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Tips

Toe in adjustment

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blkcorvair

Jedi Knight
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Well I had it on all fours today and wlthough I only had time to eyeball the front end, I just had to take it around the block and disturb evreryones dinner. Wheeeew! I like it! But tommorow before the hub bub arrives I may adjust the front end for real. Anyone know the proper toe-in adjustment?
 
Hello Scott,

normally about 1\16" to 1\8" toe in for rear wheel drive cars.

A point that is sometimes forgotten is that the steering should be central when adjusting the tracking and both sides will probably require adjustment. If that is not done you will lose lock on one side. (with power steering that can cause a pull on the steering also.)

Alec
 
Think you will find it is 0 degrees plus or minus 1/8.
 
Alec makes an important point:

Do NOT do the toe in adjustment by just adjusting on one side only. This will screw up "toe out on turns".
Turn the steering wheel all the way one way and then turn it *exactly* half way back.
Lock the steering wheel somehow and adjust the toe on both sides while the steering wheel is locked. Set until you have 0 to 1/16" toe in.
A good way way to do this is to use two long, parrallel strings on jack stands. Since the rockers on a Spridget are parrallel, you can use these to help get the strings parrallel (but also measure the distance of the strings front and back to make sure they're equal)
As you adjust the toe, bounce the car up and down and them re-check.
 
Yea some benifits of working at a Golf Car Dealer. Ive got a Toe adjustment tool That is perfectly sized for the Midg. I actually drilled and installed my new studs for teh front today, Than I measured the distance frome the edge of teh threads to the inside edge of my street car on both side, Than I duplicated that on my race car just to give me a central starting point. Spun her around the block again, Much better than yesterday. Later Ill refine it with the tool, just a little crampy under them there spridgets!
 
Like everybody else said with the centered steering wheel and also if the car was never hit, each tie rod end should be screwed on 15 full turns each. This will get you very close.
I have seen cars with 25 turns on 1 side and 5 on the other, yeah, the tow in was fine but the steering was whacky.
So 15 full turns give ot take 1/2 a turn to point it up.
And then check the toe in which sould be 1/16 to 1/8 inch toed IN after the car has been driven straight, do not check it jacked up. Or just let off the jack, all 4 wheels on the ground after a drive.
I use 2 straight boards and a tape measure. Measure the back side of the wheels, then the front. 1/8 less in front max.
 
Just curious, what do you have for camber, WC makes a offset bushing that will get you about 1.25 degrees of negative, Peter May makes a offset trunnion that will get you 3 degrees of negative. Listen to nial suggestion about stringing the car, you need to align the front wheels with the rear wheels in mind, so the car doesn't crab.
 
Hap, I hadnt installed the neg Camber bushings yet. I wanted to get the car running driving first and than finish all the essential smaal stuff. More than likely I am going 1.25 from WC
 
After fiddling with all 4 inches of room I decided to leave it to the pros I dropped her off at a shop next to mine today. New owners Very Nice. Turns out he had a manifold for a chevy he wants blasted and I have the cabinet so my alignment was a barter for my time. Money Well Spent! I spun it around a bit today and stretched her legs. Got lots 'O' Looks. Especially after I put the numbers on. Running good. A few kinks, but getting there.
 
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