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Austin Healey Toe in adjustment

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drambuie

drambuie

Jedi Warrior
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Hello Bcf Members, I am currently trying to adjust my toe-in on my 67 Austin Healey BJ8, The bentley manual states that one tie rod locknut is left handed and the other is right handed! But fails to say which one is left handed! I tried to trace the threads in front of each locknut but they are in a bad postion to get a good look at. What makes things worse is both tie rod locking nut's are frozen tight. I have tried heat with deep creep penetrating oil with no results, It would be a great help to know i am turning the locknuts in the proper direction! Any help in this matter would be great! As of now my toe-in adjustment is so bad i look like a snow plow coming at you! Anyone know wich way to turn? Regards, Michael. Frankfort IL.
 
Use a 7/8" wrench.

Both sides pull forward on the wrench to loosen--clockwise as viewed from driver side.

Rotating the tie rod:

As viewed from the driver side, to front/clockwise = toe in; to rear/counter-clockwise = toe out.

You must roll the car forward several feet to set the suspension before measuring the toe. If you jack it up you will get a bad measurement. Steveg provided a plan for making your own gauge, which I did. If you need it, let me know.
 
Hello Tim, Thanks for taking the time and all the information, I will try it again,If i remember the flats on the ball end are 7/8 and the locking nuts are 15/16 as i remember, In any case at least now i know which side the left handed lock nut is on! Now to break them loose!I will get back to you for the home made toe-in tool! Thanks Again Michael.
 
Toe plates are about the easiest method I've ever tried to measure toe in/out.

While you could make them, for the cost, it's not worth the trouble: https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productdetails1.asp?RecID=5124

Toe%20Plates%203.JPG


Toe%20plates%201.JPG


My own Healey has the LH threaded end on the LH side of the car too, but there's no guarantee that yours is fitted correctly, so you should still verify the direction of the threads before you put a cheater pipe on a breaker bar.

Likewise, make sure the suspension has settled before taking measurments.
 
Hello Randy, Thank you very much for all the pictures and useful information, My healey has only 39,000 original miles on it and untouched from new so i would think the left locking nut is also on the left side. I like the steel plates, seems like a very simple but effective way to get the toe-in adjusted! Again, thanks so much! Michael, Frankfort IL.
 
Hello Randy, I am a retired machinist and i think i will just make a set for myself, I took some time and looked at all your pictures. It's great you took the time to document all of your hard work and post them, I am very sure many people can and will benefit from your well documented work.I was really enjoying all of the photos and was hopeing you would keep them going to the end! You are the only person i know of that has doumented with great detail what a person can expect when going through a project healey's mechanics to get it back on the road! I admire your passion and skill. I too am doing the same thing with the exact same car and BRG color! I just wanted to ask if you pulled and cleaned the oil pan yet? are you finished with all the mechanics yet? Michael, Frankfort, IL.
 
Thank you. Almost all of the owners of the cars you see in the gallery send their cars to me from out of state, so the pictures are to convey what I'm doing to their pride and joy, plus why it takes the amount of time it does, and costs the amount of money I charge.

Being able to post the pictures in a forum to help someone else out is just a bonus.

The BRG MKIII is not yet finished, but I had to get several other projects taken care of too. I'll be going back to work on it sometime around the holidays. The engine of that car looks to be recently rebuilt, so unless the owner requests it, I'll be leaving the oil pan on :wink:

I do however, have a BN4 engine that I'll be assmbling sometime soon...
 
Hey Michael,
Love your description of looking like a snowplow coming down the road as your toe-in was so far off !!! Mine was similar and after measuring it using Randy's easy to make "tool" (you the man Randy !), I found I was out almost two inches front to back. Was actually scubbing the tires off. Corrected and now it goes down the road without leaving my tread behind. I have found heat with some penetrating oil as you used will usually work to unfreeze frozen nuts,etc. Have fun and try some mechanic's gloves to same them knuckles,
Mike
 
Hello Mike, Thanks for sharing your experence regarding the toe-in adjustment! I will get back to you when i find out how radical my toe-in is. Maybe i should leave it as is for the winter and use it to plow my drive way this winter! Come to think of it i once saw a healey with rear tire chain's, Im not kidding!Enough to make a grown man weep!!! I am about to leave the states for Bali Indonesia soon to avoid the winter here, And will get back to making adjustments to the healey when i come back in the spring! One thing for sure, My healey just loves these colder temps here! I am running at 172 to 175 degree's all day long! I will be sure to keep in contact with all the great people here at this forum. Regard's Michael.
 
For the most accurate measurement, the tape measures should be 15" apart. Just under the front most and rear most parts of the wheel rims. 1/16" to 1/8" toe in.
 
Tire chains on a Healey story:

I bought my car somewhat restored (take the era and parts availability into consideration, to get the whole picture) from Ray Caivano, Austin-Healey West, in San Francisco, circa 1978. He got the car from Mike (Dave?) McGuire. Well ole' Mike (or Dave) lost the thing on a snow-covered pass returning to SF from Lake Tahoe. The car was fitted with chains on the rear wheels, as required, and it must've smacked the mountain hard enough to break the axle loose. The inner rear wheelwells on both sides were uniquely dimpled. They stayed that way until I embarked on the car's current restoration (which I believe is at least its third).
 
Hello Randy, Good to hear from you!I Really like to hear stories like that!They take me back to a time when tire chains where required by law in some states, I remember my father had tire chains on his 1962 ford country squire station wagon, and come to think of it it was not that uncommon to see E-Types driving through snow storms on there way to work. But back in the day it was just another car on the road.A few years ago i met a retired man and his wife in there late sixties with a 63 healey,They where touring the U.S.with it and had stickers all over the car from all the places they drove there healey, It looked like a hard driven rally car and road ready!I always wanted to tour a healey around the U.S. the same way. After i get my healey well sorted i plan on a trip to the colorado mountains, smokey mountains and other places around the states. I think that is what these cars where built for! Having fun! I may contact other healey owners at the time to see if they want to tour there healeys as well. Take Care!
 
Actually, the Healey does very will in the snow. Its the wet salt that scares me. The cable chains are okay, too. By law we must "carry" chains to get over the passes here. Only been caught in the snow twice but I was impressed with the handling while many other cars were sliding. They did sell ski racks for Healeys. But winter is best for doing the things to the car that take too much driving time in the fairer weather.
TH
 
Hello Greg, Thanks for your input regarding measurment, I will be sure to keep that in mind when doing the adjustment. Michael.
 
Hi All,

After seeing Randy’s alignment fixture, I decided to quick-fab a pair and check my toe adjustment. After making a few modifications on my rough implementation, I took my initial measurements and found that I had a toe-out of approximately 1/2”. I eventually adjusted the front end to a 0” adjustment (measurement taken after tightening and a short roll). I intend to test the ride on the first non-rainy day and recheck the measurements.

About five or so years ago, after I replaced a rubber cap on the driver’s side steering joint, I don’t remember going back to realign the wheels. Over the years, since the car worked well at most speeds, I assumed my wheel vibration was a sign that it was time to think about replacing my 20-year old Dunlops. It is going to be interesting to see how the car differs with the new adjustment.

Any predictions?

All the best,
Ray (64BJ8P1)
 
One thing I'm curious about is if the alignment plate wobbles any when in place. If the tire bulges out at the bottom does that effect the accuracy?
 
Hi Greg,

Yes, the tire does bulge out at the bottom and does not allow a flat plat to sit straight against the wheel. I fabricated my trial units from a piece of spare Pergo flooring I had around and cut a 10”x 4.5” section from the center of the 16”x10” piece to allow the board to hug the tire better. I also secured 2 hooks on the face of each unit to allow me to rap a bungee cord around the top-back of the wheel and stabilize the fixture.

When I get around to implement these units in a finished form, I will make the units long enough to exceed the furthest extent of the wheel. I will also implement some sort of bracket to secure the ends of the tape measures to the fixtures.

Hope this helps.

All the best,
Ray 64BJ8P1
 
Ray,
I am also considering making a set. I was thinking about installing movable sliding spacers that would contact the rim at the bead area (not the outside edge) and would move the plates off the sidewall. This should remove any error caused by side wall irregularities. Please post a picture when yours are complete. Have a good day!

John
 
Hi John,

Your idea sounds good. Earlier today I was evaluating ideas that would stand the fixtures away from the tires although standing on the floor to allow for a consistent tape measuring location that would easily clear the bottom of the car. Although bungee cords worked for the initial quick-fab, I need to work out a better attachment.

How are you thinking of attaching the fixture to the wheel?
Ray 64BJ8P1
 
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