Crooked Steering Wheel

My steering wheel on my '99 GMC Yukon is crooked. It is turned a few
degrees to the left when the truck is travelling down the road straight.
Tires are worn evenly, and the front end is lubed every 5k miles or so. The
vehicle has 51k miles. I know an alignment should fix this, but why would
the steering wheel do this? Does this mean a steering component on one side
has more wear than on the other? Seems to me that if all steering
components were wearing evenly, the wheel would stay centered, but perhaps
the toe would be off, for instance. I don't remember any of my cars doing
this, except if I had an alignment and they didn't center the wheel. Any
ideas?

Does it do it on all roads? Many vehicles will do this on crowned roads.

--
Steve

...
> My steering wheel on my '99 GMC Yukon is crooked. It is turned a few
> degrees to the left when the truck is travelling down the road
straight.
> Tires are worn evenly, and the front end is lubed every 5k miles or
so. The
> vehicle has 51k miles. I know an alignment should fix this, but why
would
> the steering wheel do this? Does this mean a steering component on
one side
> has more wear than on the other? Seems to me that if all steering
> components were wearing evenly, the wheel would stay centered, but
perhaps
> the toe would be off, for instance. I don't remember any of my cars
doing
> this, except if I had an alignment and they didn't center the wheel.
Any
> ideas?
>
>



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Does a different driver drive this truck at times? maybe a young teen?
Sounds to me like someone hit a curb or something with the frontend.
Some roads are pretty rough lately, maybe you have hit a bad pot hole
or two.
You did not mention if the truck has always had this problem.

No, no other drivers. It just recently developed the problem, which is why
I'm puzzled about it. I don't remember any potholes that I hit hard enough
to cause something like this and I'm sure I didn't hit any curbs.

"ferretkona" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Does a different driver drive this truck at times? maybe a young teen?
> Sounds to me like someone hit a curb or something with the frontend.
> Some roads are pretty rough lately, maybe you have hit a bad pot hole
> or two.
> You did not mention if the truck has always had this problem.
>

"WaterWatcher" > wrote in message
. ..
> No, no other drivers. It just recently developed the problem, which is
> why I'm puzzled about it. I don't remember any potholes that I hit hard
> enough to cause something like this and I'm sure I didn't hit any curbs.
>
> "ferretkona" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Does a different driver drive this truck at times? maybe a young teen?
>> Sounds to me like someone hit a curb or something with the frontend.
>> Some roads are pretty rough lately, maybe you have hit a bad pot hole
>> or two.
>> You did not mention if the truck has always had this problem.

Add up the wearable parts on the front end. Then total the' little
wears' for each component, realizing that for ~6-7 years it has been driven,
and wearing, while possibly rolling along a road crowned down to the right
and with steer. wheel being pulled--ever so slightly--to the left to offset
the crown, and it can very well be there from normal wear. (If the wear
concerns you, and with only 51k miles on a '99, I'd love to relieve your
concerns by purchasing it. HTH, s

If not worn or broken parts, check for tire pressure if you havent
allready.

A low tire can cause it.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
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WaterWatcher wrote:
>
> No, no other drivers. It just recently developed the problem, which is why
> I'm puzzled about it. I don't remember any potholes that I hit hard enough
> to cause something like this and I'm sure I didn't hit any curbs.
>
> "ferretkona" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > Does a different driver drive this truck at times? maybe a young teen?
> > Sounds to me like someone hit a curb or something with the frontend.
> > Some roads are pretty rough lately, maybe you have hit a bad pot hole
> > or two.
> > You did not mention if the truck has always had this problem.
> >