I went to my tire shop for a track alignment this morning. The specs I gave them were: 1/8" total toe in front; 0" toe in the rear.

Their laser machine reads in degrees (which we figured out converts to inches: 1/8" = .12 degrees = .12"). We got the fronts set to .06 on each side, so .12 total (or 1/8" total).

The rear specs left me scratching my head. The specified range is .04 - .16 degrees. According to his machine (I was sitting in the car and couldn't see) he set the rears "pointing straight ahead". On the printout it says the rears are +.11 degrees on both sides.

To get 0 toe in the rear, shouldn't the print out read .0 degrees on each side?

Any insights would be welcome.

Paul: who wishes he had his own garage, so that he could do his own alignments...

 

Did you ask the alignment d00d? I would think that it should show 0 for the rear but Im not an alignment d00d.

 

YOur " to degree conversion is hat I came up with last weekend when i had my car aligned. Also ero is zero your car should say zero at each wheel if that was the goal. What did he use to judge straight ahead? the machine or his eyes?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pcorad &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">To get 0 toe in the rear, shouldn't the print out read .0 degrees on each side?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes - you would think so. It looks like you have toe-in at the rear too. I assume all your readings are "+".

You only used "+" for your rear measurement in your post.

 

The alignment dood wasn't too helpful. For your basic alignment, he punches in the make/model/year, and the screen presents 4 idiot proof "gauges", one gauge for each tire, and he just needs to center a line on each of the "gauges".

I asked him about the rear measurements...but his communication skills weren't great. The shop, in general, is great; so I can go back and have this fixed w/o a hassle.

Anyways, values for the rear on the print out are both +.11. Does this imply that the rear is toe-d in? Or toe'd out?

 

As BPR alliuded to + should mean toe in (if I am remmebering right).

 

Just curious why you are running toe-in? Having trouble with straight line stability?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ausmith &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just curious why you are running toe-in? Having trouble with straight line stability?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Geez yeah, I run an 8th toe out... Makes for nice quick response...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pcorad &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">To get 0 toe in the rear, shouldn't the print out read .0 degrees on each side?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yep.


A. who watched recently very closely as rodney got his custom laser alignement done last week by a very reputible shop.

 

So I went back to the tire shop this AM. The alignment dood and I looked at his alignment screen which had a graph that shows the rear specs to be .04 to .16.

I could not convince him that setting the alignment to .0 would point the rear tires straight ahead. I even had him break out a tape measurer with me and do some measurements across the rear tires that showed the rears toed in about 1/8". He still couldn't agree... He's the kind of guy that believes the machine because he doesn't understand math.

Whatever. We set the rears to read .0 degrees. And the front's to read .06 on each side. Done.

 

Take it to another place and get it checked or you'll never know if you cheated yourself, it's worth the extra $$ for peace of mind.......

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pcorad &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> He's the kind of guy that believes the machine because he doesn't understand math.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Sounds like your avg service station employee. When it comes to race cars, I either take mine to a place used to dealing with them or a shop which will let me hang out in the garage and "help" out the techs.