Toe-in spec-check and adjustment are shown in the accompanying photos. Although no specialized tools are necessary to check toe, companies such as Eastwood, JC Whitney and Harbor Freight sell tools specifically for this purpose. Two things to remember when measuring and adjusting toe: First, true spec is measured midway up the tires.
If the car's body makes this impractical, take the front and rear measurements one-quarter of the way up the tires, then double that to get the true toe as it would be in the center of the tires.
Also, an off-center steering wheel can sometimes be corrected by adjusting one tie-rod more than the other. Steering wheel position has no effect on your final alignment. Camber Camber is the measurement of tire lean in degrees.
If the top of the tire tilts inward, the vehicle has negative camber; outward lean is positive camber. Most newer vehicles have slightly negative camber to improve stability and handling. Two indicators of camber problems are the vehicle pulling to one side the one with more positive camber or possibly less air in the tire and uneven tire wear across the tread.
Camber is easy to check with an angle finder and a straight edge, ideally one that's the same length as the wheel diameter so that tire sidewall bulge doesn't interfere with the straight edge. Many front-wheel-drive cars don't have camber adjustments, and out-of-spec camber here often indicates bent or worn parts. On vehicles that have adjustable camber, the job can involve adding shims between the control arms and frame and turning cam bolts.
Many people prefer to let an alignment shop make these adjustments, particularly if their car has independent rear suspension. Caster Caster is the angle of steering pivot in degrees. Just as water-skiers lean backward for stability, most vehicles are designed with slight negative caster — the upper ball joint is to the rear of the lower ball joint similar to the front wheels on a shopping cart.
What you do is remove one bracket and pointer at a time. That is, to get behind the front tires, you set the bracket and pointer on the ruler end to read zero, then take the bracket and pointer off the other end.
With nothing on that end, you can now slide it under the car without hitting anything. You then align the pointer on the ruler end with the scribe mark on its tire, slide the bracket and pointer onto the other end, and align that to its scribe mark. You then flip it around to the front edge of the tires, put the bracket at the ruler end back on, and adjust only that bracket while lining up the pointers.
Sliding one end of the pointer bar under the car with the bracket and pointer off. The downsides of the pointer bar are that using it is slower than the toe-in gauge, you may need to stand it on blocks to reach the midpoint of the tires, and swinging around anything with those pointers risks nicking the paint on the car—but I found that the readings were much more consistent than with the toe-in gauge.
Signed copies of this and his other books can be ordered directly from Rob here. As a result, the Rob Siegel has been writing the column The Hack Mechanic for Roundel Magazine for 35 years, and is the author of eight books available on Amazon.
He currently owns thirteen cars. Yes, his wife knows about all of them. If it's pointing in toward the center of the car, it means that the outer tire rod has to be tightened.
If it's pointing outward, the tire rod has to be loosened. Loosen the nut that connects the outer and the inner tire rods. This will allow you to loosen or tighten the tire rod. The outer tire rod must be turned counterclockwise or loosened if the wheel has to be turned more inward. If it has to be turned more outward, the tire rod should be turned clockwise or tightened. Turn the wheel straight after you've made the adjustment, and check if the wheel is still tilting the wrong way.
If that wheel is straight, repeat the procedure with the other wheel. Now That's Interesting. A common sign that an alignment is required is when your car pulls to one side or the other without you turning the wheel.
Other signs include a steering wheel that is not centered when driving straight, loose handling and abnormal tire wear on one side of the car. Can a bad alignment cause shaking?
Do the same on the other side. If there is no area on the tire where the tread is flat, you may need to suspend your marking tool with a clamp or similar stabilizer. Lower the car. After you lower the car to the ground, push down on the car above each wheel a few times to allow the car to settle. Roll the car. Push the car forward at least 10 feet with the steering wheel unlocked to make sure the wheels are straight.
Stretch a string. With an assistant, take a piece of string or wire and stretch it between the lines on the front of the tires, even with the spindle, and measure the distance on the string. Repeat at the process at the back of each tire. As long as you use string or wire that does not stretch, you can get a very accurate measurement this way. Subtract the differences. If the distance in the front is smaller than in the back, your wheels toe-in.
If the measurement in the back is smaller, they toe-out. If they are identical, you have zero toe. It is also important to have your front and rear wheels aligned with one another e. If your rear toe is out of alignment, you may need to see a professional mechanic. Rear toe should be adjusted before front toe, so if you find a problem with the rear, don't waste time adjusting the front yourself. Part 3. Determine the right camber. Camber is the vertical angle of the wheels when looking at the car head on.
Depending on your car, the manual will probably recommend slight negative camber, as this increases stability. Cut a measuring triangle. Get a piece of stiff cardboard or wood and cut it into a perfect right triangle one with a 90 degree angle that is the same height as your wheels.
Place the triangle. Starting in the front of the car, put the base of the triangle on the ground, perpendicular to the car, and the other side of the 90 degree angle against the center of one of the wheels.
Take your measurement. There will be a gap between your measuring device and your tire, probably at the top. Measure this with a ruler or calipers. This is your camber. Repeat with the other front wheel. The two wheels should be about the same and within the range specified by your manual. If not, your camber may need alignment. Repeat the process in the back. If you think the camber is off, move your car forward or backward enough to spin the tires half a turn, then try measuring again.
At the same time, however, unless your car has been in a serious accident, it is unlikely that your camber will be seriously out of alignment.
Part 4. Locate your tie rod ends. The tie rods are the connection between your steering system and your wheels. The rod ends are L-shaped parts sometimes found near the inside of the wheel. Loosen the lock nuts.
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