Toe In Problem...Trailing Arm or Frame bent?
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Pro
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Southeast
Toe In Problem...Trailing Arm or Frame bent?
Alright...took the car in for an alignment today. Both rear tires were leaning in. The right rear was leaning in pretty bad. They fixed it the best they could but said that it was still off by half of a degree. That's a lot when you're talking about toe-in. Still enough for pretty bad tire wear. Well, he said that it was shimmed out as much as possible. He said that I would need to take it to a frame shop to get it bent a little more in order to get that half of a degree. I found out last year that my car had been wrecked a long time ago because there were chain marks on the frame and my passenger side control arms were bent pretty bad. Is it possible that my trailing arm is bent on that side? Or could it be that my frame is bent back there? I'm scared that if I get it bent to get that half of a degree that it will make it weaker. Is there any way to tell what part is bent or screwed up?
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Southeast
Originally Posted by big_G
The trailing arms are not too strong. Any kind of curb side impact will bend the arm. I would replace it. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: New Hill NC
I think you are confusing toe in with camber. The leaning in at the top is camber, and a half degree is within specs. You should get it to adjust by changing the strut rod bushings. That is, unless the side yokes are badly worn. Toe is adjusted with the shims at the front of the trailing arms. If you cant get it to line up with the centerline and get the toe to about 1/16 inch. you may have bent arms.
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Southeast
Originally Posted by wombvette
I think you are confusing toe in with camber. The leaning in at the top is camber, and a half degree is within specs. You should get it to adjust by changing the strut rod bushings. That is, unless the side yokes are badly worn. Toe is adjusted with the shims at the front of the trailing arms. If you cant get it to line up with the centerline and get the toe to about 1/16 inch. you may have bent arms.
