Going Digital on Toe Settings

[Lunentucker]

After spending some time looking at all of the various plates, bars, levels, and bungee cords, I finally realized that I already had a highly accurate tool that could easily be used by just one person to get repeatable measurements to set the toe.

I played around with metric and standard and found no real differences - just different math.

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[ShadowsPapa]

After spending some time looking at all of the various plates, bars, levels, and bund cords, I finally realized that I already had a highly accurate tool that could easily be used by just one person to get repeatable measurements to set the toe.

I played around with metric and standard and found no real differences - just different math.

Now use your math and convert that to the degrees used for these. Toe specs are specified in degrees. You can figure that using the radius of the tire, etc.

 

[Lunentucker]

Now use your math and convert that to the degrees used for these. Toe specs are specified in degrees. You can figure that using the radius of the tire, etc.

I'd rather set it, drive it, and go from there. I actually had it toed out ever so slightly prior to tonight and it's been driving great, with no signs of adverse tire wear. Now it's toed in ever so slightly (technical term akin to Kentucky windage, which I am pretty good at), and I'll see how it does over the next week or so.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I'd rather set it, drive it, and go from there. I actually had it toed out ever so slightly prior to tonight and it's been driving great, with no signs of adverse tire wear. Now it's toed in ever so slightly (technical term akin to Kentucky windage, which I am pretty good at), and I'll see how it does over the next week or so.

You'll know if it's incorrect for YOUR vehicle and tires....... feathered wear across the face of the tires (and pissy handling - an Iowa term)

 

[jay21mojave]

An En "light" ening Thread - Lunentucker and Shadow love the info.. Cool Tool ! However, Guess I'm just too "Old Skool" to invest in that one.

 

[jav_eee]

came from the other alignment thread... looking at this digital tool, specs show it accurate to within 1/16 of an inch. wouldn't that be enough inaccuracy to make it not very good to use for an alignment?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

came from the other alignment thread... looking at this digital tool, specs show it accurate to within 1/16 of an inch. wouldn't that be enough inaccuracy to make it not very good to use for an alignment?

No. Look at the specs for the alignment.... there's plus/minus for the specs. It's not a this number or else type thing.
I did alignments for years (in part working my way through getting my auto college degree) - you strive for the middle but at times it needs to be increased or decreased.
Every JT will be a bit different with wear, road surfaces, tire rolling resistance and more.
Some need to be toward the "in" range of the spec, some do better on the outer range of the spec, a slight toe-out.
If you are in that range, there should be no issues, so for a typical vehicle in good shape with no discernable wear, I shoot for the middle of the spec. If it's stock especially, with stock type tires and so on. That means if that tool is +/- 1/16" you should still be in the specs.
Can you do better? Sure - but frankly, most alignment equipment has some range of accuracy and even more - the person doing the alignment will likely not even be that accurate (my OCD required I shoot for absolute perfection - really hard to do on a vehicle with more than 0 miles on it. I got A's in alignment classes in college but I wasn't the fastest one out the door, either)
Take two identical cars or trucks. One may be best off with the high end of the spec, the other with the low end, depending on the wear on the parts. If the natural tendency is for the front tires to want to toe out while on the highway, one with more wear will need to have the toe setting toward the "in" side of the spec. Another may be best off with the toe toward the "out" measurement.
If tires have been changed, it may matter.
+/- 1/16" is about as accurate as you can set a vehicle anyway due to tolerances.

 

[Sandevino]

My technique of bolting angle iron to the two lower hub studs and measuring front and back has served me well. Once a year I take it in for a proper alignment and it's usually within spec.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My technique of bolting angle iron to the two lower hub studs and measuring front and back has served me well. Once a year I take it in for a proper alignment and it's usually within spec.

Key words = "within spec" and for that there's a range. If it's not wearing tires and it handles fine, you dun good and are almost certainly within spec.
Even smarter - you have someone check your work.

5 likes.

 

[Sandevino]

Key words = "within spec" and for that there's a range. If it's not wearing tires and it handles fine, you dun good and are almost certainly within spec.
Even smarter - you have someone check your work.

5 likes.

Used to set alignment with the same type setup on HD trucks on road stops. Would get their alignment in spec and have them check it next time they have it serviced. Only once (first time) was the alignment out of spec.

 

[Lunentucker]

I like the digital device because I can do it with just me, no extra apparatus, wheels on the ground, and it's super simple to use.

 

[CrazyCooter]

I know many of you hate me for my uncommon methods and lack of compliance for the sloppy way of doing things, but........

First thing that stands out in my mind after wondering what the actual accuracy of that measuring tool is would be looking at the pics in this thread Is that the measurements are not being taken at the axle's centerline height? Looks like either the tie rod or control arms keep this centerline measurement from happening?

A toe measurement in inches at a 17" diameter is far from the toe measurement at 32"?

If it's not being measured at a constant location, the measurements are useless.

 

[Lunentucker]

I know many of you hate me for my uncommon methods and lack of compliance for the sloppy way of doing things, but........

First thing that stands out in my mind after wondering what the actual accuracy of that measuring tool is would be looking at the pics in this thread Is that the measurements are not being taken at the axle's centerline height? Looks like either the tie rod or control arms keep this centerline measurement from happening?

A toe measurement in inches at a 17" diameter is far from the toe measurement at 32"?

If it's not being measured at a constant location, the measurements are useless.

That's correct. I get it as close to centerline height as is possible.
I don't hate you. At least not for this.

 

[CrazyCooter]

I have the Dewalt version of that laser tool in the shop that I use to check trailer axle tracking. I have checked it with a tape and it's been good every time, so I guess I should trust it by now? Modern tech is so cool.....when it works!

 

[ErrngeElise]

I really like this method for a quick check. If you understand what you are doing and the limitations of it, it is really a handy way to check

came from the other alignment thread... looking at this digital tool, specs show it accurate to within 1/16 of an inch. wouldn't that be enough inaccuracy to make it not very good to use for an alignment?

As for the accuracy of the device only being a 1/16 of an inch that is actually fairly good. But in this case we don't really care about accuracy so much as repeatability of the measurements. For example you wouldn't care if the measurement was 57" or 57.25" but what you would want to see is that you got the same measurements 3, 5, 10 times in a row. Because all you care about is the difference between the front and back sides to figure out the toe measurements.

A toe measurement in inches at a 17" diameter is far from the toe measurement at 32"?

If it's not being measured at a constant location, the measurements are useless.

Correct but even in a shop with a rack and laser alignment system, you are still gauging off the face of the rim and not the tire.

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