I need to get the tracking set on the Ranchero tomorrow, we don't have alignment shops over here, we have to rely on the tyre fitting shops to set the tracking. Does anyone know what the toe-in/out specs are for our cars? The chances are that the oldest car my local place has ever seen will have been a 15 year old Honda, so my Ranchero will have them stumped for specs!
Toe-in specs are 1/16"-1/8" for stock suspension. This is a fairly typical spec. The bigger the toe-in the quicker the "turn in" response is because the tire that is about to be loaded is already heading in the right direction. That said, fuel economy and tire wear suffer. You need some "toe" to take the slop out of the suspension though.
++What Lynn said.
Plus, it's important to roll the car "forward and backward" after you make any toe changes. This allows the suspension parts to take a set, then you check it again, and it "should be the same" measurement both times.
Real old time alignment shops had moveable bearing plates on their alignment machines that allowed for this movement, both "rotational", and "in and out".
Thanks guys, I'm trying to find somewhere who is prepared to have a go at something old, most of the "technicians" at these places are younger than my underwear........ Two local ones refused (one said the Ranchero was "too big", the other refused because it wasn't listed on their system). I'll try targeting the older places.
"younger than my underwear" I like that, I'll use it liberally here in SoCal if you don't mind.
I will promote the observation here in South Louisiana... lol! :003: