[TrkMRS]

Hi, not new to the forum, but I did pick up a project MR2 Spyder with super low miles. I tried searching the forum and didn't fine a tread that resolved the issue I'm having.

So the steering wheel is WAY off centered. It's turned about 45 degrees clock wise while the car is going straight. The car tends to pull towards the right a bit.

Would like to know the first thing to check, or should an alignment be done first. I haven't had the chance to put it on a lift just yet, but I'm suspecting somethings bent or super worn.

 

[OldMan]

Hi, not new to the forum, but I did pick up a project MR2 Spyder with super low miles. I tried searching the forum and didn't fine a tread that resolved the issue I'm having.

So the steering wheel is WAY off centered. It's turned about 45 degrees clock wise while the car is going straight. The car tends to pull towards the right a bit.

Would like to know the first thing to check, or should an alignment be done first. I haven't had the chance to put it on a lift just yet, but I'm suspecting somethings bent or super worn.

Have an alignment done. Centering the steering wheel is standard practice during an alignment. If the steering wheel is off-center due to damage, the alignment procedure will find the fault.

 

[phattires]

First thing I'd do is just look and see if you can see anything is bent . Next I'd check out the front brakes , make sure the calipers are moving freely on the slides pins ..... they do freeze up occasionally .

 

[03MRS]

I would get allignment. Both steering wheel crooked, and car pulling is typical of somebody hitting a curb or big pothole and bending one of the suspension components. Luckily most of the time, it can be easily fixed by alignment and from your description I am 99% sure that this is the problem. (seen this way too many times)

 

[FormInFunction]

I would look over the rest of that “low mileage gem” ASAP...anyone that has an alignment that far gone has done questionable maintenance elsewhere as well. I have a friend that has bought multiple sh*tboxes between high school & college and the steering wheel has never been centered in any of em....on the bright side most of them came with seatbelts installed...

 

[beachbum]

Check the history of the car with Carfax or similar if possible. Super low mileage cars fall into a couple categories. Some were used little and stored properly (basically treated like a classic or show car), some were used little and left to the elements the rest of the time (a neighbors Spyder sitting in his back yard), but some were built from low mileage wrecks.

The history will give a good idea of the way the car was treated. If you see long periods (years) where the mileage didn't change, and the car shows some signs of damage (steering way off center), it is possible it is a car built from parts from wrecked cars.

Researching low mileage Spyders over the years has revealed a number that were reconstructed from wrecks

 

[carlbecker]

The steering wheel that much off center suggests major problems with work done on the car previously or major problems with the car in general, like an accident. That is a red flag for me and a serious mark against purchase.

 

[N_AL_spyder]

You can get under the car and see how far the tie rod ends are threaded on. Measure the length of the threaded part. It should be close to the same length on both sides. If you're lucky that's the only problem, but that's about as far you can get without an alignment rack. Ether the suspension/steering was apart and (sloppily) put back together, or something is really wrong

Very bad alignment can quickly ruin tires, too.

Sent from my SM-A107M using Tapatalk

 

[suoiruc]

One other possibility for the off-center steering wheel could be from improper indexing after replacing a clock spring, etc. Try centering the steering wheel then spin it all the way left then all the way right and if it spins one way more than the other, it’s been indexed incorrectly.

 

[Stuntman]

echoing other posters: get the alignment immediately. also makes me suspect about this "low mileage" find and avoid whatever resource you used to get it imo. just seems so unethical. people dont care once its off their hands - its in your hands now and they could not care less. be careful op.