So my truck (20 Screw 4x4) went into the body shop for a bumper, filler panel, lower trim, and an alignment. I had to go back a 2nd time due to stuff under the paint in the one panel and the steering wheel was off center but the wheels are in straight and within spec.
They redid the alignment but the steering wheel is still off center. I've spoke with a friend and he said that it might have to be recalibrated to be center and wasn't 100%, so i'm asking here. what is the steps when doing an alignment to center the wheel. can it be done by anyone with a wrench in a shop or is this something that has to be done with a computer?

 

To center the steering wheel, the alignment tech locks the steering wheel straight and adjusts both right and left toe at the tie rod ends. They must perform a thrust angle alignment to compensate for any difference front to rear in the wheels that could have been thrown off from an accident or normal wear and tear. If the thrust angle measurement is out of spec, something needs to be changed.

 

Put another way, the steering wheel should be straight ahead when the rack is centered. When the rack is centered, the tie rods are adjusted to make the wheels conform to the rack.

Otherwise--and this is common--you have 2 turns to lock one way, and 1 1/2 turns the other way, and the truck pulls one way or the other.

Lots of threads where people go down the road of wanting to remove the steering wheel and put it back on "centered". No no no.....

 

WHY would you have 2 turns 1 way & only 1-1/2 the other way to lock-up....It should be the same !! My 2013 heavy duty 7 stud with the heavy duty rack takes 3+ full turns each way !! & yes it does tend to pull something differently on each highway etc. (400,000 km's)
I think I'm correct a standard rack is 5 full turns end to end & a HD is 7 turns end to end ??

 

As he said, someone didn't center the rack before doing the alignment.

 

The steering shaft has two sensors.
An ANGLE and a TORQUE.
The Rack has to be centered to match.
The steering links set to match, after and according to Alignment specs.
It's no longer so simple.
If the shop does not know this, find one that does.
.
A hint; The Angle and Torque sensors tell the Electric motor through a control module, how much effort to apply, how far to move, and when to stop the Rack movement.
Just imagine if there were no controls over this?
That's why it's not so simple.
And people wonder why the steering pulls when out of correct setting.
Good luck.