Wheel alignment dimension

There is more rubbish talked about wheel alignment than engine oils.

In the old days a vehicle needed a pre-delivery inspection and sometimes the dealer could spend literally days putting right stuff the factory had left half done. Checking and adjusting wheel alignment was one of those things.

Since computers and robots have been building vehicles any pre-delivery inspection is usually a formality with few (and mostly no) faults and maladjustments to correct. The wheel alignment is adjusted dynamically as part of the production process.

The amount of toe-in a vehicle needs is completely dependent on the other suspension and steering angles, which in the straight ahead position is principally the camber angle.

Vehicles (suspension and steering in this case) are produced to a tolerance. The various dimensions should fall into an acceptable range of values rather than being exact. The engineering and assembly required to make every vehicle to exact blueprint dimensions would be too expensive and impractical but if it were possible the calculated dimension for toe-in would actually mean something.

In the real world the dimension listed in the data book for toe-in will be a base figure with a tolerance. The more precise a chassis is produced the smaller will be the tolerance. Today the tolerance is likely to be 0.5 to about 1.5mm. There was a time when Ford used a tolerance of 6mm.

The point is, the ideal toe setting will vary slightly and be individual to a specific vehicle but if the chassis dimensions are all within tolerance then so will the toe setting be in tolerance and so when the manufacturer adjusts the toe-in dynamically the alignment will be the best compromise setting it is possible to make.
It must be a compromise setting because of the tolerance which will almost certainly mean the camber angle one side will be slightly different to the camber angle the other side meaning each side will require a different amount of toe which would be impossible to achieve with one steering gear operating both wheels and so the best compromise setting is the average between the two requirements.

Sometimes in the real world one sort of slips through due to all sorts of possible circumstances. Maybe the toe wasn't adjusted or perhaps the camber angle is wildly different each side and no compromise setting will ever work for it until that has been rectified.
Sometimes in the aftermarket the book compromise figure has to be ignored and the best compromise setting found by trial and error depending on the wear pattern on the tyres. This can be quite a long job and expensive on tyres due to the fact once a tyre has developed an uneven wear pattern it will remain that way until the end of it's life.

I strongly suggest you have a 4-wheel complete alignment check carried out to ensure your vehicle is straight and to reassure yourself the steering and suspension angles are within tolerance. Once this is done you can have more confidence the recommended toe-in values can be used in the future.

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Wheel Alignment A Short Course ' CarParts.com

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When you turn the steering wheel, the front wheels respond by turning on a pivot ... If they are pointed to the outside of the car then there is too much toe-out. ... Camberspecs are set so that when a vehicle is at highway speed, the camber is at the ....Eagle Parts · Ferrari Parts · Fiat Parts · Ford Parts · GEO Parts · GMC Parts.

Toe out on turns - Fixya

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31 mins ago - Toe out on turns what is the specification for toe out on turns. 1998 ford escort. - Cars & Trucks question.

Wheel Alignment: Camber, Caster & Toe - Auto Diagnosis ...

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Most rear-wheel drive cars and trucks have alignment specifications that call ... Toe-out is when the front edges of the tires are farther apart than the rear ... One old mechanic's trick when replacing tie rod ends is to count the number of turns it ...Missing: escort

Correcting Steering Pull - Auto Diagnosis Repair Help

Your alignment is off. The "toe" aspect has been compromised and this is what centers the steering wheel. Toe is the biggest tire wear factor angle. Have the alignment checked and you will find the toe needs adjustment.

Toe in / out and all other wheel alignment parameters must be checked and adjusted by a specialist shop that uses specialized equipment to do the adjustments. To your question, yes, a front end alignment by a good auto workshop will bring them back in line.

It means that your front end is out of alignment. The front wheels should be adjusted so that both point slightly inwards at the front of the car when the steering wheel is straight. This is referred to as "toe-in." The reason why cars and trucks are aligned with toe-in is because the wheels go to a straight position when traveling on a highway due to the road resistance pushing the tires back. What you have is a "toe-out" condition which will cause the tires to wear faster at the side adjacent to the back of the wheels. Have your car aligned to avoid such uneven wear.

On these LH body cars, camber is not adjustable. Neither is caster. Those angles are preset by the suspension geometry. However, specifications for them ARE published. Generally, if either of those two parameters are out of spec, then it's likely something is worn or damaged and needs to be replaced.

The only adjustable parameters are to the front and rear toe but specified as "Total Toe" - see note below.
The alignment specs are as follows ...

ALIGNMENT SPECIFICATIONS AT VEHICLE CURB HEIGHT
A. FRONT WHEELS

1. CAMBER
   Acceptable -0.6° to +0.6°
   Preferred +0.0°
   Side to Side Differential
   Acceptable 0.7° or less
   Preferred 0.0°
2. TOTAL TOE - Specified in degrees. See Note Below
   Acceptable 0.4° in -to- 0.0° out
   Preferred 0.2° in
3. CASTER* (reference angle)
   Acceptable +2.0° -to- +4.0°
   Preferred +3.0°
   *Side to Side Caster Difference not to exceed
   Acceptable 1.0° or less
   Preferred 0.0°

B. REAR WHEELS

1. CAMBER
   Acceptable -0.6° -to- +0.4°
   Preferred +0.1°
2. TOTAL TOE** - Specified in degrees. See Note Below.
   Acceptable 0.2° out -to- 0.4° in
   Preferred -0.1° in
   **TOE OUT when backed onto alignment rack is TOE IN when driving.
3. THRUST ANGLE
   Acceptable -0.15° -to- +0.15°

Note: "Total Toe" is the arithmetic sum of the left and right Toe settings. Positive is Toe-in. Negative is Toe-out. Total Toe must be equally split between left and right wheels. Left and Right Toe must be equal to within 0.02° (2 one hundredths of a degree).

Courtesy RJK & Concorde Shop Manual

Before making wheel alignment adjustment, perform the following checks:

1. Tires should be equal in size and runout must not be excessive. Tires and wheels should be in balance, and inflated to manufacturer's specifications.


2. Wheel bearings must be properly adjusted. Steering linkage and suspension must not have excessive looseness. Check for wear in tie rod ends and ball joints.
3. Steering gear box must not have excessive play. Check and adjust to manufacturer's specifications.
4. Vehicle must be at curb height with full fuel load and spare tire in vehicle. No extra load should be on vehicle.
5. Vehicle must be level with floor and with suspension settled. Jounce front and rear of vehicle several times and allow it to settle to normal curb height.
6. If steering wheel is not centered with front wheels in straight-ahead position, correct by shortening one tie rod adjusting sleeve and lengthening opposite sleeve equal amounts.
7. Ensure wheel lug nuts are tightened to torque specifications

Ride Height Adjustment

Before adjusting alignment, check riding height. Riding height must be checked with vehicle on level floor and tires properly inflated. Passenger and luggage compartments must be unloaded. Bounce vehicle several times, and allow suspension to settle. Visually inspect vehicle from front to rear and from side to side for signs of abnormal height.
Measure riding height. See figure. Riding height between left and right sides of vehicle should vary less than 1′ (25.4 mm). If riding height is not within specification, check suspension components and repair or replace them as necessary.
Wheel Alignment Procedures

Honda recommends using commercially available computerized 4-wheel alignment equipment. Follow equipment manufacturer instructions to obtain vehicle alignment settings. Use following procedures for necessary adjustments.
Civic Camber Adjustment
Compare camber settings with vehicle manufacturer recommendations. If camber is incorrect, check for bent or damaged front suspension components. Replace faulty components. Recheck camber.
Civic Caster Adjustment
DO NOT use more than 2 shims. If more than 2 shims are required to adjust caster angle, check for bent or damaged suspension components.
Compare caster settings with vehicle manufacturer recommendations. If caster is incorrect, check for bent or damaged front suspension components. Replace faulty components. Recheck caster.
Civic Toe-In Adjustment

1. Secure steering wheel in straight-ahead position. Measure front wheel toe-in. If adjustment is needed, loosen tie rod lock nuts. Turn both tie rods equally in the same direction until front wheels are in straight-ahead position and toe-in reading is correct. Tighten tie rod lock nuts. Reposition tie rod boots if twisted.
2. Ensure parking brake is released. Check rear wheel toe-in. If adjustment is needed, hold adjusting bolt on rear compensator arm and loosen lock nut. See figure. Adjust rear toe-in by sliding rear control arm until rear toe-in is correct. Install NEW lock nut, and tighten it while holding adjusting bolt.

Wheel Alignment Specifications

• Camber - Measurement in degrees.
  • Front: 0 (range -1 to 1)
  • Rear: 0.33 (range -1.33 to 0.67)
• Caster - Measurement in degrees.
  • 1.17 (range 0.17 to 2.17)
• Toe-In - Measurement in inches (mm).
  • Front: -0 (0)
  • Rear: 0.08 (2.0)
• Toe-In - Measurement in degrees.
  • Front: 0.00 (range - 0.16 to 0.16)
• Toe-Out On Turns - Measurement in degrees.
  • Inner: 41.00
  • Outer: 33.50

Torque Specifications Ft. Lbs (N.m)

• Rear Control Arm Adjusting Bolt: 48 (65)
• Spindle Nut: 136 (185)
• Tie Rod Lock Nut: 41 (55)
• Wheel Lug Nuts: 80 (108)

hope this helps you out.

It's toe-in, caster, & camber--all included in a front wheel alignment at an alignment shop--make sure your struts, link rubbers, ball joints, wheel bearings, & tie-rod ends are good first or they will tell you to replace them before alignment(or they should be replaced if worn). An alignment can cost from $35-$100--depending on whether you get a 2 or 4 wheel alignment. Usually the rear is okay--unless the car has been in an accident or has over 200,000 kms.(120,000 miles) on it.

Wheel & Tire
Wheel alignment
Front
Rear
Dimension
Toe-in
Camber
Caster angle(to ground))
King pin angle
King pin offset mm(in.)
Side slip mm(in.)
P215/65R16
0°±0.2°
0°±0.5°
3.53°±0.5°
12.77°±0.5°
-9.73(0.383)
±3(0.118)
P235/60R16
0°±0.2°
0°±0.5°
3.53°±0.5°
12.77°´±0.5°
-10.41(0.410)
±3(0.118)
P215/65R16
0.37° ~ 0.41°
-0.92°±0.5°
─
─
─
±3
P235/60R16
0.37° ~ 0.41°
-0.92°±0.5°
─
─
─
±3
Wheel
Size
Run out mm(in.)
AL wheel
6.5JX16
Radial : 0.3(0.01), Lateral : 0.3(0.01)
Tire
Size
Inflation pressure kg/cm² (psi)
P215/65R16, P235/60R16
2.1±0.07(30+1.0)

The main cause of steering wheel off-center is toe misalignment or rear axle misalignment. Toe can fall out of adjustment fairly easily as a result of daily driving, so you can imagine the effects of pounding it through 4WD trails on a regular basis.

Toe is designed to preload the steering linkage to remove play in the system. You can visualize toe angle from above; toe-in, or positive toe, is displayed when the leading edges of the tires are closer together than in the rear. Toe-out, or negative toe, is when the leading edges are farther apart. Zero toe is when wheels are pointed straight ahead and are parallel to each other. A slight amount of positive toe is preferred for most vehicles.

Improper toe angle isn't the only reason a steering wheel won't center. This phenomenon can also be caused by the steering linkage not being centered when toe was adjusted in the first place. This can be corrected by recentering the steering wheel and readjusting toe to proper specs. A bent steering arm or linkage component can also cause the steering wheel to be off-center. I've also seen this occur due to loose steering arm bolts. An off-center steering wheel contributes to tire wear because as the wheels are turned off dead center they turn toe out and increase tire scrubbing.

Sometimes an off-center steering wheel is accompanied by a wheel pull to one direction or the other and could be the result of a damaged component somewhere in the vehicle - a bent axlehousing could be throwing off the rear toe setting (rear toe setting is often overlooked). A bent frame or overly worn suspension bushings can also be the cause. If your wheel is off-center and also pulling, it can be as simple as incorrect tire pressure from side to side. Memory steer is another effect that is usually associated with an off-center steering wheel. This is when the steering wheel returns to an off-center position and can result in steering pull or drift after completing a turn. This can be caused by binding in the steering linkage as well as power steering system issues such as leaks or improper hydraulic pressure. Steering linkage bind occurs when proper geometry is not maintained in lifted vehicles.

Many 4x4s don't have factory provisions for adjusting caster and camber and rear toe and camber, but the front toe setting is easily adjusted. Toe is controlled by the steering linkage. By loosening the adjusters on the tie rod and shortening or lengthening the tie rod by turning the ends, toe angle can be adjusted. This should not be a substitute for regular professional wheel alignment jobs and is simply a tip that can be used to put off frequent trips to the alignment shop due to regular trips to the trail.
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Before determining toe angle and/or performing adjustments, it's a good idea to start the engine and turn the steering wheel side to side to relieve pressure in the system. Then, turn the wheels straight and shut off the engine. You should also roll the vehicle back and forth a few times between measurements.

Get someone to hold the other end of the measuring tape and measure the leading toe distance. This is the distance between the leading edges of the front tires. You'll compare the results to the distance between the trailing edges of the tires directly opposite from where you took the first measurement.

The higher number will indicate toe direction: higher number in leading edge indicates toe out; higher number at trailing edge displays toe in. Larger-than-stock tires require more positive toe for best results.

Once the necessary measurements are performed to determine what the current toe setting is, you can loosen the bolts on the tie-rod adjuster sleeve so that the tie-rod ends can be rotated. Don't forgot to tighten the adjusters when you're done as damage or injury could result.

The tie-rod ends thread into the tie rod. The ends can be threaded in or out of the tie rod to make the assembly longer or shorter. Longer creates more toe out; shorter toe in. Don't make huge adjustments all at once. It's best to adjust and measure a few times to achieve appropriate setting.
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I hope this helps you if you were looking to do a toe alignment yourself if you have decent knowledge of component location on a jeep.