Subject: [TR] TR4A rear toe setting technique

From: Anthony Rhodes <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2015 20:51:55 -0400

My 4A IRS has the shims on the rear trailing arms that I believe it was delivered with.  It supposedly had a 4 wheel alignment 10 years and 4 thousand miles ago.  I just installed the goodparts rear axles and adjustable trailing arm brackets.  I have set the camber to about -0.5 degrees on both sides.  

I used the "string" technique to check toe because it looked by eye to be excessively toed-in.  

I ran the string front to back at a small distance out from the center of knock-off nuts on the wire wheels. I measured approximately 1/4" toe-in on the drivers side.  

Are there any things I need to watch out for with this technique?   E.G the rear track is 1/2" narrower than the front so I might need to have the string 1/4" further away from the rear hub than the front?   This is a very small angular difference but when working at 0 to 1/16" toe-in, that small difference is meaningful. Compared to the 1/4" I saw, it is a small amount of error.  

Any suggestions about how to set the toe with the string method?

And how much change does adding or removing one shim make?

-Tony

** [email-masked] **

Archive: http://www.team.net/archive

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From: Geo Hahn <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2015 06:45:07 -0700

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On Tue, Apr 14, 2015 at 5:51 PM, Anthony Rhodes <[email-masked]>
wrote:
>
>
> Are there any things I need to watch out for with this technique?   E.G
> the rear track is 1/2" narrower than the front so I might need to have the
> string 1/4" further away from the rear hub than the front?
>

I think you *must* have the strings parallel to get an accurate
measurement.  Using the knock-offs won't do that.

I use four of jack stands about a foot away from the car and measure the
distance between the strings carefully to assure it is the same front and
back.  Then I measure from the string to the rims.

Geo

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Tue, Apr 14, 2015 at 5:51 PM=
, Anthony Rhodes <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email-masked]=
t" target=3D"_blank">[email-masked]</a>&gt;</span> wrote:=C2=A0<blockq=
uote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;padding-left:1=
ex;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-width:1px;border-left-sty=
le:solid"><p>
<br>
Are there any things I need to watch out for with this technique?=C2=A0 =C2=
=A0E.G the rear track is 1/2&quot; narrower than the front so I might need =
to have the string 1/4&quot; further away from the rear hub than the front?=
=C2=A0 </p></blockquote><div><br></div><div>I think=C2=A0you <u>must</u> ha=
ve the strings parallel to get an accurate measurement.=C2=A0 Using the kno=
ck-offs won&#39;t do that.</div><div><br></div><div>I use four of jack stan=
ds about=C2=A0a foot away from the car and measure the distance between the=
 strings carefully to assure it is the same front and back.=C2=A0 Then I me=
asure from the string to the rims.</div></div><p>Geo</p><div class=3D"gmail=
_extra"><br></div></div>

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From: Anthony Rhodes <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2015 16:31:38 -0400

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Geo, thanks for your help.  I THINK I can use a single string to achieve the=
 same result as your technique. =20

As far as I can tell the knock off nuts are going to be very close to all ex=
actly the same distance away from the edge of wheel for all tires.  The only=
 issue would be the question of whether the track is supposed to be symmetri=
cal left and right. I think it is. =20

When I had the string flush on the center of the front nut and 0.25" away fr=
om the center of the rear nut. I made precise measurements this time rather t=
han eyeball measurements and I get 0.176" of toe in.  It should be zero to 0=
.062", do it appears that I need to reduce the toe by 0.114 to 0.176"

-Tony

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 15, 2015, at 9:45 AM, Geo Hahn <[email-masked]> wrote:

> On Tue, Apr 14, 2015 at 5:51 PM, Anthony Rhodes <[email-masked]> wrot=
e:=20
>=20
> Are there any things I need to watch out for with this technique?   E.G th=
e rear track is 1/2" narrower than the front so I might need to have the str=
ing 1/4" further away from the rear hub than the front?=20
>=20
>=20
> I think you must have the strings parallel to get an accurate measurement.=
  Using the knock-offs won't do that.
>=20
> I use four of jack stands about a foot away from the car and measure the d=
istance between the strings carefully to assure it is the same front and bac=
k.  Then I measure from the string to the rims.
>=20
>=20

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<html><head></head><body bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF"><div>Geo, thanks for your help.=
 &nbsp;I THINK I can use a single string to achieve the same result as your t=
echnique. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>As far as I can tell the knock off=
 nuts are going to be very close to all exactly the same distance away from t=
he edge of wheel for all tires. &nbsp;The only issue would be the question o=
f whether the track is supposed to be symmetrical left and right. I think it=
 is. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>When I had the string flush on the cent=
er of the front nut and 0.25" away from the center of the rear nut. I made p=
recise measurements this time rather than eyeball measurements and I get 0.1=
76" of toe in. &nbsp;It should be zero to 0.062", do it appears that I need t=
o reduce the toe by 0.114 to 0.176"</div><div><br></div><div>-Tony<br><br>Se=
nt from my iPhone</div><div><br>On Apr 15, 2015, at 9:45 AM, Geo Hahn &lt;<a=
 href=3D"mailto:[email-masked]">[email-masked]</a>&gt; wrote:<br=
><br></div><div></div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div><div dir=3D"ltr"><div c=
lass=3D"gmail_quote">On Tue, Apr 14, 2015 at 5:51 PM, Anthony Rhodes <span d=
ir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email-masked]" target=3D"_blank">spam=
[email-masked]</a>&gt;</span> wrote:&nbsp;<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote"=
 style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;padding-left:1ex;border-left-color:rgb(20=
4,204,204);border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid"><p>
<br>
Are there any things I need to watch out for with this technique?&nbsp; &nbs=
p;E.G the rear track is 1/2" narrower than the front so I might need to have=
 the string 1/4" further away from the rear hub than the front?&nbsp; </p></=
blockquote><div><br></div><div>I think&nbsp;you <u>must</u> have the strings=
 parallel to get an accurate measurement.&nbsp; Using the knock-offs won't d=
o that.</div><div><br></div><div>I use four of jack stands about&nbsp;a foot=
 away from the car and measure the distance between the strings carefully to=
 assure it is the same front and back.&nbsp; Then I measure from the string t=
o the rims.</div></div><p>Geo</p><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br></div></div>=
</div></blockquote></body></html>=

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