 Why is my steering wheel crooked? (its not what you think) |
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| Jameel |
 Jun 20 2018, 05:36 PM
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#1
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Member  Group: Members Posts: 98 Joined: 6-October 15 From: Iowa Member No.: 19,239 Region Association: None  |
No, it's not crooked on its rotational axis. But rather, it's closer to the dash on the left side to the tune of 3/4". I'm not quite sure how I missed this over the past 2+ years, but I sat in the car today and, whoa, felt weird. I removed it and slipped it back over the splines and tightened the nut down just because. Obviously you can't cock it on the shaft to this extent. No accidents, hits, etc. I grab the wheel and wiggle, very solid in every direction. I don't know how this can even happen. Thoughts?
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Replies(1 - 19)
| siverson |
Jun 20 2018, 05:40 PM
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#2
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Advanced Member Group: Benefactors Posts: 2,448 Joined: 5-May 03 From: San Diego, CA Member No.: 654 Region Association: Southern California 
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Is the steering wheel bent? When you rotate it do those measurements stay the same?
-Steve |
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| RoadGlue |
Jun 20 2018, 05:58 PM
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#3
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Sonoma County Gear Head Group: Admin Posts: 2,033 Joined: 8-January 03 From: Santa Rosa, CA Member No.: 108 Region Association: Northern California
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They're all that way. You won't notice until one day you do! I'm not sure why they were made that way, but my guess would be that the steering shaft u-joints would be hyper-extended if the wheel were straight.
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| mepstein |
Jun 20 2018, 06:14 PM
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#4
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914-6 GT in waiting Group: Members Posts: 19,245 Joined: 19-September 09 From: Landenberg, PA/Wilmington, DE Member No.: 10,825 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region
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QUOTE(RoadGlue @ Jun 20 2018, 07:58 PM)  They're all that way. You won't notice until one day you do! I'm not sure why they were made that way, but my guess would be that the steering shaft u-joints would be hyper-extended if the wheel were straight. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) my 914 was my first car so it feels natural to me but I’ve had a couple people come to on it. |
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| green914 |
Jun 20 2018, 06:14 PM
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#5
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,467 Joined: 29-March 11 From: Sacramento, California Member No.: 12,874 Region Association: Northern California |
Wow! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) went out and measured mine, and it is about a 1/2 inch difference - the right side sticks out more than the left side. Never noticed it before.
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| SirAndy |
Jun 20 2018, 06:34 PM
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#6
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Resident German Group: Admin Posts: 41,607 Joined: 21-January 03 From: Oakland, Kalifornia Member No.: 179 Region Association: Northern California |
QUOTE(Jameel @ Jun 20 2018, 04:36 PM) Thoughts? Many .... But to answer your question, it's a feature, not a bug. They all came that way from the factory. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) |
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| TheCabinetmaker |
Jun 20 2018, 07:39 PM
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#7
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I drive my car everyday Group: Members Posts: 8,300 Joined: 8-May 03 From: Tulsa, Ok. Member No.: 666 |
The seat is not centered on the wheel. The angle is to compensate.
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| ClayPerrine |
Jun 20 2018, 08:21 PM
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#8
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Life's been good to me so far..... Group: Admin Posts: 15,416 Joined: 11-September 03 From: Hurst, TX. Member No.: 1,143 Region Association: NineFourteenerVille
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QUOTE(The Cabinetmaker @ Jun 20 2018, 08:39 PM) The seat is not centered on the wheel. The angle is to compensate. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) The design of the 914 to use the 911 pedal box and steering gear required that the driver's seat is tilted inboard about 2 or 3 degrees. |
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| Rob-O |
Jun 20 2018, 08:47 PM
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#9
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,251 Joined: 5-December 03 From: Mansfield, TX Member No.: 1,419 Region Association: Southwest Region
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Actually safety.
In a frontal collision you don’t want the occupants of the vehicle to collide straight into the steering column. You want the mass of their body to be deflected if they hit a stationary object such as the steering wheel. My guess? Engineers knew it was a small car with a small cockpit...and that people in the 70’s rarely wore seat belts. This was probably one way they could mitigate the damage done to the occupants. Id also guess this was done fairly late in the game, as in after crash testing was completed. Why do I think that? Well, have you ever tore apart a dash on a 914? Ever notice how on the back of the basketweave dash face there is a metal panel that the basketweave attaches to? That metal panel has cutouts for the switches and steering column and fresh air controls. If you put new basketweave on the metal panel and then trim it to fit that panel, the steering column won’t line up to the cutout. That tells me that initially the column and steering wheel were centered. But then they changed where the steering column was bolted to the frame of the car (it’s the piece that takes the four 6mm Allen head screws), moving it slightly to the left...but negated to make that change to the metal panel that fit over it. I’ve never done it but I’ll bet that If you centered the steering column the metal panel that the basketweave adheres to would fit perfectly around the column. Or I could be completely wrong! |
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| Rob-O |
Jun 20 2018, 08:52 PM
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#10
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,251 Joined: 5-December 03 From: Mansfield, TX Member No.: 1,419 Region Association: Southwest Region
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QUOTE(ClayPerrine @ Jun 20 2018, 06:21 PM) QUOTE(The Cabinetmaker @ Jun 20 2018, 08:39 PM) The seat is not centered on the wheel. The angle is to compensate. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) The design of the 914 to use the 911 pedal box and steering gear required that the driver's seat is tilted inboard about 2 or 3 degrees. I think they could’ve just made a longer steering rod between the two knuckles to accomplish the centering, yes? Then the seat could’ve been centered. Etc. |
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| Rob-O |
Jun 20 2018, 08:59 PM
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#11
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,251 Joined: 5-December 03 From: Mansfield, TX Member No.: 1,419 Region Association: Southwest Region
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Lastly, you might not believe it (because they do a pretty good job of hiding it nowadays) but I’ll bet if you go look at the steering wheel of your daily driver it’s offset as well. I just looked at my 2017 Traverse...not centered. Looked at the 2018 Elantra...not centered.
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| worn |
Jun 20 2018, 10:07 PM
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#12
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can't remember Group: Members Posts: 3,149 Joined: 3-June 11 From: Madison, WI Member No.: 13,152 Region Association: Upper MidWest
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QUOTE(The Cabinetmaker @ Jun 20 2018, 05:39 PM) The seat is not centered on the wheel. The angle is to compensate. Yeah, I noticed that last week about 10 days into a road trip. Can’t get anything past me! Then I forgot all about it. Seems normal enough in feel. |
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| Rand |
Jun 20 2018, 10:14 PM
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#13
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Cross Member Group: Members Posts: 7,409 Joined: 8-February 05 From: OR Member No.: 3,573 Region Association: None |
The pedal to seat position is even more skewed. We all need chirocrackers.
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| Mark Henry |
Jun 21 2018, 07:47 AM
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#14
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that's what I do! Group: Members Posts: 20,065 Joined: 27-December 02 From: Port Hope, Ontario Member No.: 26 Region Association: Canada |
QUOTE(Rob-O @ Jun 20 2018, 10:59 PM) Lastly, you might not believe it (because they do a pretty good job of hiding it nowadays) but I’ll bet if you go look at the steering wheel of your daily driver it’s offset as well. I just looked at my 2017 Traverse...not centered. Looked at the 2018 Elantra...not centered. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Done on many cars, some more noticeable than others. |
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| Jameel |
Jun 21 2018, 09:11 AM
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#15
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Member Group: Members Posts: 98 Joined: 6-October 15 From: Iowa Member No.: 19,239 Region Association: None |
Well dang, that it just the answer I was hoping for. Actually, pretty cool info! I am still surprised I never noticed it before. It was like when I sat in the car someone slapped my face, that noticeable. For once, something I don't need to fix!
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| Optimusglen |
Jun 21 2018, 10:02 AM
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#16
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 901 Joined: 26-February 16 From: Minneapolis Member No.: 19,709 Region Association: Upper MidWest
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one of the first things I noticed about my car. Thought it was odd but then I drove it and it felt natural.
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| Chris914n6 |
Jun 21 2018, 11:59 AM
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#17
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Jackstands are my life. Group: Members Posts: 3,305 Joined: 14-March 03 From: Las Vegas, NV Member No.: 431 Region Association: Southwest Region |
Andy - it's called a 'quirk' these days :smile:
It gets REALLY noticeable when you install non stock seats that bolt in square. Then you spend every hour thinking of how to straighten everything so it's not so awkward feeling. None of the other newer cars I've been in, and it's lots, are offset like a 914. Other air cooled VWs might be. |
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| bbrock |
Jun 21 2018, 01:56 PM
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#18
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 5,269 Joined: 17-February 17 From: Montana Member No.: 20,845 Region Association: Rocky Mountains
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QUOTE(Chris914n6 @ Jun 21 2018, 11:59 AM) It gets REALLY noticeable when you install non stock seats that bolt in square. Then you spend every hour thinking of how to straighten everything so it's not so awkward feeling. Does this mean the 2-3 degree tilt of the driver's seat results from how the seat is bolted to the rails attached on the bottom? I hope so because I replaced my floor and seat brackets and welded them in so the bracket is square to the floor cross member according to RD's instructional video. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) |
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| wobbletop |
Jun 21 2018, 02:02 PM
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#19
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Member Group: Members Posts: 382 Joined: 8-December 06 From: Ontario, Canada Member No.: 7,335 Region Association: Canada |
Actually one of the features of the new Subaru/Toyota BRZ/FRS is that the steering wheel, seat, pedals are all inline with each other. Most cars, even "sports" cars, have some offset that isn't really noticeable until you look for it.
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| Chris914n6 |
Jun 21 2018, 02:18 PM
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#20
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Jackstands are my life. Group: Members Posts: 3,305 Joined: 14-March 03 From: Las Vegas, NV Member No.: 431 Region Association: Southwest Region |
QUOTE(bbrock @ Jun 21 2018, 12:56 PM) QUOTE(Chris914n6 @ Jun 21 2018, 11:59 AM) It gets REALLY noticeable when you install non stock seats that bolt in square. Then you spend every hour thinking of how to straighten everything so it's not so awkward feeling. Does this mean the 2-3 degree tilt of the driver's seat results from how the seat is bolted to the rails attached on the bottom? I hope so because I replaced my floor and seat brackets and welded them in so the bracket is square to the floor cross member according to RD's instructional video. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) I believe the seat itself is twisted. I made my brackets to mount the stock rails square and my seat is square. Didn't touch the floor mounts or tilt adjuster or rails. Some bending, cutting and welding can move things over an inch but it's kinda a bunch of effort. But then the gauges are offset too. Live and learn (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) |
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