Technical Garage Toe-in Adjustment

Common knowledge that sliding plates are the proper way to set toe-in. Just curious how it typically changes the toe, in or out, compared to just pushing the car in the shop? Front steer in my case.

 

IMO , if you can get one complete evolution between adjustments ,you'll be fine !

 

Load of braking and going forward ,dose make toe close or open. What ever amount of play is under those pressures,that may not show or be felt by hand.
Plastic garbage bags can be used as turn plates under front tires,for playing with a front end,when you don't own turn plates. Jacking the wheels off the ground will give a wrong take on what is moving,as that makes load backward. On IFS,a hanging off jack can change toe a lot.

 

I'll roll car back a minimum one cars length then roll it forward then measure toe. Adjust as needed and repeat rolling back then forward and check result. Repeat if need be.

 

Strings.

 

One-half tire rotation is needed to get an accurate measurement. My experience is frame, suspension and/or steering linkage interferes from getting the needed one-half rotation. You can get an approximate measure with less than one-half rotation. This is probably good enough until you can get to a front end alignment shop.

 

The plates let things move smoother and easier. You could take two squares of Masonite for each side and put grease between the smooth sides and stick them under the front tires and have your own plates. As long as they let the suspension settle out you are good, all you have to do is bounce the front of the car a few times to settle it out and measure.

As far as measuring toe you absolutely do not need a bunch of fancy crap to do it and some of the nonsense of setting 2x4's next to the tires and measuring isn't accurate.

Simply jack each tire off the shop floor, scribe a line around the center of the tread with a pencil (it helps to have something to steady your hand with while you spin the tire with the other hand.
That gives you and exact mark to measure from and compensates for any tire or rim runout.
It takes a helper to hold the other end of the tape but is far more accurate than most methods that guys come up with.

 

Just checked out their website. For a $100 bucks you can't go wrong. Very cool looking tool.

 

Small plumb bobs work well for me. Don't have to try and hold tape up in the air. Just mark the floor with a sharp pencil where a piece of masking tape is stuck down.

 

My method is to set the wheels straight and put a 2x4 block in front of each tire and measure to the centerline of the tire and then do the same on the rear of the tire. Model A calls for 1/16 to 1/8 so set the dropped axle on my V8 A the same way, only about 400 miles on it but seems to be ok. Did the same on another V8 A I built in the 90's and a stocker pickup and had over 10,000 miles on the bias tires on it.

 

I use a 60" rule. Fabbed up a slider that clamps to the rule, so it can be adjusted up to the front and rear of the front tire edges for comparison. I have a couple pieces of square nylon sheets I roll up onto for slips.
Used this for years with no problems.

 

This would be a great tech review article.

 

Good thread and tips

 

Sweet. Getting website not found.. How much are those hum dingers?

 

Measure the center of the steering box by removing the Pitman arm, some of the better boxes will have this marked, I know all of my Lee boxes were marked. If it was never marked do it yourself. Count the steering wheel revolutions and find half. The steering wheel should dead center.. Mark this. Now put the pitmen arm back on.
Put the steering box in dead center using the mark. No see which wheels are off and by how much measuring from the center of the car to the rims bead. On side will always be bigger then the other. If not you will have to center the steering linkage.
Once you have all this centered measure the distance from the wheel bead to the center of the car. Which ever is off adjust, it so its perfect with the center mark, both front of the wheel and behind the wheel. Now all four measurements should be the same with the steering wheel centered and the steering box mark dead center.
Now your ready to adjust the toe.. I would tighten each tie rod end 1/32" and give it a try..

 

...........$99 now.

 

Two sheets of paper under each front tire works as good as anything. That lets the tires move as the tie rod sleeves are adjusted.

 

Hey, my math brain cells are gone. Too much Bondo sniffing.

My tie rods are 5/8-18 thread.
So one full thread is .055"
So one rotation of the sleeve changes length .110"
If the steering arm is half the length of the tire radius, it moves the tire .220" in front and .220" in back?

Seems too much. Correct me please..

 

I used this guy's method:



Worked perfectly. Takes a bit of time to set up but then it's very simple to do.