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steering wheel off center

33K views 33 replies 12 participants last post by  The Squirrel  
#1 ·


this is how my steering wheel sits while im going straight. It is quicker to react to a right turn and slower on a left turn. I pulled off the center cap and saw a big nut. If i remove the nut does the steering wheel pull off so i center it?
 
#2 ·
I see tags.. is it new? If so have the dealer set it up right. To answer you question... I have not had the wheel off my 700xp but have on other vehicles and the steering wheel is on a spline, held in place by the nut. Removing the nut you can remove the wheel and move over a few teeth. It may require a little force .

John
 
#3 · (Edited)
If it's quicker from one side to the other, you may have a problem some where, regardless of steering wheel being off. The steering rack may not be aligned properly.

Is this the same way it's been since your post from April?
Has anyone done anything to the front end?
Can you post a pic of the tie rod ends ( threaded part).

If no one has has been working on the front end.
1. Remove center cap of steering wheel.
2. Hold steering wheel while removing nut.
3. You can try a puller, but it could deform the bottom of the steering wheel, so watch it.
4. You can use a micro torch to heat the aluminum (splined) insert in the center of steering wheel, do this on top and bottom.
Do not heat to long in one spot.
5. If those do not work I can give you some instructions on removing the upper steering shaft.

I'm sure you have read this, but since you have power steering DO NOT BEAT ON THE STEERING ASSEMBLY IN ANY FORM.


And speaking of steering wheels, Polaris has a new heated steering wheel that just came out,
 
#4 ·
It hasnt been address yet. I havent really driven it much since turkey season. But now the deer season is aund the corner im getting things ready. I guess i will call my dealer first, hopefully my extended warranty cover it.
 
#5 ·
Sounds to me like you may have a bent tie rod or something, if it steers differently one way than the other...
 
#6 ·
Very possible Jason. if the Ranger has hit any kind of immovable object it could have bent the a-arms/tie-rod or even tweak the frame and it would show up in the wheel.. OR they just blew it when it was originally assembled...
 
#11 · (Edited)
You can do it this way but it is not correct, if you want maximum turning radius for both sides.

Whoever supplies the racks to Polaris, alignes them in a jig (set to center with an alignment pen mark on the pinion gear) so they just have to be bolted in.
The last thing that goes on to the steering system is the steering wheel. The upper shaft (if I remember correctly is 40 splined, 9 degrees per tooth) so it is easy for the wheel to be misaligned ( during production assembly).

So you could get away with adjusting the tie rod ends for it being off 1 possibly 3 splines. But the fact still remains that by doing this you shorten/lengthen which ever side of the rack. This changes turning radius etc. In your case it may be minor and not very noticeable, but it does exist.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I just called my dealer and of course they "have never heard of this before". Due to their lack of overnight storage space i cannot drop it off to them till Tuesday.
and no i havent hit anything. It only has about 15hrs in it and i baby my toys. Heck it sits in the garage and the wifes car sits outside.....
 
#13 ·
I just called my dealer and of course they "have never heard of this before". Due to their lack of overnight storage space i cannot drop it off to them till Tuesday.
I have heard that before..........a lot...
 
#14 ·
IF YOU POUND AT ALL ON THE SHAFT OR WHEEL YOU WILL DAMADGE THE STEERING BOX.

My old 14' Ranger 900 XP had off the center wheel and the salesman took the cap off and proceeded to pound the nut while his buddy pulled up on the wheel. Needless to say they took a box outa another new machine to get mine delivered. And yes I stood there and watched it all happen.

To straighten you wheel follow the shaft all the way down to where it goes onto the rack. Remove the bolt disconnect here and alighn accordingly.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Did you actually do this or are you assuming?
And the unit in question has power steering, so it will be extremely difficult to do as you described, since it has two steering shafts instead of one, with the PS unit in the middle.


Any way,
That will not work!
The pinion gear on the rack is keyed (actually peened), the lower steering shaft only goes on one way. It can't be oriented to straighten the steering wheel.
 
#16 ·
Regardless of how to fix it if you only have 15hrs on it and haven't hit anything it would be going to the dealer and one way or the other warrantied. Was it like that when you bought if so why didn't you have them fix it before taking it home.???
 
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#18 ·
I told them about it last time I had it in but they didn't do anything about it. So I thought it a non issue just the nature of the beast. That was back in the spring and I haven't really driven it much since. Well now preparing for the fall hunting season I've been tinkering with my stuff and kinda brought this back to light.
 
#24 ·
Update

dealer said it was out of alinement and adjusted the steering wheel. I'll find out tomorrow when i pick it up exactly how he adjusted the wheel.
 
#27 ·
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so the dealer "fixed" my steering wheel issue by playing with the tie rods. He said he didnt have a steering wheel puller so couldnt fix it that way. Now the issue i see is that my front tires are not even. Passenger side leans in 3/4" at the top and the driver leans in only a 1/4". the mechanic saw the leaning tires as well. We measured with a tape and level. He took pics and is contacting polaris. Fyi my rear a arms have already been replaced due to excessive camber.
 
#28 ·
I think im loosing faith in my dealer...
 
#30 ·
Wel checked the turning radius today and wouldnt you know it...it turns tighter to the right. Turning left takes a full ranger width longer to complete the turn. AND my passenger side a arm guard now rubs the inside of the tire during full turn, hense the tighter turning radius to the right side. So all this happened after the "tie rod fix" of my mis aligned steering wheel. I swear if ots not one thing its another.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Well checked the turning radius today and wouldnt you know it...it turns tighter to the right. Turning left takes a full ranger width longer to complete the turn. AND my passenger side a arm guard now rubs the inside of the tire during full turn, hense the tighter turning radius to the right side. So all this happened after the "tie rod fix" of my mis aligned steering wheel. I swear if its not one thing its another.

Sounds like toxic was spot on with his diagnosis.
 
#33 ·
Not sure if you ever got your steering aligned properly, but here is how I did mine on my 2015 900 XP. I just installed Super ATV A-arms so realignment was needed anyway. The first thing I did was center the rack. I did this by turning the steering wheel all the way in one direction till it stops, then turned the wheel all the way in the other direction while carefully counting the number of rotations that the steering wheel makes. Then divided that by 2 and rotated the steering wheel back in the other direction by that amount (total rotations divided by 2). I used a reference mark on the steering wheel to do this. Once I had the rack centered the steering wheel was about 1/8 of a turn from being straight, so I pulled it off and rotated a few splines to get it straight and put the nut back on and tightened. Then while keeping the steering wheel straight, I adjusted the tie rod ends to get the wheels straight. I am not sure what ranger requires the toe to be, but I got the wheels as straight as possible with a long straight edge placed against the side wall of the tire and putting them as straight as possible to the naked eye. Centering the rack is very important as it assures you get full/equal turning in both directions.
FYI, I was able to get my steering wheel off by removing the nut then patiently pulling firmly on the wheel while wiggling back and forth. I did take some time for it to come off.
I am curious to know if anyone knows what the spec requires the toe to be on 2015 900 XP ranger.
 
#34 ·
Just went through this on my 2020 5oo. Kept busting right side cv boots. Tire rod end were No threads on RF 3/4 in worth on LF. I Lined up factory paint marks on rack. Set toe. Removed and reset steering wheel. My dealer did my alignment wrong after I took unit in for 1st service. It Caused boot failure 3 times.