He had finished lubricating my brakes - in case that was relevant - and parked the car outside. Before I left his shop, he wanted to show me the wear pattern on my tires, so he cranked the steering wheel all the way to the left. There was a very loud and discernible thump/snap that occurred as he finished turning the wheels.
Since then, the steering wheel has been tilting rightwards slightly (as if turning right) when driving straight. There's also a slight pull to the right, and steering to the left feels a tiny bit more stiffer than the right when driving. I'm definitely not imagining it!
I wasn't able to reproduce the noise when steering all the way to the stop in either direction, and the steering is currently smooth and quiet. I did have the alignment checked and everything was within spec.
Could he have damaged a part in the steering system, like the pinion/rack? What could be the issue, if not?
(Also, here's the alignment report I got, in case that helps. The tech at the alignment shop said the steering wheel offset is less than 0.2 of a degree. )
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