Steering wheel off centre

[Efc1878]

I was wondering if anyone has a quick fix to this issue. When driving straight my steering wheel is slightly off centre to the left. I have just had my alignment tracking and camber checked and they are all okay? Any help would be appreciated thanks

[veteran]

I've got the same problem, but mine being a bias to the right. Mine seemed to appear following my MOT in late September. Steering feels considerably looser as well. [Note: my particular Polo has the fully-electric steering assistance, having a concentric motor on the steering column].

[Efc1878]

I noticed mine about a month or two ago and it’s starting to do my head in tried the alignment as it seemed the most likely and not it’s just doing my head in

[amer6R]

Bad alignment 100% if its pulling while driving, if it pulls under braking worn out suspension parts

[Efc1878]

It doesn’t pull it’s just my steering wheel isn’t straight to the wheels. Wether I’m breaking accelerating or anything it’s always the same

[amer6R]

They need to lock the steering wheel in straight position with a special tool, than do the alignment.
Do you have a picture of the settings ( before after) they gave you?
Maybe you hit a hole, and they didnt tighten the bolt and i wavked it out of the position

[Efc1878]

Ohhh I understand I do have the before and after sheet but I’m not sure how to post it... what would be my best solution to fix this issue then

[veteran]

Whilst in EFc1878's case the off-centre steering wheel has most likely been caused by something happening to a suspension or steering part (damaged rubber bush, a wheel being kerbed, or whatever), I've been wondering how much road camber, ie. camber of the highway, rather than camber of the wheels on the car, affects the steering angle. For example, is the steering-wheel's exact 12 o'clock straight-ahead position only ever valid if the vehicle is being tested in a workshop or travelling on a highway that is dead flat and straight? In the real-world road camber situation, do the wheels on one side of the car travel slightly faster than on the other and therefore impart a steering bias to the left or right, or is that all taken care of by the gearbox's differential?

One other thought is whether initial, unequal binding of newly-installed brakepads could produce an off-centre position of the steering wheel. Could it? The car's geometry alignment in that case would meanwhile check out as being okay.

I remember recently seeing in my VW workshop manual what the frontal toe should be for the various 6R and 6C Polos, and the permitted tolerance on it was very small. Though it didn't say, I assumed it was essentially toe-out, rather than toe-in. Where it's reckoned that a steering error has emerged through a roadwheel having been kerbed or driven into a deep pothole, it's often rectified by a minute adjustment to either the nearside or offside trackrod, usually an easy thing for a DIYer to do. But this should only ever be done if a DIYer also has the proper means to re-measure the alignment, as otherwise the toe could easily end up an awful lot worse. Incidentally, the workshop manual highly recommends that alignment measurements should be taken with the steering wheel actually clamped firmly into its 12 o'clock position, this having been mentioned by amer6R.

[Efc1878]

Is there anything i can look for with the suspension or would I be best going a garage?

[amer6R]

Is there anything i can look for with the suspension or would I be best going a garage?

Jack, wiggle the wheel at 9 and 3, and 12 and 6 if there is play noticable play, remove wheel check track rod ends for play and tears, also with ball joint.
If you notice any, go replace than do alignment

[veteran]

Yeh, do as amer6R suggests. In turn, raise each front roadwheel off the ground, grip the roadwheel firmly wuth your hands and try rocking it in various directions. Ignore any hub-bearing endfloat. Also, try to observe the trackrod ends as you're doing it. If there's noticeable play in any of the steering joints, ie. in the trackrod knuckles, that'll be the source of your problem.

[Efc1878]

Thanks for the advice I will have a look tomorrow

[Efc1878]

Thanks for the advice I will have a look tomorrow