Suggestions for a shadetree method of setting toe-in?

It's a 1988 Ford F-250 4WD with the 7.3L diesel if that matters.

I managed to bend one of the tie rod adjusting sleeves. (Don't ask,
let's just say that my bridge-building skills are only good for a
2.5-year bridge) I have a replacement in hand, but was wondering about
best-guess methods of winding up with the toe at least close enough to
zero until I can get it to someone with the proper equipment to set it
correctly.

Autozone.com claims that the proper toe setting is 0.03 inches which is
a much finer resolution than my tape measure can handle.

What do others do when the alignment rack isn't handy?

--
TomO

TomO wrote:
> It's a 1988 Ford F-250 4WD with the 7.3L diesel if that matters.
>
> I managed to bend one of the tie rod adjusting sleeves. (Don't ask,
> let's just say that my bridge-building skills are only good for a
> 2.5-year bridge) I have a replacement in hand, but was wondering about
> best-guess methods of winding up with the toe at least close enough to
> zero until I can get it to someone with the proper equipment to set it
> correctly.
>
> Autozone.com claims that the proper toe setting is 0.03 inches which is
> a much finer resolution than my tape measure can handle.
>
> What do others do when the alignment rack isn't handy?
>

tape measure. .03 inches = 1.92/64ths, or about 1/32"

It's a lot of manual labor. Roll car back and forth, measure, adjust,
repeat. We do my race car that way, but since the guy at the end of the
street has an alignment machine now, I'm probably just going there
instead of spending all night with a tape measure.

Ray

"TomO" > wrote in message
...
> It's a 1988 Ford F-250 4WD with the 7.3L diesel if that matters.
>
> I managed to bend one of the tie rod adjusting sleeves. (Don't ask, let's
> just say that my bridge-building skills are only good for a 2.5-year
> bridge) I have a replacement in hand, but was wondering about best-guess
> methods of winding up with the toe at least close enough to zero until I
> can get it to someone with the proper equipment to set it correctly.
>
> Autozone.com claims that the proper toe setting is 0.03 inches which is a
> much finer resolution than my tape measure can handle.
>
> What do others do when the alignment rack isn't handy?
>
> --
> TomO
Use a steel tape! Jack up front end. Hold a pc of chalk against middle
of treads & have someone rotate tires to put marks all around
circumferences. Measure mark-to-mark on front. Do same, horizontally, on
back. When your adjustment has them even, toe-in should be zero. Would
prolly be best to re-check & re-adjust if needed, to get that zero when
weight of front end is resting on ground/floor/whatever--after it is resting
weight on floor, spring front up and down a couple of times before checking.
On older cars which called for 1/8 inch "in", that method was about as good
as anyone needed. s

In article >,
TomO > wrote:

> It's a 1988 Ford F-250 4WD with the 7.3L diesel if that matters.
>
> I managed to bend one of the tie rod adjusting sleeves. (Don't ask,
> let's just say that my bridge-building skills are only good for a
> 2.5-year bridge) I have a replacement in hand, but was wondering about
> best-guess methods of winding up with the toe at least close enough to
> zero until I can get it to someone with the proper equipment to set it
> correctly.
>
> Autozone.com claims that the proper toe setting is 0.03 inches which is
> a much finer resolution than my tape measure can handle.
>
> What do others do when the alignment rack isn't handy?

Google "Stringing a car", and you should get several hits. It's easier
than it sounds from the description - I've done it on my own car a few
times. Granted, I have no illusions that I got anywhere near hundredths
of an inch accuracy, but it was close enough. (And to be honest, I have
*SERIOUS* doubts that *ANY* vehicle - even a 2007 model, never mind a 20
year old pickup - specs toe-in to the hundredth of an inch. As you say,
it isn't exactly easy to even READ that, let alone SET it... As far as
that goes, I'd be surprised if any vehicle that age is even CAPABLE of
that tight an adjustment - slop in the tie-rod ends alone could easily
exceed that)

Another method is to chalk a centerline in the tread of each front tire,
then, with the wheels pointing straight ahead, measure from tire to tire
at the front of the tires, then, without moving anything but the tape,
measure again at the rear of the tires. Try to measure as close to the
level of the axle-spindle as possible in both cases. Ideally, if you're
looking at the driver's side wheel, you want to measure at the 3 o'clock
and 9 o'clock points on the tire.

Adjust your tie-rods and re-measure. Repeat as needed until both
measurements are the same. You'll be AT LEAST good enough to get to a
shop without completely eating your tires, and you may very well be
close enough that the shop won't end up doing anything meaningful. (But
*DON'T* rely on this method to get things "right". It's nothing more
than a "band-aid" so that you can get to someplace to do it right. Run
too long on this "fix", and chances are real good you're going to start
eating tires like there's gonna be no tomorrow.)

--
Don Bruder - - If your "From:" address isn't on my whitelist,
or the subject of the message doesn't contain the exact text "PopperAndShadow"
somewhere, any message sent to this address will go in the garbage without my
ever knowing it arrived. Sorry... <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd> for more info

TomO wrote:
> It's a 1988 Ford F-250 4WD with the 7.3L diesel if that matters.
>
> I managed to bend one of the tie rod adjusting sleeves. (Don't ask,
> let's just say that my bridge-building skills are only good for a
> 2.5-year bridge) I have a replacement in hand, but was wondering about
> best-guess methods of winding up with the toe at least close enough to
> zero until I can get it to someone with the proper equipment to set it
> correctly.
>
> Autozone.com claims that the proper toe setting is 0.03 inches which is
> a much finer resolution than my tape measure can handle.
>
> What do others do when the alignment rack isn't handy?
>

Thanks for the suggestions, that and a bit of research should get me on
my way to the alignment shop.

Out of curiosity, when the spec calls for 0.03 in (or whatever), is that
the difference at the edge of the rim or at the tread on the originally
equipped tires?

In article >,
TomO > wrote:

> Out of curiosity, when the spec calls for 0.03 in (or whatever), is that
> the difference at the edge of the rim or at the tread on the originally
> equipped tires?

The toe spec is at 14 inches from the center of the wheel (center
of the axle).
Tidbit remembered from Moog School in the 70s.

========
========

aarcuda69062 wrote:
..

The toe spec is at 14 inches from the center of the wheel (center
of the axle).
..
Tidbit remembered from Moog School in the 70s.
=========
=========

does it ever drive you crazy think'n that maybe you know more
than one human has a need to know..........


~:~
marsh
~pours cuda a mushroom tea..........and tries to remember the
70's.............................................. .......nah.........it's
all
a blurr~
~:~

On Aug 3, 2:15?pm, TomO > wrote:
> It's a 1988 Ford F-250 4WD with the 7.3L diesel if that matters.
>
> I managed to bend one of the tie rod adjusting sleeves. (Don't ask,
> let's just say that my bridge-building skills are only good for a
> 2.5-year bridge) I have a replacement in hand, but was wondering about
> best-guess methods of winding up with the toe at least close enough to
> zero until I can get it to someone with the proper equipment to set it
> correctly.
>
> Autozone.com claims that the proper toe setting is 0.03 inches which is
> a much finer resolution than my tape measure can handle.
>
> What do others do when the alignment rack isn't handy?
>
> --
> TomO

=======
=======

If you're not going more than 10 miles or so to get to the
alignment shop.....then use the tape measure method
that's been described. The wear will be negligable
within that amount of mileage and virtually non-existant.


fact, not fiction........

here's what we used to use back in the 70's for damned acurate
toe alinement on vehicals at the body shop......

take a piece of pipe long enough to reach past the outter edge of
both tires when layed across the front of the vehicle......

scribe your center line on both tires as described in the other
posts......
all you need is a veriticle reference line..no need to be balls on
exact......eyeball will do the trick...ONLY about a 1/2 inch long.

bend 2 ......16 penny nails at 90 degrees and use hose clamps to
attach them to the pipe to make adjustable pointers.
(no nails ??....anything with a point on it.)

now.......read ray's post about roll'n the car back in forth...
because that is EXACTLY the BEST way to insure you're
balls on with yer toe setting.

put the vehicle on level ground...move forward a couple feet
insureing the STEERING WHEEL is straight...stop with the
reference mark DEAD CENTER of the radius of the tire, with
the mark on to the front.

SET..your toe gauge to those marks.

Then....KEEPING THE STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT...
move the car to the rear making at least one full rotation of
the tire, with the reference mark to the rear.

Adjust your toe HALF of the amount that it's off by your
toe gauge.

Repeat proceedure untill your toe is set to ZERO.


then.........

when you git back from the alignment shop.......
do a repost...let us know what the PRE-ALIGNMENT..
toe setting was.

jest fer giggles.


~:~
MarshMonster
~takes a toke........tries to remember something else from
the 70's...............nope.....still don't remember where he
planted it~
~:~

sdlomi2 > wrote in article
>...
>
> "TomO" > wrote in message
> ...
> > It's a 1988 Ford F-250 4WD with the 7.3L diesel if that matters.
> >
> > I managed to bend one of the tie rod adjusting sleeves. (Don't ask,
let's
> > just say that my bridge-building skills are only good for a 2.5-year
> > bridge) I have a replacement in hand, but was wondering about
best-guess
> > methods of winding up with the toe at least close enough to zero until
I
> > can get it to someone with the proper equipment to set it correctly.
> >
> > Autozone.com claims that the proper toe setting is 0.03 inches which is
a
> > much finer resolution than my tape measure can handle.
> >
> > What do others do when the alignment rack isn't handy?
> >
> > --
> > TomO
> Use a steel tape! Jack up front end. Hold a pc of chalk against
middle
> of treads & have someone rotate tires to put marks all around
> circumferences. Measure mark-to-mark on front. Do same, horizontally,
on
> back. When your adjustment has them even, toe-in should be zero. Would
> prolly be best to re-check & re-adjust if needed, to get that zero when
> weight of front end is resting on ground/floor/whatever--after it is
resting
> weight on floor, spring front up and down a couple of times before
checking.
> On older cars which called for 1/8 inch "in", that method was about as
good
> as anyone needed. s
>
>
>

To check toe-in, the car MUST be sitting on its wheels......NOT jacked up!

Marsh Monster wrote:

> here's what we used to use back in the 70's for damned acurate
> toe alinement on vehicals at the body shop......
>
> take a piece of pipe long enough to reach past the outter edge of
> both tires when layed across the front of the vehicle......
>
> scribe your center line on both tires as described in the other
> posts......
> all you need is a veriticle reference line..no need to be balls on
> exact......eyeball will do the trick...ONLY about a 1/2 inch long.
>
> bend 2 ......16 penny nails at 90 degrees and use hose clamps to
> attach them to the pipe to make adjustable pointers.
> (no nails ??....anything with a point on it.)

This gauge is called a single beam trammel. It doesn't cost much to buy
good trammel points and make this type of very accurate measuring device
yourself. Below is a link to a set designed to go on a wood beam
3/4"X3/8". You can get them that fit onto pipe or square aluminum stock as
well as hardwood beams. Notice that there is a fine adjustment for fine
tuning after you get the points locked down close to the target
measurement. The points are very sharp and the device can be accurate down
to .001"

-jim

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/i...rodid=ST-TP.XX


>
> now.......read ray's post about roll'n the car back in forth...
> because that is EXACTLY the BEST way to insure you're
> balls on with yer toe setting.
>
> put the vehicle on level ground...move forward a couple feet
> insureing the STEERING WHEEL is straight...stop with the
> reference mark DEAD CENTER of the radius of the tire, with
> the mark on to the front.
>
> SET..your toe gauge to those marks.
>
> Then....KEEPING THE STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT...
> move the car to the rear making at least one full rotation of
> the tire, with the reference mark to the rear.
>
> Adjust your toe HALF of the amount that it's off by your
> toe gauge.
>
> Repeat proceedure untill your toe is set to ZERO.
>
> then.........
>
> when you git back from the alignment shop.......
> do a repost...let us know what the PRE-ALIGNMENT..
> toe setting was.
>
> jest fer giggles.
>
> ~:~
> MarshMonster
> ~takes a toke........tries to remember something else from
> the 70's...............nope.....still don't remember where he
> planted it~
> ~:~

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