Checking Toe-in

L

louieglen

Senior Member
How is the most accurate way to check the toe-in on a model a? I have heard"read about different ways"
1. Mark the tires and use a tape measure.
2. Use a spring loaded curtain rod.
3. Use the string method, tie strings to the rear wheels, run up along the front wheels, Just touch the front and back of one, run up along the other one touch which ever side will touch first measure the other and see where you need to go. This is by far the easiest, but I wonder how accurate it is?
A 1/16" is a close measurement.
 
I feel the most accurate is to first mark the tires, by jacking it up and spinning the tire, and leaving a good mark in the center of the tire. If the wheel is slightly crooked or the tire not quite even, it takes that out of the equation. I was taught this in Automotive School may moons ago and has served me well.
 
There was a looong thread here a short while ago about toe in, covered lots of things.

Try doing a search (black bar top of the page).

Paul in CT
 
1931 flamingo said:
There was a looong thread here a short while ago about toe in, covered lots of things.

Try doing a search (black bar top of the page).

Paul in CT
Click to expand...

Since you are familiar with the thread maybe you could list it as searching for "toe in" yields no results.

Chris
 
I know this is a no-no with Model A mechanics, but you can have it done at a wheel alignment shop.
 
The Curtain Rod is accurate if done properly. You want to have the vehical level and only roll it forward when measuring the Toe in. If you let it roll backward any amount at all, the play in the suspension will shift and you will not get an accurate measurement.
 

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With some simple woodworking skills you can make a jig that holds a piece of chalk. Mark both wheels by jacking up the car and spinning the wheels while holding the chalk on the jig (once for each wheel) then measure, using a measuring tape on the front then the back of the tires.
 
tbirdtbird said:
never let a modern car technician of any specialty anywhere near a Model A, he will destroy it in short order
Click to expand...

i agree you need to trust who does it without a doubt..
but to answer the question of the most accurate way that is it..

i set my car with the dubie gauge and it was not spot on
 
used the spring loaded rod for seven thousand miles on Firestones , I rotate them every second (1000 miles or so) oil change works for me dude
 
There is always more than one way to do something, even correctly.
Using today's Modern Technology is very accurate and Quick when done by a well trained person.
Yesterdays Technology was also very good utilizing the Current Technology they had way back then.
Remember Henry Ford put almost 5,000,000 Model A's on the road back then and everyone of them had a front end alignment done without any Computers. Oops I just said the "C" word, Henry's rolling over in his Grave!!! Sorry!!!:)
 
There is a great article on front end wheel alignment in the January/February issue of the MAFCA Restorer. That is where I learned about the spring loaded curtain rod for toe in adjustments. It sure beats trying to use a floppy tape measure.
Thanks to Howard Eckstein for writing a great article!
 
Don't know why I'm up SO EARLY, wish they'd QUIT monkeyin' with the time! Anyhow, just remember to look at your front tires OFTEN & see if there's scuffing, from the inside out or from the outside in. If so, you need to make a minor toe in correction. The direction of the scuffing will tell you if you need MORE or LESS toe in. We have a retired tire salesman & Gene ALWAYS eyeballs our tires for KOOKY wear!
At our coffee place, one guy goes around with his digital tire guage & his pump & pumps up any low tires. Some of us CAN'T even be able to pump those danged things, OR hand crank a DEAD car!
Bill W.
 
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