384 Auto Suspension and Steering Copyright by Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. It is advisable to torque the fasteners to the factory specifi cations. Some vehicles with conventional steering have a specifi c location for the tie rod adjusting sleeve clamp bolts. If the bolts are not placed in this position, they could contact other underbody parts. On any vehicle, make sure the bolts cannot contact any part of the underbody. Warning: A loose fastener or an incorrectly positioned sleeve can cause the steering to disconnect or jam, contributing to an accident. Double check the torque of all fasteners and the position of all parts before removing the vehicle from the alignment rack. Centering the Steering Wheel after Alignment Note: On vehicles with only one tie rod adjusting sleeve, the steering wheel cannot be centered using the following procedure. Aft er the toe has been set, you will sometimes fi nd that the steering wheel is slightly off center when the vehicle is driven in a straight line. To straighten the steering wheel without aff ecting toe, fi rst drive the vehicle back onto the alignment rack. Make sure the turn plates are not locked, and place the steering wheel in the centered position. Install the steering wheel lock. Raise the vehicle to a comfortable working height and loosen the toe adjuster locknuts or lock bolts at the tie rods. Be sure not to move the adjusters themselves. Sight down the front and rear of the outside sidewall of one front tire. Th en, sight down the outside of the other front tire. One tire will appear to be toed in and the other will appear to be toed out. Turn each adjuster the same amount until both tires are straight ahead. For instance, if the right adjuster is turned out 1/4 turn, the left adjuster should be moved 1/4 turn. Caution: It is very important that the adjusters be turned the same amount to move each tire the same amount in the same direction. If the adjusters are not moved the same amount, toe will change. Tire position can be determined by sighting down the outside sidewall of each front tire. Th e front tires are straight when sighting down the front and rear sidewall allows you to see the outer sidewall of the rear tire. Once the tires appear to be pointed straight ahead, remove the steer- ing wheel lock, and turn the wheel from side to side several times. Th en, center the steering wheel and sight down the tire sidewalls again. Readjust the tire position if necessary. Once both tires are straight, retighten the adjuster locknuts. Lower the vehicle and road test to determine whether the steering wheel is straight. If the steering wheel is still not centered, repeat the centering procedure as needed. Setting Steering Angle Sensor Zero Point Many vehicles with electric-motor–driven power steering must have the steering angle sensor, sometimes called the position sensor or torque sensor, recalibrated. Th is is usu- ally called setting the zero point, and is oft en necessary aft er steering part replacement and/or suspension alignment. Need for zero point setting is indicated if the vehicle steer- ing eff ort varies between sides or aft er replacement of the following steering system parts: • Rack-and-pinion assembly. • Steering column, and/or steering angle sensor. • Power steering ECU. • Steering wheel. Note: On some vehicles, the zero point calibration is performed automatically when the ECM or steering angle sensor has been replaced. Zero point resetting procedures vary between manu- facturers. Most setting procedures require a scan tool capa- ble of reading steering angle sensor input and changing the sensor zero point. Make sure that the scan tool that you are planning to use has the programming to set zero point. Note: On some vehicles, it is possible to perform the zero point setting procedure without a scan tool by grounding DLC terminal 12 to terminal 4 (chassis ground). Ground the DLC terminals only if specifically allowed by the manufacturer’s instructions. A general procedure for setting zero point with a scan tool begins with setting the steering wheel to the center position and ensuring that the front wheels point straight ahead. Some vehicles must be set aft er the wheel has been centered as part of a wheel alignment. In this case, perform the rest of the zero point setting procedure with the vehicle on the alignment rack. Once the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead position, do not move it until the procedure is completed. Next, ensure that the ignition switch is in the off posi- tion and connect the scan tool. Th en, turn the ignition switch to the on position or start the engine if called for by the procedure. Follow scan tool directions to allow the power steering ECM to recognize the steering angle sensor and recalibrate the zero position. Th e prompts on the scan tool screen may ask you to perform certain steps to fi nish the zero-point calibration process. Once the zero position has been set, turn the ignition switch to off and disconnect