Alignment question
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 259
Likes: 1
From: Mt Airy, NC
Alignment question
I'm want to set a ballpark alignment on my wheels. The tires are off the rims and I have the rims mounted on the car with body off. My question is do you set the toe in on the rear in relation to being parallel with the frame or is it set in relation to the other rim? If its set to the rim would I measure the distance from outside to outside at 3 and 9 o'clock on the rims, and get this even and tow-in from there. Or would I get the rim parallel with the frame and toe-in from there?
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 4,853
Likes: 691
From: grand rapids, lowell mi. area
level
well what I did was put the rims on the car ,and use a regular level,put it against the rim and when the bubble is in the middle of the level then it is real close,the floor where the car sits on has to be level for this to work!
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,682
Likes: 3
From: League City TX
Since this is just a ballpark adjustment, set the wheels parallel to the frame rails.
You could use your wheel to wheel measurement to fine tune things.
You could use your wheel to wheel measurement to fine tune things.
Last edited by DRIVESHAFT; Dec 9, 2011 at 08:15 PM.
Pro
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 581
Likes: 5
From: BC
Toe is set to the theoretical centreline of the vehicle. Pretty difficult to do with any amount of accuracy. The machines do it taking in the front wheel positions to calculate a centre line.
If you take the difference between front and rear of the wheel you will have the wheels in correct relation to one another, but not to the car. By that I mean you could have the left side toed out 1/8" and the right toed in 1/8 for a total toe of 0. But the car will run down the road dog tracking, the back end following the front off to one side.
Best thing to do is to figure out your shim pack for correct fit between trailing arm and frame, then divide it in two. Use an equel number of thin and thick shims on either side so the alignment guy has better options when setting it.
This is good enough to get you to the alignment shop where it can be done properly.
Steve g
If you take the difference between front and rear of the wheel you will have the wheels in correct relation to one another, but not to the car. By that I mean you could have the left side toed out 1/8" and the right toed in 1/8 for a total toe of 0. But the car will run down the road dog tracking, the back end following the front off to one side.
Best thing to do is to figure out your shim pack for correct fit between trailing arm and frame, then divide it in two. Use an equel number of thin and thick shims on either side so the alignment guy has better options when setting it.
This is good enough to get you to the alignment shop where it can be done properly.
Steve g
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,886
Likes: 9
Set the camber first. The wheels must be at normal ride height. The frame must be level, side to side. If you get a bubble level, and measure 14 3/8" apart, one quarter of an inch represents one degree. If you set the rear wheels to about 3/16" off plumb, in at the top and out at the bottom, that's 3/4 of a degree negative camber.
Then the toe. Center the front wheels. With the wheels at a normal ride height, get behind the car. Sight down along the outside of the rear wheel, across the center. If the toe is correct, you should just barely be able to see the front wheel. If you can't see the wheel at all, that wheel is toed out. If you can see more than 1/2 or 3/4 of an inch of the front wheel, you have too much toe in.
That'll get you to the alignment shop.
Then the toe. Center the front wheels. With the wheels at a normal ride height, get behind the car. Sight down along the outside of the rear wheel, across the center. If the toe is correct, you should just barely be able to see the front wheel. If you can't see the wheel at all, that wheel is toed out. If you can see more than 1/2 or 3/4 of an inch of the front wheel, you have too much toe in.
That'll get you to the alignment shop.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,948
Likes: 71
From: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
Set the camber first. The wheels must be at normal ride height. The frame must be level, side to side. If you get a bubble level, and measure 14 3/8" apart, one quarter of an inch represents one degree. If you set the rear wheels to about 3/16" off plumb, in at the top and out at the bottom, that's 3/4 of a degree negative camber.
Then the toe. Center the front wheels. With the wheels at a normal ride height, get behind the car. Sight down along the outside of the rear wheel, across the center. If the toe is correct, you should just barely be able to see the front wheel. If you can't see the wheel at all, that wheel is toed out. If you can see more than 1/2 or 3/4 of an inch of the front wheel, you have too much toe in.
That'll get you to the alignment shop.
Then the toe. Center the front wheels. With the wheels at a normal ride height, get behind the car. Sight down along the outside of the rear wheel, across the center. If the toe is correct, you should just barely be able to see the front wheel. If you can't see the wheel at all, that wheel is toed out. If you can see more than 1/2 or 3/4 of an inch of the front wheel, you have too much toe in.
That'll get you to the alignment shop.
Scott
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,057
Likes: 4
From: Concord Calif
I used a laser used in wood work. I put it on the frame rails and drew lines on the floor, than measured between them and drew another line called that the center of the car. I then put the laser on the brake rotors and drew lines on the floor for them and adjusted the toe to the center line on both sides. I only measured the lines for toe a distance forward and to the rear the size of the wheel tire combo. Car seems to run straight and I see no funny wear on my tire's yet, but I have only 1500 miles on her so far. I also did similar on the front too.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 12,065
Likes: 2
From: Smalltownville Michigan
Cruise-In 5, 6 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
if you want to ballpark set the toe in. tie a long piece of masonry string to the inside of the rear and run it across the back wheel around to the front wheel. adjust the toe so it hits the front and back edge of the rim at the same time. that will get you close enough to get you to the alignment shop.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 396
Likes: 3
From: Buffalo New York
if you want to ballpark set the toe in. tie a long piece of masonry string to the inside of the rear and run it across the back wheel around to the front wheel. adjust the toe so it hits the front and back edge of the rim at the same time. that will get you close enough to get you to the alignment shop.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 12,065
Likes: 2
From: Smalltownville Michigan
Cruise-In 5, 6 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
looking at my spec book, i definitely stand corrected. I know in the past on other cars (not corvettes) i have done the string method to get them close to get them to the alignment shop. sorry to mislead you.
my specs show the front track as 58.7" and the rear as 59.5
my specs show the front track as 58.7" and the rear as 59.5
