Steering wheel is not centered

[No Tyme]

In my opinion it DOES tie into the alignment. Over the years I have had many cars and trucks that have had alignments done. A good shop with simply ask you "is your steering wheel centered" before they do the alignment. A person who knows what they are doing on the machine can correct steering center issues but no one is perfect.

I would say to bring it to there attention and if they are not willing to correct the issue (which means doing the alignment again) don't return to that shop.

[Donstar]

In my opinion it DOES tie into the alignment. Over the years I have had many cars and trucks that have had alignments done. A good shop with simply ask you "is your steering wheel centered" before they do the alignment. A person who knows what they are doing on the machine can correct steering center issues but no one is perfect.

I would say to bring it to there attention and if they are not willing to correct the issue (which means doing the alignment again) don't return to that shop.

I agree. I have an alignment when I buy new tires. I have commented that I want them to make sure the steering wheel is straight and have always been told that is part of the alignment process!

[Dnt]

Having the steering wheel turned off center when going straight down a level road would irritate the crap out of me. Probably almost as much as my plastic dash piece sticking up right in my line of vision "pic" >

dealer replaced the plastic piece but the new one sticks up a bit too no fasteners in that spot. I thought that while you guys were looking for the steering wheel centering problem that if you could not find that you might enjoy the lose plastic dash piece. Have Fun.

[Adamrg]

 

I totally agree. I have done front end alignments (and 4 wheel alignments) back in high school in automotive class and there is a tool that holds the steering wheel and you have to make sure the wheel is centered and straight before you even touch the wheels. A good shop/tech would know that :/

A good tech should be able to perform a perfect alignment without ever touching the steering wheel lock.

Mine's off to the right, and it's a bit annoying at times. Had it noted when I went in for the first lof, but they said alignment was perfect.

Didn't really feel like arguing, I'll just take care of it myself when I get around to it.

[Thomcat]

My steering wheel is off centered as well but im pretty sure they are all designed & made that way

Every GM I ever bought new was dead on center from the factory, only time off center was when someone screwed with the steering wheel or alignment. Once the steering wheel has been removed, a rack or recirc ball chuck/Pitman arm has been replaced or one or both of the tie rods have been moved to correct toe-in during alignment, it is a crap shoot on centering. For dead on center the first thing is to make is sure that the steering unit is centralized, i.e. the steering shaft gear/ball set is in the center of the steering mechanism so that it will have an equal number of turns to the left and to the right..........then the steering wheel must be exact center, if not it must be removed from the shaft and centered and immobilized in that position (usually by a bungee to the brake pedal)....and only then the vehicles wheels should be aligned. If they do it backwards, i.e. align the wheels without first assuring the steering wheel and mechanism is centralized either the steering wheel will be cockeyed or you'll have a different degree of rotation CCW than CW.

 

Been there, done that, at a dealer that replaced the steering wheel cockeyed then tried to straighten it out with alignment.....had a larger turning radius left than right.....only way to straighten it out was to remove the steering wheel, center the chuck and then turn the tie rods for proper toe-in.

[Tattooo]

When I say off center I meant slightly to the left of the gauge cluster not tilted from a bad alignment.....I was not clear

[Cosmic Charlie]

When I say off center I meant slightly to the left of the gauge cluster not tilted from a bad alignment.....I was not clear

 

I've complained about the "to the left steering column" for 15 + years ...

 

GM has over the years shrunk the drivers seat and increased the center console to mask it ...

 

It is to the left for a 3rd person to sit in the middle, but for all the trucks with bucket seats it's a joke ..

 

Even the Escalade has it pushed left

 

For what the truck cost - if GM had any class they would have a U Joint set up (of some sort) in the steering column to move it right centered to the drivers bucket seat ... would make the Drivers Cockpit "correct"

 

Not likely to see that happen

 

I wonder if one could argue it makes for unsafe driving ? Are you not supposed to be sitting centered behind the steering wheel when driving ?

[redwngr]

They've made them with the wheel centre slightly to the left of driver sitting position for a lot longer than 15 years .... 40+ years at least.

 

Clearly it is intentional, and not likely to change.

[Orlando8]

Ha, my 2017 is slightly off to the right

[Thomcat]

They've made them with the wheel centre slightly to the left of driver sitting position for a lot longer than 15 years .... 40+ years at least.

 

Clearly it is intentional, and not likely to change.

x2 Everyone should get real it's a truck, not a sports car where the concept of a floor "console" was to "look cool" and house the stark manual shift boot/lever whose fork went into the transmission directly below permitting faster shifts without the need for rods or cables connecting to a column shift. Became popular in mid 60s cars like my '65 Impala SS and convenient to house either the auto or manual shift levers. No cockpit dashes then, when the only important concept was that you could see the gauges through the steering wheel.

 

Trucks are made for utility, wide enough for 3 in the front and designed so that the the center seating position doesn't interfere with the driver's ability to steer the vehicle. Impractical to think designers would redesign the truck to relocate the steering wheel a few inches right for the low percentage of vehicles with the optional console.....I guess it could be done as a 5-10K$ option over the cost of the console and few would go for it anyway. Want it perfectly centered in the cockpit? Then buy a vehicle designed for two passenger buckets like a Traverse or Impala, not a vehicle designed for a dual 50/50 or 40/20/40 front seating role. Been driving the Traverse/Impala/Silverado and I hadn't even noticed the relationship between the location of the steering wheel and the center of the gauge cockpit. The only thing that is of any importance to me in steering geometry is that when seated in the center of the seat my Johnson points directly at the bowtie in the center of the steering wheel!

[mookdoc6]

x2 Everyone should get real it's a truck, not a sports car where the concept of a floor "console" was to "look cool" and house the stark manual shift boot/lever whose fork went into the transmission directly below permitting faster shifts without the need for rods or cables connecting to a column shift. Became popular in mid 60s cars like my '65 Impala SS and convenient to house either the auto or manual shift levers. No cockpit dashes then, when the only important concept was that you could see the gauges through the steering wheel.

 

Trucks are made for utility, wide enough for 3 in the front and designed so that the the center seating position doesn't interfere with the driver's ability to steer the vehicle. Impractical to think designers would redesign the truck to relocate the steering wheel a few inches right for the low percentage of vehicles with the optional console.....I guess it could be done as a 5-10K$ option over the cost of the console and few would go for it anyway. Want it perfectly centered in the cockpit? Then buy a vehicle designed for two passenger buckets like a Traverse or Impala, not a vehicle designed for a dual 50/50 or 40/20/40 front seating role. Been driving the Traverse/Impala/Silverado and I hadn't even noticed the relationship between the location of the steering wheel and the center of the gauge cockpit. The only thing that is of any importance to me in steering geometry is that when seated in the center of the seat my Johnson points directly at the bowtie in the center of the steering wheel!

 

Where I am from they jam 4 abreast in the front seat!

[Donstar]

Where I am from they jam 4 abreast in the front seat!

Only on rainy days...On nice days the extras go in the back... All joking aside, this was common practice when I was growing up! Regular cabs were the norm.

[sk]

x2 Everyone should get real it's a truck, not a sports car where the concept of a floor "console" was to "look cool" and house the stark manual shift boot/lever whose fork went into the transmission directly below permitting faster shifts without the need for rods or cables connecting to a column shift. Became popular in mid 60s cars like my '65 Impala SS and convenient to house either the auto or manual shift levers. No cockpit dashes then, when the only important concept was that you could see the gauges through the steering wheel.

 

Trucks are made for utility, wide enough for 3 in the front and designed so that the the center seating position doesn't interfere with the driver's ability to steer the vehicle. Impractical to think designers would redesign the truck to relocate the steering wheel a few inches right for the low percentage of vehicles with the optional console.....I guess it could be done as a 5-10K$ option over the cost of the console and few would go for it anyway. Want it perfectly centered in the cockpit? Then buy a vehicle designed for two passenger buckets like a Traverse or Impala, not a vehicle designed for a dual 50/50 or 40/20/40 front seating role. Been driving the Traverse/Impala/Silverado and I hadn't even noticed the relationship between the location of the steering wheel and the center of the gauge cockpit. The only thing that is of any importance to me in steering geometry is that when seated in the center of the seat my Johnson points directly at the bowtie in the center of the steering wheel!

 

What the OP is talking about doesn't have anything to do with bench vs. bucket seats. Both styles of truck have the same issue. The seat, steering column, and center of the gauge cluster do not line up with each other.

 

I agree it's stupid but like others have said GM has been doing it for years. Like you I've just learned to get used to it (but that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to see it changed!)

[beerguy214]

They should center your wheel when doing the alignment.They have a tool that presses against the seat and holds the steering wheel straight while doing the alignment.Sometimes the tech could be a little off when he puts the tool on.Also some roads have more of a crown on them drainage which could also make your wheel off a little but yours looks to be a little accessible.

[Thomcat]

 

What the OP is talking about doesn't have anything to do with bench vs. bucket seats. Both styles of truck have the same issue. The seat, steering column, and center of the gauge cluster do not line up with each other.

 

I agree it's stupid but like others have said GM has been doing it for years. Like you I've just learned to get used to it (but that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to see it changed!)

There is no bench seats vs. buckets, the 40/20/40 (= 100 width of the cabin) "bench" has the same two width "40%" wide independent buckets each with the same independent 10 way power adjustments but instead of a full length "20%" wide console it has a short 2 piece storage console the top armrest storage half able to unfold and become the backrest for a center seat and the bottom seat half non movable second large lockable storage console. It is essentially a short floor console minus the crap in front so the floor area can be used for footspace for a center occupant.

 

And as far as the steering wheel off center to the "pod", just noticed the same in my Traverse, Malibu and new Impala. More concerned that one can view the gauges through the wheel and it is at the center of the bucket seat.....who cares if it is an inch or two off center from the gauge pod.

 

Can't really move the pod further left otherwise it would impinge on the HVAC and control area designs. And after years of designing vehicles to meet crash safety standards, GM is unlikely to make any alterations or incorporate kludges like a "U" joint to relocate steering wheel position that will end up biting them in the a$$ when a driver gets skewered on the wheel and the lawyers cost them billions in lawsuits and recalls.