As Johnny explained that is to compensate for the crown in the road. I did alignment and brake work for several years when I lived in Central Texas and found that normally 1/4 degree more positive camber in the left wheel helped the car/truck drive straight down the road on Central Texas roads. It also works here in Washington State on the East side of the Cascades. Caster is what helps your wheels return to center after you make a turn. Where newer cars with independent suspensions might have different caster settings due to how the suspension is designed most hot rodders prefer around 7 to 8 degrees positive caster as a starting point. That helps the car straighten out after a turn and run truer down the road. A bit of toe in also helps the car track right. Too much and you end up with the tire seeming like it is being drug sideways down the road. Toe out normally causes the car to want to wander like you say yours is doing and excessive toe out causes the tires to drag some. You can check for excessive toe in or out on a tire by sliding your fingers across the tread and feeling for a feathering effect. If the toe in or toe out is excessive you can feel it on the tires. I scribe the mark on the center of the tread to measure toe in as it is pretty simple and more accurate than most other home methods. It only takes a minute to jack up each wheel and spin it and mark the center of the tread and do the same to the other tire. It does take a helper to be able to measure the toe in right though unless you have real long arms.
Heres my lil trick on that since I work alone alot. Use a plum bob off the C/L of tires and mark the floor. Now you can lay the tape measure on the floor.
To all that read this thread. The only tools I use for doing all this is a plum bob, 2 plates of steel, 6 pcs of 1/2 pipe so tires can shift side to side for camber (I let the tires handle the caster part) and sheet stock to make all 4 corners level and a tape measure. Oh and a protractor to come up with a set gap off plum to set caster of camber. Believe me this works real good and I have alot of friends that are happy when front end shops say a modified front end can't be aligned.
thanks for the info fellas havent tryed anything yet ill get back to you guys when i find out whats what ...seems like a good thread for alignment talk feel free to keep it going ....
ive worked in a alignment shop for 5 years and we specialize in doing just alignments ....you want MORE caster in the RIGHT wheel to make up for the crown in the road. In most cars you can have the caster more or less equal and you may not feel it unless your on a severly crowned road .. If you set a car up OT or traditonal with more caster in the left wheel than the right by roughly half a degree it will pull to the right NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO...thats just my 2 cents though ...... i would bet that the tires may play apart in his problem if the toe has been set and the steering components are all good .. is the problem continues i would say cross switch the front tires and see what happends...
we have a brand new machine in the shop and my boss will still go to the track and help set up guys cars using the same tools and technics as what JOHNNY GEEs is describing .. what ever floats your boat ..
alignment made easy. Adjust toe in / out by turning tie rod after loosing retaining bolts on tie rod ends. center wheel by adjusting drag link (if adjustable) If not then you will have to take off one or both tie rod ends and adjust it until the wheel is centered. Caster can be adjusted using wedge shims under the springs. You have too much toe in causing the wandering (back and forth)
ok here is a question..how can i tell that the both wheels are straight and im getting the correct measurment before i go and adjust anything sorta the starting point to work off of is this where i use a straight edge or something else ?
From what I read here, you now have too much toe out. Stand and look at your feet, toes are front of foot, toe is front of tire. Point your toes in = toe in. Point your toes out= toe out. Get it You want your tires to have 1/8 toe in.
Set your steering wheel straight....then measure your toe, keep the wheel straight (tie it to the door post) and adjust toe to 1/8" out. I usually will push on each tire and recheck as there is always some play in the linkage. (then tighten up the bolts) Do this first and test drive. You can check your caster by looking down at the axle. The top edge should be slightly behind the bottom (at the front). If you use a level (wood working tool) it should show a tilt towards the back. Unless the front axle has been modified or bent the camber (inward and outward tilt) should be close.
Ricks Garage<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_6434197", true); </SCRIPT> Grenade Inspector you say to much toe in & u say 31Vicky with a hemi<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_6434275", true); </SCRIPT> to much toe out hmmm wich is it
well the axle is a old taffy pulled axle and im probably going to have to modify the split wish bones to get my caster correct i wanna work on the alignment 1st than ill take care of that .
A toe out tool can be made using two lengths of 2x2 and two nails and some rubber bands or bike inner tubes.
Well, this is how I do it.... Get two straight edges, at least 3 ft long. Carpenter's levels are my choice. Lay the straight edges against the outside of the front tires, parallel with the car, against the sidewalls. Next I use four blocks of 4x4, two per side. Put the blocks under the straight edges to get them up off the ground. Make sure your on a smooth portion of the tire, to get a true reading. Now get two tape measures, and pull them across to measure the distance between the two straight edges. It helps to have a helper, but you can do it alone. Draw an imaginary line down to the floor from the front and rear of the tire, and place the tape measure there. Now, what ever the difference measured between the two tapes is your total toe.
If its too much toe out then my race cars would have crashed..... I use to run up to 1/2" toe out at some tracks.......
how about someone come give me a hand with this it sounds so complicated im shure its not but it sound like it is ..i built the car from nothing and im kinda scared to do a alignment.lol how dumb does that sound...
Race cars aren't considered to be stable as they are twitchy and very responsive, p***enger cars on the other hand should be..
That was to overcome ackerman. Race cars very seldom go straight. For the street 1/16 to 1/8 toe -in will be the most stable.
Since you previously stated you haven't measured Any thing and are having difficulty : Start from scratch Square rear axle off of center of front axle. Find center of front axle& mark it. Measure from that mark to ( pick something I can't see your car) maybe rear backing plate just be sure its the same spot on both sides. When the measurements is equal or very close rear is square. If you don't Have adjustment well it is what it is and I hope it's close. Next point wheels to what appears straight. next measure from center of rear to center of front on both sides. You want an equal measurements. When its equal your axles will be square. Ok now get your angle finder and check your caster, that's on the kink pin boss. It should be 7* top back. And the same on both sides. if its close great, if its way out you need to pie cut or move mounts up or down. Get to here before continuing. Make it right accuracy counts. Next center steering box in its travel. Is wheel centered? Is it close? Remount wheel so its centered if its not. Next lash wheel so it don't move Ok straight edge or sting line left rear to left front. You want that straight. Adjust draglink to make that straight. If your track width is different you need to add compensation to the narrow end. Tighten drag link Loosen tie rod clamps string line right side same as left. Adjust right side with tie rod. Ok now everything is lined up dead straight and square. now measure front tire center to center front and rear. AT THIS POINT THAT MEASUREMENT SHOULD BE EQUAL INDICATING ZERO TOE. Now you adjust tie rod so that the front of the tires each move 1/16" towards the center. that will be 1/8 toe in. Road test it.
Meats and Pizza Cutter are cruzn down the road keeping there ride undercontrol. Time goes by and Pizza reallizes that Meats has not said anything for a while. Hey Meats you ok back there ?, ya just day dream'n Meats says. Oh about what ? I love the way you turn left and right, wish I had a lil spindle like you do. Pizza gets pissed off and the car goes out of control as he turns without warning and yells back at Meats. No body told you get 2 1/2 more feet of steel up your A**, and you have the nerve to tell every one you roll straight.
Allignment is not rocket science. It involves simple geometry. If you are not comfortable doing it yourself, ask around to another rodder for help or take your ride to an allignment shop.
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