Confirm the symptom
Road-test safely and determine whether the steering is actually slow to return, sticks at a position, or the car merely pulls on a crowned road.
STEERING · 2002 · MEMORY STEER
2002 Firebird Memory Steer / Poor Return-to-Center Diagnosis
Memory steer is the tendency to remain biased after steering input instead of returning normally. Treat it as a binding/geometry diagnostic problem, not automatically an alignment setting.
APPLICATION: 2002 Pontiac Firebird / Formula / Trans Am. Modified steering/suspension hardware requires inspection of the installed configuration.
Look for binding
Inspect steering and suspension joints, mounts and related hardware for damage, excessive friction, incorrect installation or preload.
Check geometry after hardware
Ride height, alignment and modified suspension geometry matter, but measurements are most useful after obvious binding or damaged parts are excluded.
DO NOT CALL IT A RACK YET
Prove where the steering effort/binding originates before replacing the steering gear or other expensive components.
FPV RULE
OBSERVE → MEASURE → ISOLATE → PROVE → REPAIR → VERIFY. A symptom is a starting point, not a parts verdict.