- Location
- Terra Firma
XJEEPER04 said:eagle, how exactly do i check my toe-in i know it can be done with a tape but im really not to sure how to do it?
Basically, find the centerline of the tire tread. Now take a tape measure and measure between the centerline of one wheel and the centerline of the other at the front of the tires, with the tape held up as close to the axle centerline as you can get it.
Now repeat this measurement with the tape held behind the wheels. If you can't get both measurements at the height of the axle, drop down until you can get both at the same height.
The difference between the two meausrements is the toe-in or toe-out. If the forward measurement is larger, the tires are toed out. If the rearward measurement is larger, the tires are toed in.
The FSM gives toe-in specifications, and they have changed slightly over the years. In general, you want to have zero toe-in when the tires are rolling forward. Since there is usually some "slop" in the steering linkage, the initial setting is ususally adjusted to about 1/16" toe-in.
The newer FSMs and the print-outs you get from most alignment shops now give it in degrees rather than inches. However, doing at home you probably won't have a tape measure calibrated in degrees. Zero is zero in any system of measurement, however.