Early Ford front axle toe in

[Ronnieroadster]

Working on the front axle assembly on the 3 window build today. Have everything adjusted last detail is setting the toe in. Presently i have 1/8 of an inch wondering what others are using.
Ronnieroadster

[ford38v8]

⅛” total between the two. That’s spec and if everything else is good, you’ll steer with two fingers.

[Brian]

likewise, I use 1/8" total

[KiWinUS]

1/8” for me

[35fordtn]

3/16 for me on bias on 28-34’s with original type tie rod ends and 1/8 on 35-48’s and 1/16 less than above stated on radials.

[Kube]

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Originally Posted by 35fordtn

3/16 for me on bias on 28-34’s with original type tie rod ends and 1/8 on 35-48’s and 1/16 less than above stated on radials.

Me too. That additional 1/16" makes a huge difference in the amount of effort required to steer.

[Ronnieroadster]

Thanks everyone for the info now I can cross that of the to do list.

[Kurt in NJ]

In 1936 service bulletins they gave a different specification for toe based on camber.
1/10 of the total camber.
say if both wheels have 1 degree of camber the total toe should be set at 1/10 th of 2 degrees or 12 minutes.

[Bored&Stroked]

Originally Posted by 35fordtn

3/16 for me on bias on 28-34’s with original type tie rod ends and 1/8 on 35-48’s and 1/16 less than above stated on radials.

This is what I use

[ScubaChief60]

There is another option...

I tried setting the Toe on my 1935 many times. I finally called Hunter Engineering in New Jersey to ask if they knew anyone who could use their alignment system to set the Toe. I received a call within a few hours and not only can it be done... they enjoy doing it since most of those engineers I was told are 'gear heads'. I was given two shops in my town that they recommended ans it was done very professionally.

They also knew the toe settings I might add.

The other benefit was that this old man could stay off that hard concrete floor!

[Ronnieroadster]

Originally Posted by Kurt in NJ

In 1936 service bulletins they gave a different specification for toe based on camber.
1/10 of the total camber.
say if both wheels have 1 degree of camber the total toe should be set at 1/10 th of 2 degrees or 12 minutes.

While that info may help someone a simple dimension from a ruler is a whole lot easier than trying to do the math involved at least the way I see it. As a back yard Hotrodder.
Ronnieroadster

[Heard]

So is there a good method to do this in your average guy's garage?

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by Heard

So is there a good method to do this in your average guy's garage?

I've seen it done on some more modern cars, but I'm planning to cut some pieces of angle iron and mount the vertical flat to lower two wheel studs. I figured having two parallels running off the wheels will give me a pretty accurate measurement.

I'm a few weeks away from making these, but will posts a picture when I do.

Curious for those that have or are doing this currently. Does the front need weight on the wheels to get an accurate measurement?

[Bored&Stroked]

Another method is to "mark" the actual tire - with a fine piece of chalk - right in the center of each. You'll need to improvise a method to hold/mount the chalk in a steady position (like a little vice). It needs to be steady and not move. Then you jack the front of the car up, apply the chalk holder (by hand - steady) and rotate the tire by hand to mark it. You do this on both sides.

Then you can easily use a tape measure to measure the distance on the back of the tire versus the front . . . then you know your toe in/out. Some of the alignment shops I've been to have a 'marking system' that scribes a line in the center of the tire tread . . . same concept.

In any system, if you have slop in your tie-rod, fix that first!

[37 truck]

I used small angle iron that I drilled to fit the lug bolts, bolted on you can hook a tape measure on either side of the angle to compare to the opposite side. Of course, you need to jack up the vehicle and have it on jack stands.

[TJ]

It's 3/16 for me.

[Bored&Stroked]

One thing to note is WHERE you measure the toe-in. Obviously the further away from the kingpin, the larger the dimension.

This is why I kind of like the "mark the tire" method in that you're measuring at the diameter of the tire itself, not some other "contraption" you've added onto the spindle/drum face. If you set the toe based on the diameter of the tire, then it should be correct.

If you dramatically change tire diameters, then reset the toe.

[Ronnieroadster]

As Dale wrote above I find that's the best way to be sure of the measurement. On my new build I simply clamped flat plats to the face of each rotor. Then on each plate I drew lines equal distances from the hub center line that represent the tires diameter. Now I measured the distance between these two line side to side. This represents the actual toe in for the tire diameter.
Ronnieroadster

[ford38v8]

So many methods... So complicated while not adding to the accuracy of the operation...
Then there is the KISS method:
Ensure that all tires are properly inflated.
Drive forward and back on a flat surface to ensure the direction of travel is straight forward. Set the parking brake (or chock the rear wheels) and raise the front end till both tires are free to spin by hand.
Spin both front tires while holding chalk against the center of the tread.
Spin them again, while holding a pencil against the wider pencil marks.
(While tire treads may wander, and wheels may be bent, this pencil mark is true at all points on the diameter of the tire.)
Set the front end down again, front tires setting on newspaper to reduce friction.
Lightly bounce the front bumper to set the tires without stress on the newspapers.
Observe the steering wheel position, adjust as required to indicate straight forward travel.
Construct a simple, light-weight horizontal bar to lay flat on the concrete, having sturdy uprights at each end, simultaneously reaching midpoint on each tire's height. Note that you'll have little room to work under the car at the rear of the front tires, so construct the measurement tool with that in mind.
One upright to have a pointer, the other to have a 6" rule attached horizontally.
While the pointer is on one pencil mark, note the position of the other pencil mark in relation to the 6" rule.
Take that measurement on both front and rear of the tires, your goal now to be to adjust the tie rod as required to make the front measurement ⅛" shorter than the rear. Each adjustment of the tie rod should have a stress relief bounce on the bumper.

[Bored&Stroked]

Originally Posted by ford38v8

So many methods... So complicated while not adding to the accuracy of the operation...
Then there is the KISS method:
Ensure that all tires are properly inflated.
Drive forward and back on a flat surface to ensure the direction of travel is straight forward. Set the parking brake (or chock the rear wheels) and raise the front end till both tires are free to spin by hand.
Spin both front tires while holding chalk against the center of the tread.
Spin them again, while holding a pencil against the wider pencil marks.
(While tire treads may wander, and wheels may be bent, this pencil mark is true at all points on the diameter of the tire.)
Set the front end down again, front tires setting on newspaper to reduce friction.
Lightly bounce the front bumper to set the tires without stress on the newspapers.
Observe the steering wheel position, adjust as required to indicate straight forward travel.
Construct a simple, light-weight horizontal bar to lay flat on the concrete, having sturdy uprights at each end, simultaneously reaching midpoint on each tire's height. Note that you'll have little room to work under the car at the rear of the front tires, so construct the measurement tool with that in mind.
One upright to have a pointer, the other to have a 6" rule attached horizontally.
While the pointer is on one pencil mark, note the position of the other pencil mark in relation to the 6" rule.
Take that measurement on both front and rear of the tires, your goal now to be to adjust the drag link as required to make the front measurement ⅛" shorter than the rear. Each adjustment of the drag link should have a stress relief bounce on the bumper.

You adjust the tie-rod, not the drag link.