Is your steering wheel like this?

[motorhead]

I stopped worring about it a long time ago. I've had many cars and trucks with the same thing. I've always been told it's because of our lousy Pa roads.

[ron123]

In the past I observed that standard procedure when alignment is done is to center the steering wheel then adjust tie-rods so wheels are pointed straight. At alignment shops there use to be a gadget that attached to the steering wheel with an adjustable cushioned bar that ran back to the seat to lock the steering wheel once it was exactly centered ... then wheel alignment process continued.

During Camarofest took a tour of the Corvette factory and watched them align the wheels prior to rolling off the end of the assembly line. Process was done in what seemed like 2 minutes per car. There was different color indicators showing on the screen and an allowable "normal" +/- range for each spec. If they didn't put the steering wheel in the exact center during this step I can see how the off-center condition would occur. It won't affect tire wear but sure would be annoying to me.

I use to remind alignment shops to "center and lock" the steering wheel before adjusting toe-in and toe-out on my vehicle because I was so picky about it being in exact middle ... and did return once because it was off very slightly.
Ron

[VTSummit]

There is no factory spec for centering a steering wheel- the spec is "centered."
The pain in the arse is you have to adjust both tie rod ends to deal with it- but it's easy to do. The "acceptable" range during an alignment is, in my opinion, too wide. I've found if you buy the alignment guy a turkey provolone sammich and a cup of coffee he will take whatever amount of time to dial it in absolutely perfect and not just 'within specs.'

[Soybeanrice]

Your wheel could be upside down and the wheels could be aligned properly.

The tool that is used to hold the steering wheel straight doesnt seem to work well with the camaro steering wheel... I have the same thing OP. Your alignment is fine, just next time you get it done, ask if you can get in the car and turn the wheel straight after they calibrate on the rack

[WIPLASH]

Originally Posted by Soybeanrice

Your wheel could be upside down and the wheels could be aligned properly.

The tool that is used to hold the steering wheel straight doesnt seem to work well with the camaro steering wheel... I have the same thing OP. Your alignment is fine, just next time you get it done, ask if you can get in the car and turn the wheel straight after they calibrate on the rack

The car is less than 3 weeks old, so no alignments have been done post production line yet, but ADM is installing lowering springs soon and then aligning it. I'm sure if it can be corrected, he'll do it for me.

Thanks for your response!

[TooCool5]

Originally Posted by huligan

I bought a 2015 2SS in April. Sold it and bought a 2015 1LE this month. Went with a buddy to buy a 2015 1LE for himself yesterday. All three steering wheels have the same thing in common:
They're not aligned. In other words, they all steer due straight when slightly turned to the right. Very slightly. If the steering wheel is centered true straight, lined up with the stalk base, it drifts slightly to the left. The cars don't pull and both mine were less than 15 miles when I bought them. Dealer said it was due to the way the cars are tied down on the delivery truck and it will correct itself. My 1st 2SS had 15k miles on it and never corrected itself. I've heard there is a steering wheel alignment to center the steering wheel to true. Is this right?
Forgive the verbosity, I just wanted to make sure the issue was clearly conveyed.
Thanks!

You first alignment is on GM covered under warranty. up to 2,500 miles. I had it done 6 yrs ago. My rear camber was out.

[MikosV6]

Must be a "1LE" thing. On mine, the steering wheel is perfectly straight.

[qcman]

Mine has the same thing ever so slight to the right a degree or two perhaps... Never posed a problem either.

[havelegs]

No but what really bothers me is that "chrome" trim around the airbag area and it shines right back in my eyes. I want to rip it off.

[JR 1]

Originally Posted by huligan

Dealer said it was due to the way the cars are tied down on the delivery truck and it will correct itself.
Thanks!

It always amazes me to hear the utterly ridiculous things dealers say. Do they have conventions where they learn this stuff? Maybe compulsive liars are drawn to working at car dealerships for some reason.

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by BlueStreakHouTX

My 2012 2SSRS with 12k on it has the exact same problem: on a perfectly straight road, the car goes straight but the wheel is off-center by about 2 degrees to the right...it drives perfectly straight down the road, you can let go of the wheel and it does not veer, and, going around corners it self-centers fine.

Odd thing is, it was about half as bad with the stock SS wheels and PZeros on it, but last March when I put the ZL1 reps and F1s on it (285 fronts) it got worse. dont know how THAT could happen.... it bugs the daylights out of me, so I'll get the alignment shop to center the wheel after I put the lowering springs on it.

If there's a steering wheel centering error to begin with, consider that from the driver's seat you're not seeing all of what's happening. Some of the 'error' is being absorbed by tire distortions.

Installing wider wheels and stiffer tires will then force some of the previous tire distortion to show up at the steering wheel, adding to the steering wheel error that was already there.


On edit, if your rear "axle's" thrust angle is off, an uncentered steering wheel when driving straight ahead on a level road is exactly what results. In the case of IRS, this would mean that either or both rear toe settings was incorrect as well as being inconsistent with the other side's toe.


Norm

[Soybeanrice]

Originally Posted by TooCool5

You first alignment is on GM covered under warranty. up to 2,500 miles. I had it done 6 yrs ago. My rear camber was out.

I wish I knew this! Oh well... 80 bucks out of the pocket.

[Soybeanrice]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

If there's a steering wheel centering error to begin with, consider that from the driver's seat you're not seeing all of what's happening. Some of the 'error' is being absorbed by tire distortions.

Installing wider wheels and stiffer tires will then force some of the previous tire distortion to show up at the steering wheel, adding to the steering wheel error that was already there.


On edit, if your rear "axle's" thrust angle is off, an uncentered steering wheel when driving straight ahead on a level road is exactly what results. In the case of IRS, this would mean that either or both rear toe settings was incorrect as well as being inconsistent with the other side's toe.


Norm

An alignment shop is more likely to overlook the exact straightness of the steering wheel during alignment than they are to have car's thrust angle be off. Technicians are constantly looking at the computer that displays all the angles, including the thrust angle, but they only move the steering wheel to the center one time.

[Tony's10]

Originally Posted by huligan

I bought a 2015 2SS in April. Sold it and bought a 2015 1LE this month. Went with a buddy to buy a 2015 1LE for himself yesterday. All three steering wheels have the same thing in common:
They're not aligned. In other words, they all steer due straight when slightly turned to the right. Very slightly. If the steering wheel is centered true straight, lined up with the stalk base, it drifts slightly to the left. The cars don't pull and both mine were less than 15 miles when I bought them. Dealer said it was due to the way the cars are tied down on the delivery truck and it will correct itself. My 1st 2SS had 15k miles on it and never corrected itself. I've heard there is a steering wheel alignment to center the steering wheel to true. Is this right?
Forgive the verbosity, I just wanted to make sure the issue was clearly conveyed.
Thanks!

OK, jeez, I haven't gone through the couple pages of this post so I may be repeating, but the ROADways are humped. If you could drive your car on an airport runway, dead center, I would bet your steering wheel would be dead center.

I'm not trying to mock the question, but it seems to me that folks on this forum ask questions that at least to me, are common sense. Are we as a car culture, gone to the darkest depths of having to ask "If I drive my SS in the rain on tires with 45K miles, will I skid" (mocking some absolutely mundane questions).....

See my point? Nobody call these folks out. I think it's simple.

Nothing wrong with the alignment of three cars. What are the roads your driving on? Humped, 1 lane? Or a 4 lane? I would bet the offset of the steering wheel changes with the amount of lanes, i.e. the curvature of the road you are on.

Done now.

-Tony