Alignment Specs
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Alignment Specs
89 f150 straight 6 5-speed
I put 2 brand new tie rod ends on the front of my truck.
Then I aligned it, by parking the truck on a flat level surface, directly facing a flat wall about 30 feet away and putting a laser across each of the back alloys, and marking the spot on the wall.
Then I put the laser on the front wheels and adjusted the tie-rod connections until the front wheels where exactly straight with the back wheels.
Now, it feels like theres just a tiny bit of "drift" in the steering of the truck, from left to right.
If I toe in the front wheels just a hair to take up for the natural factory tolerances, will that make the steering feel more "exact"?
If I do, how much should I toe it in?
With a laser hitting a wall 30 feet away, how much should I bring the laser point "in" from where the back wheels were?
Is there an angle spec?
If there is an angle spec, I can convert that into a measurement of the laser at 30 feet away, or if someone has a spec from the "old fashioned way" with string, I suppose I could convert that as well.
I put 2 brand new tie rod ends on the front of my truck.
Then I aligned it, by parking the truck on a flat level surface, directly facing a flat wall about 30 feet away and putting a laser across each of the back alloys, and marking the spot on the wall.
Then I put the laser on the front wheels and adjusted the tie-rod connections until the front wheels where exactly straight with the back wheels.
Now, it feels like theres just a tiny bit of "drift" in the steering of the truck, from left to right.
If I toe in the front wheels just a hair to take up for the natural factory tolerances, will that make the steering feel more "exact"?
If I do, how much should I toe it in?
With a laser hitting a wall 30 feet away, how much should I bring the laser point "in" from where the back wheels were?
Is there an angle spec?
If there is an angle spec, I can convert that into a measurement of the laser at 30 feet away, or if someone has a spec from the "old fashioned way" with string, I suppose I could convert that as well.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Greater Austin, Texas
1/4" toed in. I don't trust your method, tho, because it assumes the track of the vehicle is the same from front to back, and I don't think that is so. The rear track is less on our trucks than the front, which would then make you toed out. You should use a tape measure on the front and back of the front tires to set the toe, or you can get a toe bar from Harbor Freight for about $20, which makes it easier to do by yourself (otherwise you need another person to hold the tape measure).
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1/4" at 30 feet?
Because I did some more research and found that .05 degrees toed in on each wheel seems to be pretty common on older full size ford vehilcles, which is about 1/4 inch at 30 feet, .314 inches.
Because I did some more research and found that .05 degrees toed in on each wheel seems to be pretty common on older full size ford vehilcles, which is about 1/4 inch at 30 feet, .314 inches.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Greater Austin, Texas
1/4" at 30 feet?
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Well I can measure the outer width of the front wheels, then measure between the dots on the wall instead of just comparing to the rear.
The 30 feet is how far the truck is from the wall, the farther the vehicle is, the more pronounced the difference will be.
So you mean 1/4 at the edge of the rim itself? Using the string method? Seems like alot to me.
The 30 feet is how far the truck is from the wall, the farther the vehicle is, the more pronounced the difference will be.
So you mean 1/4 at the edge of the rim itself? Using the string method? Seems like alot to me.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Greater Austin, Texas
The 30 feet is how far the truck is from the wall, the farther the vehicle is, the more pronounced the difference will be.
You must measure from the same point on the tire at the back and the front for the measurement to be meaningful. You can determine that a number of ways. In the olden days we used to have a tire scoring tool that made a mark all the way around the center of the tire, but I have been trying for years to find one on eBay with no luck. Now I use the tool I got from Harbor Freight which measures from the outside edge of the tire, but I used to just look very closely at the tread design and mark the center of the tire with a pen.
Dude, I have been doing it this way for over 30 years and I have never had tire wear problems. I set EVERYTHING to 1/4" in because I found, over the years, that was more or less the factory toe setting for every car I aligned in a shop.
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In the olden days we used to have a tire scoring tool that made a mark all the way around the center of the tire, but I have been trying for years to find one on eBay with no luck. Now I use the tool I got from Harbor Freight which measures from the outside edge of the tire, but I used to just look very closely at the tread design and mark the center of the tire with a pen.
naa, i might just know where one is at
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I'm stubborn 
The laser thing is infinitely more accurate (even if my original concept was a little flawed) then just measuring directly on the rim.
I can use the tangent function and do the math to see how far apart the dots should be, based on how far away the wall is and what angle I'm going for.
I'll do the math and see what angle a quarter inch at the edge of the rim is.
The laser thing is infinitely more accurate (even if my original concept was a little flawed) then just measuring directly on the rim.
I can use the tangent function and do the math to see how far apart the dots should be, based on how far away the wall is and what angle I'm going for.
I'll do the math and see what angle a quarter inch at the edge of the rim is.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2009
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From: Toledo, Ohio
I see this is an older thread but, Dont use the rear at all. Its a solid. You want the front axle front and rear of the wheels a 1/16th difference toe in.
Ill assume you know you need to mark a straight line around the circumference of the tire in the center on each side for your reference points.
(Better?)
Ill assume you know you need to mark a straight line around the circumference of the tire in the center on each side for your reference points.
(Better?)
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 7,966
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From: Greater Austin, Texas
is this the thing that looks sort of like a huge "C" clamp.....and has little wheels that roll along the inside and outside of the tire rim.....some sort of gears that keep a grease pencil in the center of the two little wheels, and you "roll" it around the tire and the grease pencil leaves a line down the center of the tire tread ?.............never seen one before.....
naa, i might just know where one is at
naa, i might just know where one is at
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 7,966
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From: Greater Austin, Texas
Or, you can do it the easy way and take it a shop