Adjusting Toe

[94JeepPunisher]

Whelp...I'm too damn busy to do this myself so I'm asking for help. My front passenger tire is wearing rather...umm...faster than the rest. I think it's me toe but I'm kinda a Ra-tard sooo...yeah.

[Rubitron]

Toe is adjusted at the tie rod and the drag link. I prefer to take mine to a shop, they have the proper equipment to make precise measurements/adjustments.

[94JeepPunisher]

What shop can do a 4.5 lift w/ 33" tires? Would anyone know what the price would be? I'm confined to the price that the wife give me...cheap. Ha ha ha!

[SavageSun4x4]

http://www.savagesun4x4.com/enter/tech-specs-discussions-down/viewpoints-technical_discus/caster_adjustment_on_tj.html

11) Setting Toe: Check that toe is about 1/8-inch +/- 1/16-inch, toe in. When doing alignments, toe is always the last setting.
A) Should you spend your bucks to get an alignment? No, I can not see any reason to at all. While their 'belt-fed, laser aimed, water cooled' alignment machine will spew out corrections down the the micro level...fact is not of that works much better than doing it yourself.

WHY? You are dealing with: 2 tie rod ends, 4 ball joints and a rubber tire. All of this has give, even if brand new, that is the way its made. If you get and you can get accuracy to within 1/16th of an inch, you will do as well as any shop does. (NOTE: They use rotating pads to keep the tire from scrubbing and rebounding. Putting the axles on jack stands as suggested is a good idea.)

Not saying that on occasion you should not spend your ducats to get an alignment. I do about every 5 years or so. Mostly to look for wear and looseness in the components. These guys who do this every day have a better feel for that than I do.

B) Setting the toe: Viewing the tire(s) from the side some things are very critical. Know the keys and success will be the result.
key: where you measure on the front side of the tires NEEDS to be the same exact spot (height from the ground) on all 4 tires.

key: measure as high UP on the tire as you can get at on front, back and the same place on the other tire.

key: the OPTIMAL point is the max forward leading and rear trailing point of the tire. Like this: ' >0< ' WHY? as you go DOWN and around the tire the front and rear points get closer together and in order to get you 1/8th toe in (+/- 1/16th in) you adjustments have to get larger meaning the wheel has to be moved more in order to get the 1/8th in difference.

After you have set your toe, drove it and then rechecked it, YES it will likely change some, but about 1/16th is within tolerance.
Now take a tape measure and measure from 1 grease fitting to the other grease fitting on your tie rod. Using a 'silver' perm marker write it down on any flat surface underneath and annotate whether or not you measured from the outside or inside of the grease fitting. Ever need to remove or replace your tie road or get a bent tie rod then just look at your measurement between the grease fittings and use that as a starting point. It should be VERY close.

Remember you need to loosen BOTH jam nuts on the tie rod and on the drag link then turn the tie rod/drag link, then tighten your jam nuts.

TIP: You want to note the amount of visible threads and try to get the tie rod ends at the same depth on each side.

Those are the principles or keys if you will that will insure you get as good a toe in as the shop does.

[GOVT1911]

Thanks Don. I've been meaning to check mine on the Play Jeep and just hadn't gotten around to looking the instructions up. Guess I'll head outside and do it now!