Aligning the Pathfinder

Anything relating to Wheels, Tires, and Brake options and upgrades...

Moderator: volvite

DanJetta
Posts: 478
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2012 6:47 am

Aligning the Pathfinder

Postby DanJetta » Tue Oct 08, 2013 7:40 am

I got new tires and an alignment on my Pathfinder a month ago from Firestone. Today is the fourth time I've taken it back because they can't seem to align it with the steering wheel centered. It tracks straight and true but that cocked steering wheel drives me insane!

At this point I keep taking it back to the same place on principle. They're not going to refund my money so I'm going to make them keep doing it until it's right.

For anyone who knows about alignments: Is there something I can tell the shop they're not doing properly?

It's not just the Pathfinder, it's with every car I've ever owned. The only place that can do a proper alignment is the dealership -- but they're always so inconvenient.


User avatar
disallow
Site Admin
Posts: 2820
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:02 am
Location: Winnipeg, Canada

Postby disallow » Tue Oct 08, 2013 7:48 am

Sounds like they need to loosen one tie rod and tighten the other.

User avatar
akley88
Posts: 449
Joined: Sun Mar 03, 2013 1:45 pm
Location: United States

Postby akley88 » Tue Oct 08, 2013 7:54 am

see if you can find a place that uses a high quality laser alignment system. there are a few places around me that use them and i can tell a difference between a good system and a bad one. this place near me does awesome work, here is the system that they use.
http://rttuning.com/services/alignment/

DanJetta
Posts: 478
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2012 6:47 am

Postby DanJetta » Tue Oct 08, 2013 9:44 am

The guy took me back and showed me the machine and it looks exactly like what's in that link. My Pathfinder was up in the air with those hexagonal things on each wheel. As the guy turned the steering wheel, lights on a receiver in front of the car would flash. It was cool to see.

I'm wondering if the missing component is the guy with "10 years of experience." Or any experience, for that matter.

User avatar
smj999smj
Site Admin
Posts: 6054
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:13 pm
Location: Prospect, VA

Postby smj999smj » Tue Oct 08, 2013 10:55 am

I do alignments all the time and don't have any problems. Modern alignment machines basically do all the work. We use an 8-year old Hunter alignment machine with Win-toe and Win-align. One of the things I learned to do is before I start, I sit in the car and get the steering wheel straight. Then I take a length of masking tape and run it across the top of the steering wheel horn pad (or air bag) over to the top of the steering column cover. I then run a razor across the tape at the gap between the steering wheel and column. When it comes to the final adjustments where the machine instructs to center the steering wheel, the tape makes it easier to do this, as all I have to do is align the two lengths of tape. Without doing this, you are sorta eyeballing it while looking into the car and sometimes the steering wheel will be a bit off of center. The machine adjusts the toe to where you say the wheel is center, so this is often where a lot of the centralization errors occur. Also, there are a lot of mechanics that will do a "toe and go" alignment, never taking the time to adjust the caster or camber when necessary, although they are being paid to do so. This is why it is always important to get an alignment printout from the machine for your vehicle. If they can't give you one for whatever reasons, be suspicious.

DanJetta
Posts: 478
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2012 6:47 am

Postby DanJetta » Tue Oct 08, 2013 11:14 am

smj999smj wrote:I do alignments all the time and don't have any problems. Modern alignment machines basically do all the work. We use an 8-year old Hunter alignment machine with Win-toe and Win-align. One of the things I learned to do is before I start, I sit in the car and get the steering wheel straight. Then I take a length of masking tape and run it across the top of the steering wheel horn pad (or air bag) over to the top of the steering column cover. I then run a razor across the tape at the gap between the steering wheel and column. When it comes to the final adjustments where the machine instructs to center the steering wheel, the tape makes it easier to do this, as all I have to do is align the two lengths of tape. Without doing this, you are sorta eyeballing it while looking into the car and sometimes the steering wheel will be a bit off of center. The machine adjusts the toe to where you say the wheel is center, so this is often where a lot of the centralization errors occur. Also, there are a lot of mechanics that will do a "toe and go" alignment, never taking the time to adjust the caster or camber when necessary, although they are being paid to do so. This is why it is always important to get an alignment printout from the machine for your vehicle. If they can't give you one for whatever reasons, be suspicious.
This is great info, thanks!

Are you supposed to lock the steering wheel in place somehow to keep it from moving while you're adjusting underneath?

User avatar
patomwazi
Posts: 199
Joined: Thu May 30, 2013 9:59 am
Location: Dubai, UAE

Postby patomwazi » Tue Oct 08, 2013 11:39 pm

my dad had an old Peugeot 504...no air bags....after alignment they would unbolt the steering wheel and bolt it back centered... :lol:

User avatar
NmexMAX
Posts: 796
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 2:35 pm
Location: Northern New Mexico

Postby NmexMAX » Wed Oct 09, 2013 6:32 am

patomwazi wrote:my dad had an old Peugeot 504...no air bags....after alignment they would unbolt the steering wheel and bolt it back centered... :lol:
That be semi fun with the airbag.

User avatar
disallow
Site Admin
Posts: 2820
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:02 am
Location: Winnipeg, Canada

Postby disallow » Wed Oct 09, 2013 6:55 am

yeah you can't do that anymore.

DanJetta
Posts: 478
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2012 6:47 am

Postby DanJetta » Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:28 am

patomwazi wrote:my dad had an old Peugeot 504...no air bags....after alignment they would unbolt the steering wheel and bolt it back centered... :lol:
This is awesome!

Picked up the Pathfinder and the wheel still isn't in the middle. Going back for attempt #5. I'm going to mark the wheel center with masking tape for them so they don't have to eyeball it. Not sure if that's going to be helpful to them or not.

User avatar
akley88
Posts: 449
Joined: Sun Mar 03, 2013 1:45 pm
Location: United States

Postby akley88 » Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:34 am

they could unbolt the steering shaft at the rack and pinion and move it a tooth or two to get the steering wheel centered.

User avatar
patomwazi
Posts: 199
Joined: Thu May 30, 2013 9:59 am
Location: Dubai, UAE

Postby patomwazi » Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:37 am

akley88 wrote:they could unbolt the steering shaft at the rack and pinion and move it a tooth or two to get the steering wheel centered.
PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!

DanJetta
Posts: 478
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2012 6:47 am

Postby DanJetta » Thu Oct 10, 2013 9:25 am

akley88 wrote:they could unbolt the steering shaft at the rack and pinion and move it a tooth or two to get the steering wheel centered.
Ha! I'd also expect to get back a box of left-over bits. These guys aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.

User avatar
akley88
Posts: 449
Joined: Sun Mar 03, 2013 1:45 pm
Location: United States

Postby akley88 » Thu Oct 10, 2013 10:44 am

DanJetta wrote:
akley88 wrote:they could unbolt the steering shaft at the rack and pinion and move it a tooth or two to get the steering wheel centered.
Ha! I'd also expect to get back a box of left-over bits. These guys aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.
if thats the case dont let them do that cause they could make it way off.

User avatar
smj999smj
Site Admin
Posts: 6054
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:13 pm
Location: Prospect, VA

Postby smj999smj » Sun Oct 13, 2013 8:19 pm

I don't think the unbolt the steering wheel and move it a couple of notches is an option any more now that the Pathy's have VDC and use steering position sensors. As far as the locking the steering wheel into place during alignments, there is a spring loaded tool that is placed between the driver's seat and the steering wheel to help hold it in place. A Hunter alignment machine with Win-toe and Win-align will also compensate for unintentional movement of the steering during the toe adjustment process.


Return to “R51 Brakes, Tires, and Wheels”