My Jeep XJ Steering wheel isn't aligned. When the steering wheel and the "Jeep" letters are centered The wheels are rotated about 20 degrees. Why? How do i fix it?

 

You might need an alignment but if you want to just turn it, you need to borrow a steering wheel puller or harmonic balancer puller. On my '87, the wheel is on a splined shaft. Disconnect the battery, remove the horn cap, remove the three screws that hold the horn switch thingy, remove the large nut. Then you use the puller to pull the wheel off the shaft. Make sure you have your Jeep on a level surface with wheels straight ahead. Then make a mark to where the wheel should be. When you put your wheel back on, just line it up.

If you have an airbag, it's a lot more complicated.

 

adjust your drag link adjuster to straighten wheel, but also check steering because your wheel shouldnt randomly become off centered unless something caused it

 

I didn't see what year you had-my write up might not apply-Don't know about 99

 

Like jomps said.
But if it happened suddenly your front end my be out of alignment. If not you can realign the steering wheel in about 10-15mins. No need what so ever to have to pull the steering wheel.

 

Just my opinion, but if there's no airbag to fool with, taking a steering wheel off is <15 minutes and only takes a screw driver, wrench and a puller, you can do it yourself and you don't have to jack up your vehicle. Lot of people driving cars with off center steering wheels after garage alignments.

 

If his steering wheel is not straight, its not because someone broke into his jeep, pulled his wheel off, turned it, and put it back on. taking the wheel off to fix it is the wrong way to do it. He just needs to use the adjuster sleeve on the drag link. And plus iirc the wheel can only go on one way because of the splines like on the pitman arm

 

that may be how youd do it but i would do it and have done it the other way but i also have an airbag

 

Just thinking that getting that drag link loosened up can be a lot of work. I agree, the drag link is the best way to do it but sometimes, you play the cards your dealt...But really, I don't believe it would take 10-15 minutes to un-seize a drag link on a 10+year old Jeep. If it were all new parts, recently aligned etc, then maybe it's that quick.

Actually, I mis-read his original post as I thought he was saying his steering wheel wasn't aligned. He's saying his wheels are off 20 degrees when his wheel is straight. I'm was assuming his wheels are straight and his Jeep tracks straight. If it's because his pitman arm is that far from straight ahead center, then he's got another problem and your solution is better.

 

draglink ajustment is the only way to go here, it should'nt be seized or anything. Loosen 2 small bolts on teh adjusting sleeve, then pipe wrench one way to lenghten, other way to shorten the draglink, this will move the steering wheel position.
You can't rotate the steering wheel on a GM steering wheel (used in XJs w/o airbags) a "few splines", it is keyed to make sure the horn contact will line up with the hole in the steering wheel.