how do you adjust toe-in?

Topic: how do you adjust toe-in? (Read 2360 times) previous topic - next topic

how do you adjust toe-in?

November 28, 2010, 08:04:08 PM

I know its a newbie question but I seriously can't seem to figure it out. my PS wheel is so far out of alignment it's visually noticeable. I mean, its bad. but I don't want to spend the money yet to get it professionally aligned so I just want to get it back to close.

how the heck do I do it? I know its got something to do with tie-rods...

how do you adjust toe-in?

Reply #1 – November 28, 2010, 08:50:04 PM

Loosen the nut on the tie rod (the one on the shaft, not the one holding it to the spindle), then turn the shaft to adjust length. Lengthening it will toe the wheels out, shortening it will toe them in. Once you've got it adjusted tighten the nut back up.

Or take it to an alignment shop. Your tires will thank you.

how do you adjust toe-in?

Reply #2 – November 28, 2010, 09:17:10 PM

yes, but how???

I tried loosening and turning stuff before but for some reason nothing would move.

I just can't seem to grasp the concept. I don't think I loosened/turned the right things.

how do you adjust toe-in?

Reply #3 – November 28, 2010, 10:24:35 PM

Uh...you do know what the inner and outer tie rod ends are right?

how do you adjust toe-in?

Reply #4 – November 29, 2010, 10:35:47 PM

so I turn the nut the green arrow's pointing to and then turn the tie rod where the red arrows pointing. CORRECT?'

for some reason I don't understand steering components...haven't really learned them yet:dunce:

how do you adjust toe-in?

Reply #5 – November 29, 2010, 10:40:44 PM

NO , you turn the skinny part that goes into the part that the red arrow is pointing at
The narrow piece towards the center of the car , the piece that comes out of the boot on the rack

how do you adjust toe-in?

Reply #6 – November 29, 2010, 10:45:36 PM

OOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH:brick:

that makes a lot more sense

how the heck do you turn it? just vice-grips or channel locks or something?

and is it bad if the other part does turn? its connected to the ball joint right? so that means its supposed to have some leeway...?

how do you adjust toe-in?

Reply #7 – November 29, 2010, 10:50:17 PM

Vice grips work perfectly , and the other end is attached to the spindle not the ball joint and it wont "turn" per se
it will move some as its supposed to... but you wont get a 360* turn

how do you adjust toe-in?

Reply #8 – November 29, 2010, 10:53:42 PM

oh okay good cause I get about 50-60* in either direction from center

course that just means I don't even know what the f**kin ball joint is arggggghhhhh

how do you adjust toe-in?

Reply #9 – November 29, 2010, 11:41:38 PM

The ball joint is the thing right at the end of the control arm that the spindle pivots on
In the picture its the "other " piece that has the castle nut on it I dont know how to put arrows and stuff in pictures or I would just point at it

how do you adjust toe-in?

Reply #10 – November 30, 2010, 06:35:01 PM

Quote from: sarjxxx;343771

oh okay good cause I get about 50-60* in either direction from center

course that just means I don't even know what the f**kin ball joint is arggggghhhhh

Seeing that you have an mn-12 car, you'd better figure out what the balljoints are - they WILL fail on you, probably more than once depending on how long you own the car. And it's a scary feeling driving down the road with bad balljoints, especially the lowers.

how do you adjust toe-in?

Reply #11 – November 30, 2010, 07:29:49 PM

well, that's reassuring...

how do you adjust toe-in?

Reply #12 – November 30, 2010, 07:43:35 PM

Yep. It sucks. Before I sold mine, they were about completely shot. ( I did stress this to the new owner, a lot - he seemed to think they only needed greasing). It is easier to replace the control arms than to have the balljoints pressed out, then have new ones pressed back in. Oh, and a word of advice on parts, Moog and Motorcraft are the only way to go with suspension parts for the MN-12s, The autostore brands are junk, you would be replacing them again after a year. I say good luck to you sir when the time comes. Once you do it one time though, the second isn't so bad.

how do you adjust toe-in?

Reply #13 – November 30, 2010, 10:01:58 PM

I gotta go over my whole front end on that car at some point anyway. I think sometime (probably late) next year after money picks back up and the cougar is up and running I'm gonna start attacking the suspension on the bird.

I got this weird pop in my front end when I accelerate too hard and the front end lurches up and then pop again when it comes back down and sometimes during hard bumps or potholes too. I'm not sure whats doing it... I tried to figure it out before but I couldn't isolate it. I'm sure its not good whatever it is.

Not to mention I've got a horrible vibration in my front end at all speeds but I'm 95% sure thats due to bad tires. They're pretty worn out and they fail the foolproof jack-it-up-spin-it-and-watch-it-wobble test.

I also noticed just today actually that something is leaking in the rear too. looks like a control arm bushing or something... I couldn't really tell without jacking it up. Weird though cause its was kinda reddish like tranny fluid but it didn't smell like it and I couldn't actually recognize the smell either.

At some point I'm just going to rebuild everything and get it all out of the way at once.

...Right now my priority though is just getting the cougar functional again so I can get it on the road in case something dramatic does happen to the bird, then I'll at least have something to drive ya know.

how do you adjust toe-in?

Reply #14 – November 30, 2010, 10:12:40 PM

check the trans dipstick tube, i had a vehicle do the same and found out it was leaking from that tube and went straight down the frame rail to the rear of the vehicle.