Steering wheel crooked after a couple suspension mods???

slvr08gt

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I Installed a CHE panhard brace, J M extreme LCA's and UMI relocation brackets last night. The LCA's are non adjustable and have the sperical heim joints. Install of everything was very straight foward and went very smoothly. After the install I went for a short 10 minute drive to check for any clunks or what not and the only thing I noticed was my steering wheel is now turned to the left about an inch when I am driving straight. My only other suspension mods are a set of sport lines. Before installing the suspension bits from last night the steering was perfectly straight.

Any insight would be GREATLY appreciated. I am a OCD freak when it comes to my cars and staring at a crooked steering is driving me NUTTY:ugh1:

-Nick
 

ZXMustang

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Maybe this thread can give you some insight:

http://www.s197forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70361

Thanks for posting this. My car has been going through the same bullshit. So I installed FRPP K springs a few weeks ago, and noticed the same that my wheel is not straight. I have had it to three shops for alignment. It turns out that all I needed was an adjustable panhard bar to recenter the rear end. I didnt think that if the rear was shifted a tad to the drivers side, that would make the steering out. The alignment shops all said the car was perfect. And it tracks perfect, but the wheel is tilted a few degrees to the left. When I would center it, the car would pull to the right. Cased closed. Thanks again guys.
 

Sky Render

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Adjustable panhard bars are required anytime the car is lowered, even if it's only lowered by an inch.
 

Sky Render

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Could you please explain why my steering was perfectly straight when my car was lowered WITHOUT a adjustable PHB and it changed only after the brackets were installed?

-Nick

The new brackets put the lower control arms at a different angle than they were previously.
 

slvr08gt

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The new brackets put the lower control arms at a different angle than they were previously.

I completely understand that but they shouldn't have changed the left to right distance of the axle. The brackets should only change the angle of the LCA. I dont see how it would affect the left-right movement position of the axle. I am no suspension pro by any means but I do understand how certain parts affect certain areas somewhat.

Please dont take this as me arguing, If I am wrong please explain to me in a little more detail why the above is happening.

-Nick
 

Sky Render

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OK. A panhard bar centers an axle front-to-back, not left-to-right. In fact, as the rear axle moves up and down, it actually moves the axle a little bit to one side. When you lowered the car, the rear axle was now off-center (left-to-right).

By changing the angle of the lower control arms (also known as trailing arms), you changed how the axle is located front-to-back. This, coupled with the fact that the axle was no longer centered left-to-right, either, created static rear-wheel steering.

Read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panhard_bar
 

RSKtakR

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I have Eibach pro kit springs (car was aligned at Ford the next day after install of springs), UPR solid UCA and LCA's, and some set of Reloc brackets that I bought used but cant remember the brand off the top of my head, withe LCA's mounted on the lowest hole. Also have the rear sway bar reloc brackets. I noticed that after my LCA relocation brackets install my steering was doing the exact same thing (turned a little to the left). I just thought it was my alignment being off and it was time to get an alignment now. So is everyone in agreement that its the LCA reloc brackets causing this problem? Should I just replace them with a brand new set?
 

Sky Render

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I have Eibach pro kit springs (car was aligned at Ford the next day after install of springs), UPR solid UCA and LCA's, and some set of Reloc brackets that I bought used but cant remember the brand off the top of my head, withe LCA's mounted on the lowest hole. Also have the rear sway bar reloc brackets. I noticed that after my LCA relocation brackets install my steering was doing the exact same thing (turned a little to the left). I just thought it was my alignment being off and it was time to get an alignment now. So is everyone in agreement that its the LCA reloc brackets causing this problem? Should I just replace them with a brand new set?

No, you should first install an adjustable panhard bar to make sure your rear axle is centered. Didn't we just go over this?
 

RSKtakR

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No, you should first install an adjustable panhard bar to make sure your rear axle is centered. Didn't we just go over this?


I think you and I posted those replies at the EXACT sametime so it wasnt there for me to read.
.. lol
 

J.Kidd

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I have Eibach pro kit springs (car was aligned at Ford the next day after install of springs), UPR solid UCA and LCA's, and some set of Reloc brackets that I bought used but cant remember the brand off the top of my head, withe LCA's mounted on the lowest hole. Also have the rear sway bar reloc brackets. I noticed that after my LCA relocation brackets install my steering was doing the exact same thing (turned a little to the left). I just thought it was my alignment being off and it was time to get an alignment now. So is everyone in agreement that its the LCA reloc brackets causing this problem? Should I just replace them with a brand new set?


No. From my understanding, if you get an adjustable panhard bar, you should be able correct this. By lowering the car, you moved the rear axle slightly (laterally). When you added the relocation brackets and set the control arms to the bottom hole, this compounded the movement of the rear axle and altered its location (front-to-back) as well.

If I understand correctly, if you add an adjustable panhard bar, you should be able to re-center your rear end (laterally) based on all the new geometries you have introduced. Once this is done, I'd expect your steering wheel to go back to center.
 

RSKtakR

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No. From my understanding, if you get an adjustable panhard bar, you should be able correct this. By lowering the car, you moved the rear axle slightly (laterally). When you added the relocation brackets and set the control arms to the bottom hole, this compounded the movement of the rear axle and altered its location (front-to-back) as well.

If I understand correctly, if you add an adjustable panhard bar, you should be able to re-center your rear end (laterally) based on all the new geometries you have introduced. Once this is done, I'd expect your steering wheel to go back to center.

Great thanks. Now I will do a search on how to set the adjustable PHB correctly lol.
 

slvr08gt

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No, you should first install an adjustable panhard bar to make sure your rear axle is centered. Didn't we just go over this?


I installed the relocation brackets, panhard brace, and LCA's in the same night. My car was lowered months before these parts. My steering wheel was fine after the drop and I also measured the axle with a string and a plumb bob. The left side was barely a 1/16" out more than the passenger side therefore I didnt see a huge need to have a adjustable panhard bar at that time.

After installing the brace, brackets and LCA's I attempted to install the adj. PHB. The vendor that sold me the adj. PHB sent me the wrong one because one of the bolts wouldn't go through the aluminum sleeve so I had to re-install the factory PHB. I called the manufactor of the adj. PHB and they are sending me the correct adj. PHB free of charge and I should have it by this weekend.

After finding my steering wheel crooked, I didnt really feel like un-installing the brackets and LCA's in my garage on jack stands again so I decided to leave them on untill the correct adj. PHB arrives.

Hope this clears up a little confusion to the situation im dealing with right now.

-Nick
 

skwerl

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Great thanks. Now I will do a search on how to set the adjustable PHB correctly lol.

It's easy. Just get a piece of string and something to use as a weight, like an old lug nut or something. You also need a tape measure. Tie the weight on the end of the string and hold the string against the rear fender so it hangs down past the center of the rear wheel. Measure the distance from the center cap to the string. Repeat on the other side. Adjust your panhard bar so both sides are equal.
 

Grimace427

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When I installed by CHE brackets my steering wheel was off like others here. So I measured my rear wheels in the wheel wells and found the rear axle thrust angle was shifted.

I installed adjustable lower control arms to correct the issue. When I lowered the car initially I installed an adjustable panhard bar and had the axle centered already before I ran into this issue.

Relo brackets cannot be expected to be perfectly equal to the stock LCA bolt hole locations.
 

RSKtakR

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When I installed by CHE brackets my steering wheel was off like others here. So I measured my rear wheels in the wheel wells and found the rear axle thrust angle was shifted.

I installed adjustable lower control arms to correct the issue. When I lowered the car initially I installed an adjustable panhard bar and had the axle centered already before I ran into this issue.

Relo brackets cannot be expected to be perfectly equal to the stock LCA bolt hole locations.

So you cant correct your issue by adjusting your PHB?
 

WildCoyote

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OK. A panhard bar centers an axle front-to-back, not left-to-right. In fact, as the rear axle moves up and down, it actually moves the axle a little bit to one side. When you lowered the car, the rear axle was now off-center (left-to-right).

Read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panhard_bar

Could this be why the whole rear axle of my old car, an 07 GT, looked like it had shifted when I lowered it with an eibach kit? If you looked at the car from the back, it looked like one tire was farther out of the wheel well than the other. Not trying to get off topic here but I always found that curious...
 

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