Setting Toe

[jcatnite]

Have a question about setting the toe on my 76 Midget. With the suspension loaded, I can't get the tape up to the centerline of the wheel. Does it matter significantly if I measure the spread just below the tub on the front and back? I would put it at the 7:30 and 4:30 position. Also, is there a preference betwee toe-in or toe-out? Right now I'm at around 1/16th toe-out.

Thanks,
JC

 

[Shealey]

Yes, toe in, and take about an hour and buid a pointer device. Use some electrical conduit or plumbing pipe. Make two slide-able 90 deg pointers on the pipe. Make them long enough so you can leave the pipe on the floor and have the pointers standing up. You can lean the pointer against the tires. Get a helper to hold one end center, and slide the other one and lock it with a jamb nut built into the 90 deg slider. Once the pointer is locked, carefully slide it down to the floor and either mark the floor with soap stone or chalk and measure the makes or carfully measure the pointer.

Another method is to use a plumb bob off the tires front and rear. You can use a string over the tires (two plum bobs each tire) and simply measure the tips of the plum bob's.

 

[jlaird]

1/16 is fine I think. Does the manual not say 1/8 + or -?

 

[jcatnite]

I think the manual says -1/8 but I have heard others say they like it a bit positive. I guess my biggest question was the height of the measurement. I can try the 4 plumb bob method but I have to go buy more plumb bobs...lol. I only have one. The easiest way I found was to lift the car. Paint a white stripe in the center of the tire. Take a 2x4 with a nail in it position it just against the tire. Rotate the tire and scratch a line in the white paint. Set the car down. Roll it forward a couple of tire revs to load the steering and measure the toe. That is what we used to do in the diesel trucks my dad had. But we measured through the centerline of the axle. Not sure if we did that just because of if it really mattered.
JC

 

[aeronca65t]

I'd say 1/16" to 1/8" (some of the older Spridgets spec 1/8", but that was because of non-radial, bias tires).

Some of the racers run very slight toe out on very tight tracks, but this is not a great idea for street use.

I built a thing to set my toe (similar to what's been mentioned), but I often just double-check against the side of the rockers to get things close. Spridget rockers are dead straight and parrallel, so you can space out a very straight piece of wood against them and set each wheel about 1/32" *in*.

By the way, be sure you turn the steering wheel all the way one way and then bring it back *exactly* half way...then set the toe from that postion. Some folks will set toe by just adjusting toe on one side but this is incorrect. If the steering wheel isn't at-center on the rack, your toe-out on turn geometry will be off and the car will handle funny.
And before setting toe, never just set the steering wheel so that it "looks" straight. Sometimes the steering wheel has been removed and put back on the steering column at the wrong "clock" postion. Be sure it's at the real half-way point in the rack and *then* set toe.

 

[jcatnite]

Thanks Nial, guess I'm back in construction mode. It drove pretty good but of course the steering doesn't auto-return coming out of a curve. It is much better than the 5/8" toe-in I started with...lol
JC

 

[jcatnite]

Went back to the garage and set up the rig described on the Teglerizer site. (Strings on jack stands set parallel to the car) I got the following results.