I have a situation with my 70 Series, but I am not sure if it relates to toe. The truck tracked perfect prior to a front end rebuild where I noticed the steering wheel was off center when driving and the truck pulled to the right. So I took it in to get an alignment done. The shop tells me it is within spec for Toe. I kept noticing the RH tire looked off when the wheels were straight. So I took a quick measurement and the RH tire is sticking out more than the LH side. Is this due to Toe or something else? When the front axle was rebuilt it was converted to manual hubs and the front springs were flipped to correct a lean issue. Thanks in advance.
Alignment Setting Toe (1 Viewer)
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Spring height was the same as before and the truck is leaf sprung, I don't think it has a panhard bar.
You didn’t mention the year and 70s after 98 were coil springs. If your front axle is leaf sprung, then there is probably a problem with the frame, the spring hangers or the spring perches or the springs themselves if the axle is laterally off center.
Hello ... you can tell me the measure that I should know for 34 "tire (295 / 75-16) Tks
Im guessing about 2.27mm What tool are you using to measure portions of a mm? Have you measure the circumference of the tire?Hello ... you can tell me the measure that I should know for 34 "tire (295 / 75-16) Tks
I have not done any means yet ... for the measurement of the tire I always use the following link Tire Size Calculator
what size tires you running?
so my rear is 1/8 longer then the front, is that right for 35The “best/easiest” way to set toe is by angle/degrees, if you have the equipment. With some care, setting it with measuring tape can be done just as accurately, as long as changes, like tire size, etc are taken into account.
There is a ton of ways to do it and most are very successful, this is the one that I prefer. The stock spec is for stock tires, so ~30” OD, measured half way up the tire, so about 15” from the hub. There are a couple of problems with this: First, my tires are 37”, so would have to do the math to come up with the correct number. Second, there is often “stuff” (arms, etc) in the way, making measuring at tire centerline difficult. I use two, 30”+ long, straight, pieces of scrap material, in this case angle iron, but anything similar will work. Mark the center, the ~15” on each side of center, the same on both pieces.
Put the rig on stands, remove the front tires and clamp the bars to the rotors, with the center marks under/centered with the hub. Confirm that the steering is centered; I sight down the length of the bars and look for them to lineup at the same spot on each rear tire. Adjust so they are somewhat level and even with each other. Measure the distance between the bars at the front marks (front side of the axle), repeat at the rear marks (behind the axle). The difference between the measurements is your toe; we are looking for toe-in so the front measurement should be shorter by the amount of toe desired.
If it needs adjustment, loosen the clamps on the tie rod and turn it until the measurement is where you want it. If you have a rust bucket, this may involve lube, heat, hammering, swearing, etc.
View attachment 473526View attachment 473527
' tires.
richardlillard1
SILVER Star
As someone who set the toe on several 80 front axles with Kevin and @inkpot over the last few years, yes.
thank you for the reply. Stay safe.
gents,
THANKS for turning me on to this thread. reading a paper print out without the pics at the moment so apologies if this is an idiotic question.
i see someone has calculated:
0.1d|1/16”
0.2d|1/8”
0.3d|3/16”
0.4d|1/4”
0.5d|5/16”
0.6d|3/8”
which i can take to be the additional amount i want to see (with 1/4” being a good baseline) at the rear of the straightedges as compared to the front? is that right? and if the straightedges are aligned correctly well they should be parallel at all times i guess? so the deal about marking and aligning the straightedges is to make sure you are measuring perpendicularly to the two straightedges.
but i am not following this post about measuring “a center line along the wheels and comparing front to back” however. what are these numbers which are dependent upon tire size for exactly?
i did see one poster suggested running a laser line - say from inside front of front wheel to rear of front wheel to inside of rear wheel to get an eyeball on what your toe in looks like. i suppose if you had two laser levels you could do this by eye somehow (meaning set your toe in) measuring front of tire as compare to rear of tire? just sort of spitballing on that since i do have a laser level.
I go by the rim, not the tire, and aim for about 1/16 to 1/8” greater at the rear than front for measurement.
Be cognizant if tire wear and handling. Tire wear is a good indicator of being setup properly
Too much toe in and it seems to want to dart to the left or right. Toe out will kind of wander, and feel less responsive if I remember correctly.
i believe that things like how much slip there is in trunnion bearings, wheel bearings, slop in TRE’s, camber, caster, wheel size etc will effect the ideal amount of toe in. Tire wear and handling would be the best indicator.
Be cognizant if tire wear and handling. Tire wear is a good indicator of being setup properly
Too much toe in and it seems to want to dart to the left or right. Toe out will kind of wander, and feel less responsive if I remember correctly.
i believe that things like how much slip there is in trunnion bearings, wheel bearings, slop in TRE’s, camber, caster, wheel size etc will effect the ideal amount of toe in. Tire wear and handling would be the best indicator.
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OK. help me here though cody? when you say you go by the tire rim and not the tire i am not following. what i see here are measurements taken off of straight edges clamped up against the rotor. so i am not following what you mean.
also. i am not following what these numbers are:
30" tire 2mm
35" tire 2.33mm
37" tire 2.467mm
41" tire 2.733mm
i mean i'm a noob on this stuff so i am only following the 1/4" additional distance at the - well 1/4" "toe in with the ruler method" i guess is how i should say it.
I measure at the metal or aluminum wheel at the front edge (3:00) to the same mirrored point on the opposite wheel.
then I measure to the back (9:00) and to the mirrored point on the back edge.
I compare the lengths and turn the tie rod until I’ve got about 1/16” smaller measurement between wheel lip edge at front compared to back.
Also, it’s not perfectly at 3:00,or 9:00 it’s as close as I can get without interference.
Snug up the nuts against the TRE’s and recheck your measurement. You’ll find when you tighten the nuts against the TRE’s that it narrows or widens things slightly.
you can clamp a piece of metal to the rotors with the wheels off, as long as it isn’t a floating rotor, it does the same thing.
I prefer not to mark a line on the rubber tire itself as it seems less consistent and somewhat difficult to mark a line perfectly in the same place around the circumference it the tire. Just my preference, others like that method.
the numbers to tire size as above, are for when measuring the rubber tire with some sort of chalk line drawn around the circumference. The bigger the diameter the further away from the pivot point (trunnion bearings) the points get close together at the front and further apart at the rear as a tire gets bigger in diameter, which is why they numbers get larger for bigger tires. They will be at the same angle but the point of measurement is closer or further, just a bit of trigonometry to get those values.
then I measure to the back (9:00) and to the mirrored point on the back edge.
I compare the lengths and turn the tie rod until I’ve got about 1/16” smaller measurement between wheel lip edge at front compared to back.
Also, it’s not perfectly at 3:00,or 9:00 it’s as close as I can get without interference.
Snug up the nuts against the TRE’s and recheck your measurement. You’ll find when you tighten the nuts against the TRE’s that it narrows or widens things slightly.
you can clamp a piece of metal to the rotors with the wheels off, as long as it isn’t a floating rotor, it does the same thing.
I prefer not to mark a line on the rubber tire itself as it seems less consistent and somewhat difficult to mark a line perfectly in the same place around the circumference it the tire. Just my preference, others like that method.
the numbers to tire size as above, are for when measuring the rubber tire with some sort of chalk line drawn around the circumference. The bigger the diameter the further away from the pivot point (trunnion bearings) the points get close together at the front and further apart at the rear as a tire gets bigger in diameter, which is why they numbers get larger for bigger tires. They will be at the same angle but the point of measurement is closer or further, just a bit of trigonometry to get those values.
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jesus.
thanks. i need to take this one at a time for some reason.
what is the reason please that people are taking the diameter of the tire please? it seems like they are taking whatever the diameter of the tire is and then marking out - kevin used the example of marking out 15” forward and aft of the center of the hub on a stock 30” tire. i mean i am on a 2D plane looking at an angular measurement. who cares what size tire i have.
also, i guess (?) the actual metric measurement (meaning the distance) will change depending on how far in or out you take the measurements?
so how did we all arrive at 1/4” for toe in again please? i think i can get there without doing the trig actually if i just understand it...?
this is your great example below? you are also going out and in HALF the actual diameter of your tire? and then you ran the trig numbers for each sized tire here?
i guess i don’t get this. it’s so you can measure off the tire without taking them off?
man i am missing something. what is the reason to correlate a measurement on the angle iron with the tire size again?
you could just mark a level line across the rotors and measure front to back and call it a day couldn’t you?
Forgive me for my ignorance, or if I missed it somewhere in this thread, but... If I understand correctly, one of the "tie rods" is for adjusting toe in, and the other is for centering the steering wheel.
Which is which? The one in front of the axle for toe and the one behind the axle for centering the steering wheel???.... Or is it vice-versa?
Which is which? The one in front of the axle for toe and the one behind the axle for centering the steering wheel???.... Or is it vice-versa?
Other way.
The one that is behind the axle is the tie rod, used to adjust toe.
The one in front is the drag link, used for centering the steering wheel.
THANK YOU!
Do you have to pull the cotter pins out of the bolts, and disconnect the ends of the tie rod, and then screw the ENDS in or out???
Looks like if I just try to twist the tie rod tube, it won't change the overall length, just move the tube back and forth between the ends.
What am I missing?
Looks like if I just try to twist the tie rod tube, it won't change the overall length, just move the tube back and forth between the ends.
What am I missing?
