Steering wheel crooked

[Mlleml]

New 2018 Windsport 29m. Drives straight but steering wheel is cocked slightly as though making a slight right turn. Tires are inflated properly. Mentioned it to dealer at test drive but forgot to verify at pick up- dumb. Before I go back to them trying to learn more. Simple to adjust? Big deal? Thoughts?
Thanks.

[Laco]

Any shop that can do a front end alignment can set your steering wheel straight. Usually can be corrected by tweaking the tie rod adjustments under the front end.

[Beau388]

The steering wheel off center when driving straight has been discussed for at least 4 years on this Forum. Use the search function and there are complete instruction on how you can correct it or have a shop correct it. It is a common problem with Ford chassis.

[Mlleml]

Originally Posted by Beau388

The steering wheel off center when driving straight has been discussed for at least 4 years on this Forum. Use the search function and there are complete instruction on how you can correct it or have a shop correct it. It is a common problem with Ford chassis.

Thanks for the input. Big help.

[ComputerChips]

Everybody ought to get a front end alignment on a new RV. Perhaps if it can be worked into the deal at purchase. Ford or whoever sells them the bare chassis and then the motor home company installs tons of weight on it. Of course it needs re-alignment. The owner may add a little more with his stuff too. I wish I had known that. I had to pay out of pocket for an alignment $120, I believe and buy 2 tires for $500 a piece, shortly after purchase. Ford said only defective parts would be warranted, not the alignment itself. Thor ingnored my request for any compensation.
The steering wheel centering is handled during an alignment. You may have to mention that to the service dept.
They should insure that the steering wheel is straight ahead, and then correctly adjust each wheel to factory specs. Your wheels MAY be in alignment with each other and the chassis but it IS annoying to have the steering wheel on such an expensive vehicle to be way off center.
It's like having toilet paper stuck to your shoe.

[jb1911]

I took this advice and paid $90 to find out it didn't need an alignment.

[abjbrtd]

Originally Posted by ComputerChips

Everybody ought to get a front end alignment on a new RV. Perhaps if it can be worked into the deal at purchase. Ford or whoever sells them the bare chassis and then the motor home company installs tons of weight on it. Of course it needs re-alignment. The owner may add a little more with his stuff too. I wish I had known that. I had to pay out of pocket for an alignment $120, I believe and buy 2 tires for $500 a piece, shortly after purchase. Ford said only defective parts would be warranted, not the alignment itself. Thor ingnored my request for any compensation.
The steering wheel centering is handled during an alignment. You may have to mention that to the service dept.
They should insure that the steering wheel is straight ahead, and then correctly adjust each wheel to factory specs. Your wheels MAY be in alignment with each other and the chassis but it IS annoying to have the steering wheel on such an expensive vehicle to be way off center.
It's like having toilet paper stuck to your shoe.

Originally Posted by jb1911

I took this advice and paid $90 to find out it didn't need an alignment.

In 2012 we didn't get this advices on our SOB till it was too late.
YEP $120 and 2 new tires!

Come to find out the SOB has an unwritten policy to pay for the alignment IF you ask for one within the first couple hundred miles.


FYI for any future buyers of a F53 chassis motor home.
A front end alignment should be part of the deal!!!
And the CHF (Cheep Handling Fix) ASAP!!

[Maxjr758]

Had my 2017 Challenger 37TB Frontend Aligned a couple of weeks ago.
My Steeringwheel had a slight left turn in it as well.
The Tech said it was out of Alignment quite a bit. I could tell the difference in the handling, as it don't seem to wander as much, and the Steeringwheel is centered now. $168 charge.

[jb1911]

Originally Posted by abjbrtd

In 2012 we didn't get this advices on our SOB till it was too late.
YEP $120 and 2 new tires!

Come to find out the SOB has an unwritten policy to pay for the alignment IF you ask for one within the first couple hundred miles.


FYI for any future buyers of a F53 chassis motor home.
A front end alignment should be part of the deal!!!
And the CHF (Cheep Handling Fix) ASAP!!

What is an SOB?

[The Gritz Carlton]

Some Other Brand (not a Thor)

[Beau388]

What is an SOB?

Some Other Brand

[petew]

Originally Posted by Mlleml

New 2018 Windsport 29m. Drives straight but steering wheel is cocked slightly as though making a slight right turn. Tires are inflated properly. Mentioned it to dealer at test drive but forgot to verify at pick up- dumb. Before I go back to them trying to learn more. Simple to adjust? Big deal? Thoughts?
Thanks.

On the Ford F53 chassis centering the steering wheel has to be done from underneath.
It is not a bad job but requires some basic hand tools and climbing under the rig to access the top of the steering box.
Basically it involves loosening the steering shaft joint pinch bolt at the top of the steering box , lifting the joint off of the splined shaft , "clocking" it to achieve a straight ahead steering wheel and reattaching it.
Even after a proper alignment many shops do not complete this step (mine didn't ) resulting in an off center wheel.
This is discussed in Ford TSB 98-21-20 . It's an older technical service bulletin but the process was the same for my 2018 F53 .
I no longer own the Vegas pictured in my avatar it has been replaced by a 2018 Winnebago Vista 27pe. The Winnebago required the adjustment.

[Mlleml]

Very helpful, thanks

[Cason61]

Originally Posted by Beau388

The steering wheel off center when driving straight has been discussed for at least 4 years on this Forum. Use the search function and there are complete instruction on how you can correct it or have a shop correct it. It is a common problem with Ford chassis.

Yeah, common. Can't figure out why but it is.

[Maxjr758]

Originally Posted by Beau388

The steering wheel off center when driving straight has been discussed for at least 4 years on this Forum. Use the search function and there are complete instruction on how you can correct it or have a shop correct it. It is a common problem with Ford chassis.

Any tips, or hints as how to find what your searching for? I put in searches and get back a list of posts that have nothing to do the item I searched. Just wondering if there is some way to make the search actually work.

[abjbrtd]

Originally Posted by Beau388

The steering wheel off center when driving straight has been discussed for at least 4 years on this Forum. Use the search function and there are complete instruction on how you can correct it or have a shop correct it. It is a common problem with Ford chassis.

Originally Posted by Cason61

Yeah, common. Can't figure out why but it is.

When Ford builds a bare chassis F53 they don't know what will be built on it, box truck, school bus or a motor home from... (fill in your favorite manufacture).

They know there is no point in doing an alignment because an alignment will need to be done after the build.

[Cason61]

Originally Posted by abjbrtd

When Ford builds a bare chassis F53 they don't know what will be built on it, box truck, school bus or a motor home from... (fill in your favorite manufacture).

They know there is no point in doing an alignment because an alignment will need to be done after the build.

Guess that's like buying a Washer or a Dryer nowadays. Got to buy the cords and hoses that you need, separate from the unit also. Day may come when you need a new TV, microwave or a Coffeepot.. Oh yeah, the Computers / printers are another story here.

[JamieGeek]

Actually Ford does an initial alignment at the plant for the frame before it gets sent on to Thor (or any other builder for that matter).

That way all the frames meet Ford specs when they leave the plant (I'm sure the alignment is documented somewhere as well).

[jb1911]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Actually Ford does an initial alignment at the plant for the frame before it gets sent on to Thor (or any other builder for that matter).

That way all the frames meet Ford specs when they leave the plant (I'm sure the alignment is documented somewhere as well).

We have a print out of the alignment Ford did on our Vegas.

[Whirnot]

According to the owners manual, Thor checks the alignment at the factory prior to delivery. A proper alignment centers the steering wheel first, then the wheels are aligned to the specifications using this wheel setting.
I have aligned hundreds