Steering shaft twisted?

[Deevo]

Hi all. The other day I hit a large, heavy dog. The front tyres were locked up when I hit it and it hit the driver's side front tyre. Now my steering wheel is a quarter turn out. We've checked all the rods and arms in front of the diff several times and can't find any of them bent - besides, the tyre hit the dog, not a steel component. Based on all this, I assume my steering column shaft is twisted. Would you agree with this? Secondly, can it be safely straightened? How? Has anyone had/got experience with this situation? Thanks in advance. Deevo.

[BigRAWesty]

Check the rubber flex join in the steering rod.. it may have tawn

[4bye4]

Probably not twisted steering column, more likely a torn rubber like westy said or maybe a bent draglink.

[Bloodyaussie]

How was the dog. ... not good i gather.

[the evil twin]

Never seen or heard of a 'twisted' steering shaft myself but possible I spose.

If you can't visually spot a torn bush, bent tie rod or steering arm then take it for a wheel alignment check, cost is bugger all and they will soon pick up if something is fubar

[Deevo]

Not sure. By the time I got out of the car it was bolting down the road, flat chat (which is how it ran in front of me) with 3 guys in a Hyundai Excel chasing it. It must have sustained some pretty bad injuries though.

[dom14]

Am I hallucinating or your steering shaft got damaged by hitting a dog that even managed to run away with few injuries, while your vehicle also sustained significant "injuries" to the steering system by hitting a "dog"??!!!
And this was a Nissan Patrol?
What am I missing here??!!
Are we talking about a 'colloquial dog', not a real dog here???!! :)

[Robo]

Maybe the pitman arms bent ??

[dom14]

Maybe the pitman arms bent ??

i reckon the steering shaft damage was caused by hitting something else while trying to avoid hitting the dog.

[BigRAWesty]

So I saw on fb last night a steering box output shaft of a gq snapped..
Never seen it before but there was a few comments of people who have had it happen to them..
Hopefully it wasn't the OP.

[dom14]

So I saw on fb last night a steering box output shaft of a gq snapped..
Never seen it before but there was a few comments of people who have had it happen to them..
Hopefully it wasn't the OP.

Yeah but, what are the scenarios you can think of that could happen?
I mean, if the output shaft can snap easily, that can't be a good thing, can it?
Loosing control of a vehicle 'cos of something getting stuck near the steering output shaft at high speed & snapping it,
is bit scary.

[BigRAWesty]

Most said it was from impact with things on the track..
But..
That's a hell of a hit..
I guess you keep beefing things up like steering rods etc the next weakest thing will snap..

[Deevo]

Well, to answer the cynicism above, I took the car to a 4x4 wheel aligner and he discovered the track was stretched. Everything else was ok so he just set the toe in. This did not bring the steering wheel back to centre so he had a look at the splined couplings at the bottom of the steering shaft and said all the GUs he's worked on, have the slot in the couplings point straight up. Mine are out a bit. He suspected the shaft inside the steering box may have a very slight twist in it, probably at the root of the spline. He also said you only have to stretch a track rod by a bee's pube and the toe in will be affected. And yes, it was a BIG dog. Thanks for all your replies though.

[BigRAWesty]

Well, to answer the cynicism above, I took the car to a 4x4 wheel aligner and he discovered the track was stretched. Everything else was ok so he just set the toe in. This did not bring the steering wheel back to centre so he had a look at the splined couplings at the bottom of the steering shaft and said all the GUs he's worked on, have the slot in the couplings point straight up. Mine are out a bit. He suspected the shaft inside the steering box may have a very slight twist in it, probably at the root of the spline. He also said you only have to stretch a track rod by a bee's pube and the toe in will be affected. And yes, it was a BIG dog. Thanks for all your replies though.
I'd be replacing the box mate asap..they are hardened steel so any twist will fatigue the metal making it brittle..

Also what was stretched. The track?
I'll assume it's the rod between box and left wheel hub?
If so that's you drag link or steering rod..
And if it's be bent or streched then best replace that too....