Rep Power: 419

How the hell do I do it? I jacked the car up. I took off the wheels. I took the tie rod ends out of the shock absorber assembly. Now what? I can't seem to get anything to turn. Maybe it's just rusted shut, but which way do I turn to loosen it? There seems to be some sort of a nut that locks down the tie rod end. It seems to be a right-hand screw. Am I thinking about this the right way? I'm just stuck 'cause I tried turning everything every which way and I can't get things loose...

 
Rep Power: 419

Nevermind. I got it. You had to leave the tie rod end in the shock absorber assembly and then loosen the locking nut. Then you simply turn the whole tie rod to adjust the toe. Easy.

 
Rep Power: 0

How are you setting the toe? Do you have a machine, or a couple of turn tables, string and a tape measure? Just wondering.

 
Rep Power: 419

Two turn tables an a microphone! LOL

No, actually... Just string. I did it wrong the first time though. It seems that the toe changes when the car is in the air and when it's down on the ground. I have to re-do it. I'll re-do it with the wheels on and somehow get it right. Wish me luck... As it stands now I have massive toe out. LOL

 
Rep Power: 419

It's done! The steering wheel is straight again and the toe is at 0 on both sides. That's measured with a string when the car is on the ground with me not in it. It works though. The car tracks straight and it feels lighter. Makes sense since toe in or out kinda makes the steering feel heavy.

 
Rep Power: 380

thats bump-steer.


0 toe is a good setting, alot of autocrossers have 0 toe to a little toe out. It helps with initiating turns.

 
Rep Power: 419

What do you mean bump-steer? They make the suspension like that to counteract bump-steer?

 
Rep Power: 318

I'm curious Grey, how did you use string to measure toe? I am about to head out and replace my ripped tie rod boots so I'm glad you posted on how to remove them easily you think it would be accurate just to count the number of threads showing on each end before removing the old tie rod end, and fix the new tie rod end in the same spot?

 
Rep Power: 419

What I did was basically rely on attaching a string to a point that lies on the imaginary parrallel line that runs through the center of both wheels on one side of the car. So... I attached the string on the rear wheels at the point that's the furthest from the front of the car. Then I ran that string all the way to the front wheel to the point that's the furthest from the rear of the car. This method relies on the rear wheels having 0 toe, but since the line is at the furthest point even if they do have a little toe in or out, it won't affect the front toe as much.

If you want to replace your damaged tie rod end, the simply do this... Un-screw that one nut (without removing the tie rod end). Then screw it back on loosely. Then unscrew the tie rod end without touching that one nut (it'll be a sort of place holder for you when you attach the new tie rod end. Then just remember which way the bolt on the tie rod end was facing when you took it out since I think there's a way to screw in some threads where they end up 180 degrees flipped. Should be pretty easy.

 
Rep Power: 380

ok, Can-o-Worms time.


The book definition of bump-steer is "Toe change due to suspension compression/expansion"
what it means is when ever your suspension compresses (reaching the bottom of a hill for example) the suspension compresses and changes the toe of the car at that instance. how much and when is determined by the placement of the steeringrack and how/where it attaches to the suspension. Honda claims to have eliminated bumpsteer by placing the steeringrack High in the engine bay. (Most cars have the rack mounted low) This however does not get rid of bumpsteer, it just changes what it does. With most cars(Steering rack mounted low) when the suspension compresses, it causes toe out. Toe out will make the car unstable and possible uncontrolable if it is excessive. With our cars, suspension compression will cause toe in makeing the car want to go in a straight line.



The Problem lies in Geometry. The front wheels do not move directly straight up or down when the car hits a bump. Instead, the wheel follows an arc, or curving path, that pushes the wheel slightly inward (towards the centerline of the car) or outward (away from the car) in response to vertical wheel movement. The outer tie-rod (which connects the steering rack to the wheel) also moves in-and-out in an arc as it moves up and down. If the rate which the outer tie-rod arcs in or out does not match the rate the wheel moves in or out, the wheel will be turned by the tie-rod. This is bumpsteer. The center point of the arc traveled by the wheel (known as the instant-center) is controlled by the location and angle of the moving suspension links. This point moves as the ride height changes. In contrast, the arc of the outer tie-rod is controlled by the position of the steering rack, which is fixed.

 
Rep Power: 419

Ah, ok. Thanks. I get it now.

 
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Good job man!!! I used to make about a $100 every Saturday night setting the toe on the "roundy round" cars at the Speedway at $10 a pop. All I had was 2 turntables, string, chalk, tape measure, and a jack.

 
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wuts a turntable? i'm sure it isn't the DJ stuff is it?

 
Rep Power: 380

Its a platform designd to support one of the wheels on a car but still alows that wheel to be turned and adjusted while the suspension is still under load, allowing for proper alignment.

 
Rep Power: 327

turntables also allow the suspension to settle to its normal static position

 
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ahh i c...will need 2 of those to go proper adjusting? 1/front wheel?

 
Rep Power: 327

for proper adjustments you will need two turntables(1 for each side) for the front, and the rear will need to be at the same height as the front. So they too will need to be raised to the same height as the front. And if you plan on adjusting the rears they make a cheape form of this its called a slip plate. Average turntables go for around $500 for a pair giver or take, its been a few years since ive bought some.