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Old 08-11-2015, 11:39 PM   #4
Fred S
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Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 137
Default Re: Handy Dandy Toe In Tool

Quote:
Originally Posted by jetrod View Post
I've seen a host of ways to adjust the toe in for the front tires and all seem to fall short in one way or another, (chalkline, 2x4's, chains, angle irons, etc.) The pictures show the guage I made about 30 years ago and have alligned dozens of cars and the results have been excellent. It's made of 1x4 wood and takes about 15 minutes to make. (1-pc x 6'0--2 pc x 10" and 2 pc. x 14") Assemble as in the picture--make the 10" feet project below the 6'0 crossmember so the crossmsmber is a little above the floor--the 14" risers are spaced 55"apart and the tops are 16" above the floor. Mark a center line on one riser and attach a piece of measuring tape or ruler to the other riser. Now to use it! First;Jack the front end and place on jack stands (tires 1" off ground). Next align the front tires with the centerline of the car. (I eyeball them to line up with the rear tires, but many other ways will work, just try to get them close to straight) Now slide the guage under the car and line it up to the rear of the tires--make a mark on the tire on the control side (I use tape to make it easy) and make a mark on the ruler side and remember the dimention. Now move the guage to the front of the tire, rotate the tires to bring the tape in line withthe guage, set the control end on the mark on the tape and then read the ruler end. The difference in the readings indicate the amount of toe in or toe out, and it is easy to adjust the tie rod to make the adjustment. And that's it! I'm sure I'm not the only one to use this method but I've never seen it on the FB, so I thought---oh,oh!! PS I've done this with the tires on the ground and there is no difference, so I like the jackstands.
I'm new to this, and a friend showed me marking a line on the spinning wheel method, and then we used a tape, to measure both sides. A two man operation, using the tape. This is a much simpler one man job. I think hinges could be used on the end boards, and bolts with wing nuts on the risers, allowing the whole thing to be folded up and stored flat. Thanks for sharing your invention.
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