Sage-Tips

How much toe-in is acceptable?

Typical toe-in specs vary from one-thirty-second to one-eighth-inch, depending on the vehicle. Check a service manual for your car’s acceptable range. The best tip-off to a toe problem is a saw-tooth wear pattern that’s equal on both front tires.

How does toe-in affect steering?

Toe is the point of the front tires when a vehicle is viewed from above. “Toe-in” refers to the leading edge of the tires turned in towards the car’s center, as if the vehicle were “pigeon-toed”. This angle affects the steering stability when your vehicle is traveling in a straight line.

How much toe-in should a FWD car have?

Toe-in is when two front tires slightly point towards the centerline of the car (towards each other). This helps the car drive straight. The front tires of a car should have around 1/8″ of toe-in. We happened to have the coupe on a lift, but any solid level surface is fine.

How do you measure toe on a car?

The rear tape measurement (side towards the rear of the vehicle) minus the front tape measurement (side closest to the front of the vehicle) is the total toe of the axle. A larger measurement on the front side indicates toe out, and a larger measurement on the rear side indicates toe in.

Should a front wheel drive cars toe-in or out?

Running toe out on the front wheels of a front wheel drive car will increase the grip within the front tyres due to the increased slip angle in the tyre. The tyre will also heat up faster due to the slip angle, meaning that the tyre will get to its most grippy point faster than if no toe was installed.

How is toe measured?

Toe is actually measured as three angles-the angle that the left and right tires sit in relation to a line drawn down the center of the car from front to rear (Individual toe-L&R), and their combined angles (total toe) off the centerline. Individual and total toe can both be either toe-in or toe-out.

Why do race cars have toe out?

Passenger cars are mostly set up with toe-in (positive toe), as the steering behaviour is then sacrificed for straight line stability. For race cars, steering behaviour is more important than straight line stability, so toe-out (negative toe) is preferred here.

Does adjusting toe affect camber?

To answer your question, adjusting toe does NOT change the camber. Changing the camber DOES change toe.

What happens when you run toe out on front wheel drive?

Running toe out on the rear wheels of a front wheel drive car will reduce the acceleration and the top speed of the car. This is because these wheels are not driven so are being pulled around the track. Therefore, any extra grip in the rear tyres translates into increased drag, therefore slowing the car down in a straight line.

What is the correct toe angle for two cars?

The first car has a right wheel toe of -0.1°, and a left wheel toe of +0.6° The second car has a toe of +0.25° on both wheels While both cars have the same overall toe (+0.5°), the second car, which is symmetrical and balanced, will offer a much smoother experience. The same principle applies to rear toe alignment.

What is the dynamic effect of running toe in on the rear?

The dynamic effect of running toe in on the rear wheels lengthens the effective wheel base of the car. This is because the loaded rear wheel during cornering is already pointing in the direction of the corner. This means it works against the steering input and rotates the car more slowly.

What happens if you run zero toe on a car?

However, during cornering the toe out increases the tendency for the rear of the car to oversteer which is especially bad for rear wheel drive racing cars. Running zero toe at the front and/or rear of the car results in minimum tyre wear and power loss.