My interest in this post was raised when I saw somebody else had a similar problem,although their cure seems different from mine but with the extra comments on the posting it appears I can resolve mine by removing and adjusting position of mounting for steering wheel.
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All sorted,passed the mot this afternoon,steering wheel position normal,tracking spot on,all I need now is some of them clips that go on to the petrol filter.
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Changing the steering wheel's position relative to the steering box will give you a bigger nightmare than an off-centre steering wheel on an Omega. The error was introduced at the track rods, so that's where it needs to be corrected. :y
Kevin
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It,s all sorted now,Don't know why counted the thread turns when dismantling 7 on each track rod,but it took to get it right after reassembling it.
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Can you just clarify for me Kevin.
Steering wheel and column were removed sometime ago and I am convinced the wheel was never put back exactly centered.
Alignment has been done several times since and wheel has always remained with the center being at 4/10 o,clock...not 3/9.
Are you saying if I remove the wheel and replace with it back at 3/9 I will have a problem ?