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Re: toe alignment and centered steering wheel.

To: Eric Linnhoff <eric10mm@qni.com>
Subject: Re: toe alignment and centered steering wheel.
From: Scott & Glenda Meyers <autox@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 15:45:13 -0700
Eric Linnhoff wrote:
> Thanks all for the toe setting tips.  I especially like the one with two
> yardsticks rubber banded together that can slide back and forth and
> already have a measuring scale on them.
>
Cheap is always good....   :-)
> 
> Next question.  How do I know if each front tire is an equal amount of
> toe, out or in, from the actual centerline of the car?  In other words,
> whats to keep me from accidentally screwing up the toe so badly that it
> ends up having 1/2" toe out on the left side and 3/8" toe in on the
> right side which would measure out as 1/8" total toe out using y'all's
> methods?
>

For the street you keep zero toe. At the track, as you are changing wheels,
loosen and adjust JUST THE DRIVER'S SIDE tie rod. When you run, the slight
amount that the steering wheel is off center will be of absolutely no
consequence. I mean, who goes straight for 100's of yards? Not even in San
Diego  ;-)

After the event, change the tires, reset the one side of the tie rod, and off
you go with zero toe. All settings, before and after the event, must be
checked with the car on the ground and having been rolled back and forth a
number of feet. Then snug the tie rod nut.

There is never such a thing as one side with one toe setting and the other
side with another once the car is moving - the steering wheel will seek true
center regarless of where the spokes are. The NUT BEHIND THE WHEEL may try to
do otherwise  :-)

> 
> If I keep the steering wheel centered the whole time will the toe end up
> where I want it or can I still screw it up that badly?
>

No. Not even you  ;-)

> 
> I measured incorrectly where the washers should have been welded in
> place and screwed myself out of a lot of camber.  So now I have to
> remove the struts, again, and grind off the old washers and reweld
> another set of washers in the correct place so that I can get some
> usable negative camber in my non-ACR Neon.
> 

I take that back - maybe you.......

(Can't you just grind out the washers since it probably wouldn't pass tech at
the Nationals if you beat someone Nationally ranked anyway? Ask Mark Chiles
about extra washers).

Scott Meyers

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