parked my car on the street last night. it was on a hill so I had my wheels curbed(turned all the way to the left). came out today to find some idiot managed to hit my driver side wheel and fender. my alignment was way out of whack and the steering wheel no longer gravitates toward center when I let my hand off the wheel. got an alignment today. everything is back within spec and the guy said he didn't notice any damage. I seem to have power steering but if I turn the wheel it just stays there until I turn it back. any ideas about what's happening?

 

Post up the print out of the alignment.

 

Sounds like the steering rack is shot. Same thing happened to my old civic when someone hit the fender and wheel.

 

Caster is the alignment angle that causes the wheel to return back to center, if any components are shifted or bent ie: steering rack, ect, it'll affect it.

+1 on posting the print out.

 

Bent steering rack or tie rod..

 

the rear is unchanged from the last alignment and front is currently at 1.6 camber both sides, 6.6 caster both sides. and 0.0 toe both sides. camber and caster are not within factory spec but it's the same numbers i had before i got hit and the car ran great. the guy who did my alignment before said that a little extra caster would help with high speed stability at the track.

 

if it were a tie rod the guy doing the alignment would have noticed, right? which means(as mentioned by et cetera as well) my rack is the issue?

 

Almost positive... bent rack as stated above.
Seen it a few times.

 

One little bow in the rack rod will kill it. We're only talking a couple thousandths here. Jack the front up, and turn the wheel back and forth by hand with the engine off. If you feel one spot that is harder than the rest it is dead.

 

Samething happen to me i had to replace the rack