Another stupid setting toe question...

...but i don't think this has ever been addressed....

Still messing around with it, but here's todays questions. if you look at the pic there is no way i can actually measure from the red arrows (or center of the tire horizontal to the kingpins) due to the motor being in the way. I can measure at the black arrows and keep them at the same height on front to back or should I measure at the back black arrow and the front blue arrow (180 degrees)?

 

Lay a couple of framing squares against the center of the tires and measure across the floor.

 

Thats the way I do it.. Framing squares on the floor and a tape measure. Now I'll add a question to this thread... Is toe measured from the tread or from the edge of the rim? I have been told both ways. Last few times I measured from the rim.

 

well yes you can measure, what you need is what i have seen in some alignment shops, but you can make one out of a nice piece of wood a little longer then you tires are wide, a nice 2"x2" will work, you then need to bend up some wire, i use 1/8" welding rod, that has been pointed on the ends and is long enough to reach from the wood, that is now laying on your shop floor, to 1/2 way up your tire tread, you attach the witre to the wood and now you can move it from front to rear of your tire being careful not to bump the wire, just keep going back and forth and readjusting the wire till you can figureout your toein.

 

Set up some strings,tangent to the sidewalls.
Measure across the strings.

All you need are 4 axle stands and some string.

This was how most NASCAR teams aligned their cars,
until the big money made everything complicated.

 

I used to have a concrete pad where I worked on cars that was all lumpy and wavy so you couldn't trust the framing squares to be sitting straight at all, so I made a thing that was a long bar with two pointers sticking up. I just aligned the pointers to the center of the center rib of tire tread on front and then move it back and tip it up to see where the pointers lined up on the center of the tire tread in the rear.

Another more accurate way is to put a big piece of tape across the front of the tire tread and make marks where the pointers on the long stick hit the tread. Then roll the car back until the tape is on the back of the tire and use the measuring stick again against the same marks. That way gets it really close unless you have shot wheel bearings or something.

 

When I worked at the alignment shop we would scribe a line on the tire and use an adjustable toe gauge (big caliper basically) to check front to back. That is the old school method we were taught.

 

Horrible Freight has a cheap adjustable alignment gauge.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=30167

I've always used the methods described above.

 

on our semi's we jack it up spin the tire and spray alight mist of white paint on the tire than take a 2x4x12" with a nail in it and scribe a line in the paint. set it down roll it forward several feet to settle the suspension and measure with the tape measure or 2x4x8' with a couple of long gutter nails.

the floor has to be perfect for framing squares.

if the rim is bent or not machined perfect then the toe will change as the tire rotates same with the tread if it is not molded perfect or runs out a bit. if you use these methods you will have to take several measurements and average them.

but my dad said,"always measure twice, three time if your not sure"

___________________________________
the old man, now

I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure.

 

Here is a genuine alignment tool made by Bear back in the day. It is just a spring loaded "nail" on a hinged lever, so a scribe mark can be put on the tread and still follow an out of round tire. There is usually enough dirt film on a tire to show a nice dark line. I agree with the above post about the treads not running true, if you just measure from them. They could be off more than the normal 1/8 to 3/16 toe-in measurement.

 

Good stuff!

 

I have the same problem on my T. I simply measure off the frame. My frame is exactly 27 1/8 inches wide at the back of the front tire. I just add the distance to the center of the tire on each side to get my total measurement.

I'd suggest you mark the frame so you have a repeatable measurement, especially if your frame is tappered.

Works like a charm every time!

 

That is what we used. They still have it there today, it was an old Bear shop.

 

Here is the best Toe-in gauge that I've ever seen, courtesy of Kewi Kev.

 

Very Cool Gauge indeed.

 

To Answer Your Question Your Black Marks Should Be Just Fine.

 

Here's the Toe Tool I made awhile back, and still have it to use today. Cost me just about $1.50 to make it as well!

Check it out - was a Tech post ***led "Redneck Tech"

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=170197&highlight=TECH

 

I have taken a 3 ft. straight edge against each tire (3 person job) and measure out at the end of the straight edge. You get a more accurate measurement at the end. Do it at front and back of front tire. Adjust tie rod so front and rear measurement is the same. This gets you close, and then you can drive it to an alignment shop if necessary.

 

my tool.. Home made with just square tubing and all thread. You can see the sliding part in the pic with a couple bolts to lock it down. This works great and took about an hour to build. Ive set a bunch of front ends with this.....
Dave

 

Here's mine. After borrowing a "fancy" spring loaded one that didn't work for **** I made this one from s**** laying around. I rivited a scale on there to make it easier to use.

BTW - the guys telling you to scribe the tire are definitely steering you in the right direction.

 

Yep !