Toe in

[Reckless Rat]

Plus several with the Trackrite. C'est une pièce de gâteau. S. Jones told me, so it must be reight.

[Bob Culver]

I check moderns with lengths of angle iron sitting on concrete blocks. It is impossible for one person to work an internal calliper gauge and ditto an external device.
 For the Seven have a light U wooden frame with nail heads  projecting at each side. One nail is lightly held by staples so can be moved. Used internally. Easily handled by one person.
Because the adjustment step is so large I suspect many "mechanics " have sprung the track rod. This and forcing the steering straightens and lengthens the light component.  With the early lighter radius rods can ends be 1/2 turned? .

[Colin Morgan]

I get some extra wear on the outside of the front tyre treads - one slightly more than the other.  The tracking is about right but the front axle is slightly bent so that the nearside front wheel is tucked under further than it should be.  The easiest way to see this is to look at each side from the front and compare the narrow vertical air gap between the the axle and the top of the brake lever - on the bent side it is about 1/8" less.

[Cliff Ringrose]

I am suprised that no one has mentioned the only things needed to check toe in are two peices of string and a tape measure.
I have just checked the special, and from unlocking the garage to job done took less than five minutes.
Tie two peices of string so that they pass across the wheels as near to the centre as posible without fouling the hubs. 

Anchor the ends some distance away. (Axcle stands are ideal for this). Picture 1.
Measure the distance between the strings at the wheels. Picture 2. Measure again at the ends. The difference will show whether you are towing in or out. 
Holding the tape without moving the string can be tricky, so I place a long strip of angle under the string near the wheels, (a garden cane would do just as well). Mark it with a felt tip, and compare the marks with the ends of the string. Pictures 3 & 4.
For moderns with wide wheel arches I use wooden battons against the tyres to give clearence of the bodywork.


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One of these days I shall work out how to get the pictures all the same size!
I forgot to mention that it is essential to move the axcle stands very carefully so that the string is just touching the tyre at the front.

[Peter Clayton]

I also used the string method. Two things to be considered are , making sure that the wheels are pointing dead ahead and the second is not stretching the string. I used the string to align the front wheels by tying from the rear wheels allowing the cord to , just touch the rear sidewalls at front and rear of the tyres and continue past the front wheels. Equalise the clearances each side.by turning the steering before measuring the track.

[Cliff Ringrose]

I agree entirely Peter. I have also aligned front to rear, as you suggest, and even re-aligned the rear wheels on IRS moderns. Cliff.

[AustinWood]

I just use an ordinary steel tape measure. Go between rims each side and lock the measure. Roll the car 1/2 wheel turn and offer it up 180 deg from 1st place. The toe in/out is then obvious.

[Tony Griffiths]

I've used one of these for over 20 years https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/gunson-g...ent-gauge/

Simple to use and I've never had any problems with abnormal tyre wear once the tracking's set but that can sometimes involve some increase or decrease in the length of thread on the track rod. I have to confess for not paying for mine, however, as I inherited it from a former next door neighbour

Steve

I'd be interested to know how the device works and the technique for using it. I believe that the design goes back decades.

[Reckless Rat]

It works on the same principle as the sliding plate wheel alignment tester used by MOT testers ( in France at least).
All you do is set the pointer to zero and roll the car over the plate. The pointer will move relative to the amount of toe in or toe out measured. As I said, it's a piece of cake. I could do 20 cars in the time it takes to fanny about with strings, poles, laser levels etc.

[Tony Griffiths]

Thank you, RR, most useful.