TR2/3/3A Using Moss front end alignment gauge?

[karls59tr]

Lost the instructions for the gauge. Do you measure off the back of the front tires...then measure off the front...then whatever the reading is on the scale you turn one wheel in 1/2 of the measurement? That is with one wheel straight you turn the other one in 1/2 the measurement? Does this sound right?

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Not sure this helps, but my recollection is that you want the front measurement to be about 1/16" less than the rear for proper toe-in. Before taking measurements, roll the car forward and back with wheels straight ahead.

I'm sure others who've done this more recently will chime in with more detail.

 

[martx-5]

Yeah, basically, you want the to see the difference between the front of the tires and the back. I used strings on jack stands running parallel and then measured the distances in to the fronts and backs of the tires. The system is cheap and very effective if you can keep from tripping over the strings. It also take about 15-20 minutes to set up.

I'm running 1/32" toe in. It works for me...YMMV. The workshop manual (Bentley) says parallel to 1/8" toe in, but so most people just go in the middle of that at 1/16".

 

[RonR]

I have the Moss gage, but a tape measure works as well if one simply places a chalk mark at the center of the tire tread.

Make sure all 4 tires are properly inflated.
Make sure the front tires are pointing straight forward. The steering wheel should be straight if it was installed correctly and the tires are close to the correct toe-in. This is where I use the jack stands and string, to ensure that the front tires are in a straight line with the rear tires.

As previously posted, roll the car back as far as it will go, then push it forward at least 3/4 rotation of tires.
Using the Moss gage, measure the front of the tires from sidewall-to-side wall at the centerline of the hub by sliding the gage end in and out until it reads ‘0". Keep the Moss gage cross arm level.
Roll the car forward 1/2 rotation of the tires (180 degrees)
Measure the rear of the tires from sidewall-to-sidewall at the centerline of the hub, at the same location on the sidewall you measured initially, before rolling the car forward 180 degrees
The Moss gage will read toe in or toe out
If the toe-in needs adjusted, adjust both tie-rod ends the same amount. If you only move one of the tie-rod ends, the steering wheel will no longer be centered.

 

[CJD]

My method beats all these systems, including the new laser alignments, and costs...well...nothing at all...!

It's the rifle technique. Just get down at the front of your car and site the outside edge of the front tires to the back tires. If you can hit a target while eyeball sighting your rifle at 100 yards, you can definitely align your toes at 8 feet distance! Sight it to the outside edge of the rear tires and you have zero toe (assuming the track width is the same front and back, which is easily checked). Aim one inch outboard of the rear tires for the TR3 recommended toe-in.

I started doing all my alignments this way 25 years ago, after a particularly unsettling spat with an alignment specialist who couldn't get my wheels straight. I have not paid for an alignment since, and I even got 120k out of one set of tires on my SUV!

 

[vivdownunder]

Unfortunately a TR2 -3B rear track is 1/2" wider than the front, although for some strange reason the rear track always looks narrower than the front.

On a TR4 the front track is 1.0" wider than the rear.

Viv

 

[CJD]

Aim one inch outboard of the rear tires for the TR3 recommended toe-in.

This takes the track difference into account.