Wheel alignment toe-in check
06-05-2011, 03:42 AM
#1
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Wheel alignment toe-in check
I've done some reading about how sensitive the soft tires on the Z are to toe-in, so I decided to check my car with some home-made toe plates. I'm past the 12-month window for getting a free alignment, but the car only has 6200 miles.
The toe plates are made of 1 1/4"x1/8" aluminum angle riveted together. I used six identical nylon screws as standoffs to bear on the rim. There's a raised ring on the tire near the rim that keeps the toe plates from sliding down. Rubber bands around the spokes hold everything in place.
Before using the toe plates, I clamped them together at the contact points to check if they were straight. I measured between the ends of the horizontal bars with my micrometer, and the difference was less than 0.005". The long bar doubles the toe-in reading, which makes it easier to read the tape.
After the toe plates were installed and leveled, I used identical tape measures to make the measurements. I switched the tapes front to back and averaged the readings to cancel any error in the tapes. After doing the math, I get a toe-in of 0.03", which is a little less than the nominal spec of 0.04".
The tires are showing just a hint of feathering, and I can feel a slightly different edge on the inside tread blocks depending on which way I run my hand. The tires are non-directional, so I'm going to start switching them side-to-side every 3-4K miles to even out the wear.
The toe plates are made of 1 1/4"x1/8" aluminum angle riveted together. I used six identical nylon screws as standoffs to bear on the rim. There's a raised ring on the tire near the rim that keeps the toe plates from sliding down. Rubber bands around the spokes hold everything in place.
Before using the toe plates, I clamped them together at the contact points to check if they were straight. I measured between the ends of the horizontal bars with my micrometer, and the difference was less than 0.005". The long bar doubles the toe-in reading, which makes it easier to read the tape.
After the toe plates were installed and leveled, I used identical tape measures to make the measurements. I switched the tapes front to back and averaged the readings to cancel any error in the tapes. After doing the math, I get a toe-in of 0.03", which is a little less than the nominal spec of 0.04".
The tires are showing just a hint of feathering, and I can feel a slightly different edge on the inside tread blocks depending on which way I run my hand. The tires are non-directional, so I'm going to start switching them side-to-side every 3-4K miles to even out the wear.
Last edited by winchman; 06-05-2011 at 04:25 AM.
09-11-2011, 09:54 PM
#2
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Killer setup. I made a single bar unit from steel that went all the way across the wheel track and made measurements back then front. Your unit is way easier.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing.
01-01-2012, 10:31 PM
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I've done some reading about how sensitive the soft tires on the Z are to toe-in, so I decided to check my car with some home-made toe plates. I'm past the 12-month window for getting a free alignment, but the car only has 6200 miles.
The toe plates are made of 1 1/4"x1/8" aluminum angle riveted together. I used six identical nylon screws as standoffs to bear on the rim. There's a raised ring on the tire near the rim that keeps the toe plates from sliding down. Rubber bands around the spokes hold everything in place.
Before using the toe plates, I clamped them together at the contact points to check if they were straight. I measured between the ends of the horizontal bars with my micrometer, and the difference was less than 0.005". The long bar doubles the toe-in reading, which makes it easier to read the tape.
After the toe plates were installed and leveled, I used identical tape measures to make the measurements. I switched the tapes front to back and averaged the readings to cancel any error in the tapes. After doing the math, I get a toe-in of 0.03", which is a little less than the nominal spec of 0.04".
The tires are showing just a hint of feathering, and I can feel a slightly different edge on the inside tread blocks depending on which way I run my hand. The tires are non-directional, so I'm going to start switching them side-to-side every 3-4K miles to even out the wear.
The toe plates are made of 1 1/4"x1/8" aluminum angle riveted together. I used six identical nylon screws as standoffs to bear on the rim. There's a raised ring on the tire near the rim that keeps the toe plates from sliding down. Rubber bands around the spokes hold everything in place.
Before using the toe plates, I clamped them together at the contact points to check if they were straight. I measured between the ends of the horizontal bars with my micrometer, and the difference was less than 0.005". The long bar doubles the toe-in reading, which makes it easier to read the tape.
After the toe plates were installed and leveled, I used identical tape measures to make the measurements. I switched the tapes front to back and averaged the readings to cancel any error in the tapes. After doing the math, I get a toe-in of 0.03", which is a little less than the nominal spec of 0.04".
The tires are showing just a hint of feathering, and I can feel a slightly different edge on the inside tread blocks depending on which way I run my hand. The tires are non-directional, so I'm going to start switching them side-to-side every 3-4K miles to even out the wear.
Last edited by samson smith; 01-01-2012 at 10:33 PM.
