I would use this method after replacing something on the steering components so i can get to the garage and get it checked . Tyres are expensive and a couple of degrees off could burn through a pair of fronts in no time. I bet you arent far off though
Toe in setting depends on the car's specifications. Toyota Camry calls for zero toe in the front and slight toe in for rear wheels. The theory being that front drive cars when under power will toe in slightly, while rear drive vehicles would toe out under power, so for rear drive cars a slight toe in of the front wheels would be correct. It's best to look up the specs for your vehicle.
Pulling Left/Right it typically a "bad" tire. Instead of the tire being flat across the treads, one could be angled slightly (cone shaped). In this case swap your front tires and see if it now pulls to the opposite direction. For toe in, I typically use a tape measure to measure across the rear of the tire then measure across the front. The front of the tire should be toed in very slightly to not at all.
@@robertgreen9980 The man is using a tin can to centre his hubs…😄 and you complain about me saying using a baking tray (which people have been doing for years if you’re on a budget). Just from watching your only two videos on UA-cam, I can tell you sound like a miserable person, and no one likes being around someone like that. U need to get a life and be more positive Robert. 👍🏻.
Just replaced both sides control arms and all. Jumped in and my steering wheel was doing a hard right but I was going straight down the road😅. Instantly turned around went home and found this video.
Hate to say it, but gotta say it: its a rare day, a super rare day to EVER use a crescent wrench. It's even worse to use a crescent for known super tight bolts/nuts. They are a problem waiting to happen. I literally use my crescents more for an aluminum bending jig than anything else.
Totally agree, because the nut can only be accessed with an open end wrench, which is awful, The crescent wrench actually fit tighter than any of my metric or standard American for whatever reason. 👍
Not all cars have the same distance between wheels, as per my Z4. You need to run two parallel strings. I use two strips of 2 x 4 with strings set at equal distance, then placed equally between front and rear wheel centres.
You can also just figure out the difference in track width and compensate in order to make lines parallel. For example, strings might be 100mm off of rear center caps but only 92.5mm off of front center caps.
You can do one side at a time. All these guys setting up two strings which are equidistant from each hub is a waste of time. What matters is that the string is run parallel to the center of the hubs, then measure from the edge of the wheels to calculate the angle of toe in/out.
@@larrybud My cars front wheel base is 2 inches smaller than rears. All the older cars i worked the wheel bases front and rear was the same. So a straight edge won't work.
I'm trying to figure out the correct direction to loosen and tighten I remember the phrase righty tighty lefty Loosey and then you can never get confused as to which way to go just a little tip😊
Yes, the method he shows requires equal track widths. if your rear track width is greater, then in order to get the offset distance of the rear string, you take the delta of the front vs rear track width, divide by two, and subtract it from the offset distance of the front string
Question: Audi's are a PITA to align because you cannot reach the tie rod adjustment with the wheels on, because they are at the top, not the bottom of the wheel. Can you still achieve an accurate adjustment doing it at the edges of the disc brake instead of the edges of the wheel? Otherwise you have to keep putting the wheels on and off and tightening them down for every little increment of adjustment.
you need the line to be parrallel to the axes of the vehicle. In motorsport we put markings in the middle of the vehicle, use a line passing through them and then use a string which is an offset of that line. What you can do is knowing your front and rear track width, you put your string at a certain distance from the wheel hubs (wheelhubs position dont really change due to alignment). if front and rear trackwidth are the same, you put your string at 100mm from front and rear hubs for example and measure. My car for example is 12.5mm wider from middle line at the rear so i put 100mm from the front and 87.5 from the rear hub.
@@angelokarantonis7509 How would you establish a center line that is useable? Hang a plume line under the car and then use straight edge / board against the front tire exterior to set an equal distance from center string? The string approach will have some margin of error.
@@angelokarantonis7509you really aren't making a parallel line from the centerline of the vehicle using the string method. The string method assumes that the wheels are the same distance from the vehicle centerline on each axle. This is not always true though.
@@bonkeydollocks1879 if one wheel hub is say 1 cm further out you just add 1cm to the distance to the second hub, so for example the wire to hub distance at the rear axle is 10cm and at the front its 11cm.
The difference of the measurement between the rear of the tire and the front tire is toe. Unless everything is close, checking one side is not very accurate. At best, it is enough to get to a shop for proper alignment.
Error. You will tie yourself in knots and scrub your tyres if you have dissimilar track front and back. you must get the strings/fishing line parallel first. Then measure to the rims...
HELLO. NICE VIDEO. ONE QUESTION. HOW TO COMPENSATE A FRONT WHEELS TO MAKE A STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT AS ALMOST EVERY ROAD HAS A CAMBER TO THE RIGHT AND STEERING ALWAYS SLIGHTLY OFF TO THE RIGHT BECAUSE THE ROAD CAMBER. THANKS
This will get you close if the contact points on your rim create a plane exactly orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the bearing... but really to get it accurate you need to do wheel rim runout compensation.
@@FxRiderST The entire world doesn't, is your first error, but please dr science, explain to me how one is more precise when both can relate a distance in exactly the same precision? It's a *direct* conversion.
@@larrybud who else? Liberia (country created by USA) and Burma? :) No, you explain to me why NASA use metrics. Imperial is inconvenient, old and outdated system.
@@FxRiderST It may be inconvenient, old, and outdates, but it is no less precise than metric. The fact that you don't understand that is not my problem.
If that's the case then you compensate with the string to find the proper distance from the center of the hub. You'll need to know the correct specs of your axels, however.
I’m one minute into your video and it’s wrong information. As a mechanic and tester I can tell you that the vast majority of rear wheel drive cars are set toe in as when the vehicle starts moving the front wheels are pushed outward. But on a front wheel drive car the setting is usually toe out as when the front wheels start spinning the forces draw them inward. Not only that but it isn’t just the alignment between the front and rear wheels which is set, the alignment of the front wheels together is also set toe in/out. Every individual vehicle has particular settings which are a balance between good handling and even tyre wear as you can’t have both perfect it just doesn’t work like that. Also the settings each one has comes with an “acceptable range” rarely do they align perfectly especially on older cars. As long as the settings are within that range it’s acceptable as tyre wear will be ok, vehicle will run straight and the steering wheel will be straight also. Seen countless at home alignment videos and most are utter trash which probably cause countless tyres to be destroyed.
thanks, I now know real advice from a real mechanic, I have a front wheel drive, and need to do a wheel alignment myself, I was going to do 1/16 to in at the front of the rim, is this incorrect.
If you have to ask that you should not be doing this, this is not for some average Joe that’s never done something like this it’s more for the experience old dogs
Hope you guys are looking over the line. And not from a distance. Put yo head up there over the line with one eye closed. I've used to do it like you are holding the measure. That doesn't work.
Bro this is not the right way of alignment becoz mostly cars have different front and rear track width. On the geometric center line method is the right way.
Yes, this is the correct way of doing it and race car drivers do it every single day they don’t use a alignment machine they use a tape measure and a string line. How do you think they done all this alignment before machines come around and steering wells for Dad on that’s awful funny because I paid $120 to have a alignment done on my vehicle and I had to straighten it out because the steering wheel was off by a quarter of an inch I had to get my jackstands and do a string line alignment and it is perfect better than our machine
don't use crescent wrenches for anything , you can get a full set of both types of wrenches for next to nothing, and carry them around in a kit as easy as anything. I'm embarrassed for you
This is typically used as a method after doing maintenance on your own vehicle. This is just to get the alignment close enough to be able to take it to a tire shop for the alignment.
@@paintballalienindy09 it depends on how close you are to a tire shop and how far out the alignment is. If it's severe enough it can be extremely dangerous to drive.
I have better way. Adjust the tie rod a little. Drive down the road. If it isn't right, crawl under and adjust it again...maybe do the other side...jus cuz. Keep doing that till it goes straight. It might take a few dozen miles. Oh...and buy cheap Chinese tires in case it doesn't work.
Way better then a tape measure, i bet the digital calipers give it a super accurate measurement
I would use this method after replacing something on the steering components so i can get to the garage and get it checked . Tyres are expensive and a couple of degrees off could burn through a pair of fronts in no time. I bet you arent far off though
Finally! Answered all my questions, showed visuals while explaining not just verbally explaining, and all in less than 5 mins 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Toe in setting depends on the car's specifications. Toyota Camry calls for zero toe in the front and slight toe in for rear wheels. The theory being that front drive cars when under power will toe in slightly, while rear drive vehicles would toe out under power, so for rear drive cars a slight toe in of the front wheels would be correct. It's best to look up the specs for your vehicle.
Pulling Left/Right it typically a "bad" tire. Instead of the tire being flat across the treads, one could be angled slightly (cone shaped). In this case swap your front tires and see if it now pulls to the opposite direction. For toe in, I typically use a tape measure to measure across the rear of the tire then measure across the front. The front of the tire should be toed in very slightly to not at all.
THANK-YOU SIR, VERY WELL EXPLAINED, NICE JOB !!
I would imagine putting a baking try under the front wooden blocks would help with turning the wheels easier when adjusting.
So you going to use an item made for cooking food on in you shop? Wow. Proper tool for proper job!
@@robertgreen9980 The man is using a tin can to centre his hubs…😄 and you complain about me saying using a baking tray (which people have been doing for years if you’re on a budget). Just from watching your only two videos on UA-cam, I can tell you sound like a miserable person, and no one likes being around someone like that. U need to get a life and be more positive Robert. 👍🏻.
Thank you! All necessary information was there. Now let’s find out how tight it is!
Thanks for the video. Simple and easy to understand.
Just replaced both sides control arms and all. Jumped in and my steering wheel was doing a hard right but I was going straight down the road😅. Instantly turned around went home and found this video.
Sometimes I use sockets but in this case I'm going to use a "Tin can"
Great video. All the info, none of the filler. I really wish more UA-cam tutorials followed this format.
excellent video, I fix cars but didn't know how to do a wheel alignment.
Excellent video. Perfect pace. Thumbs up, subscribed, and thank you for posting.
Awesome vid! Thanks!!
Hate to say it, but gotta say it: its a rare day, a super rare day to EVER use a crescent wrench.
It's even worse to use a crescent for known super tight bolts/nuts. They are a problem waiting to happen.
I literally use my crescents more for an aluminum bending jig than anything else.
Totally agree, because the nut can only be accessed with an open end wrench, which is awful, The crescent wrench actually fit tighter than any of my metric or standard American for whatever reason. 👍
excellent
thanks
thanks🌞
Thanks for sharing. - take care
Not all cars have the same distance between wheels, as per my Z4. You need to run two parallel strings. I use two strips of 2 x 4 with strings set at equal distance, then placed equally between front and rear wheel centres.
You can also just figure out the difference in track width and compensate in order to make lines parallel. For example, strings might be 100mm off of rear center caps but only 92.5mm off of front center caps.
You can do one side at a time. All these guys setting up two strings which are equidistant from each hub is a waste of time. What matters is that the string is run parallel to the center of the hubs, then measure from the edge of the wheels to calculate the angle of toe in/out.
@@larrybud My cars front wheel base is 2 inches smaller than rears. All the older cars i worked the wheel bases front and rear was the same. So a straight edge won't work.
@@flybobbie1449 so you offset the straight edge by 1 inch at the longer axle. Not a big deal
@@flybobbie1449 just offset the string for the difference in axle length.
Exellent instruction !
I'm trying to figure out the correct direction to loosen and tighten I remember the phrase righty tighty lefty Loosey and then you can never get confused as to which way to go just a little tip😊
Toe in is for rear wheel drive vehicles.
With your string lines measured off the hubs you assuming front and rear track are the same width.
Yes, the method he shows requires equal track widths. if your rear track width is greater, then in order to get the offset distance of the rear string, you take the delta of the front vs rear track width, divide by two, and subtract it from the offset distance of the front string
Question: Audi's are a PITA to align because you cannot reach the tie rod adjustment with the wheels on, because they are at the top, not the bottom of the wheel. Can you still achieve an accurate adjustment doing it at the edges of the disc brake instead of the edges of the wheel? Otherwise you have to keep putting the wheels on and off and tightening them down for every little increment of adjustment.
How do you know the string is straight if the wheels were out of alignment when you used them to straighten the string?
you need the line to be parrallel to the axes of the vehicle. In motorsport we put markings in the middle of the vehicle, use a line passing through them and then use a string which is an offset of that line.
What you can do is knowing your front and rear track width, you put your string at a certain distance from the wheel hubs (wheelhubs position dont really change due to alignment). if front and rear trackwidth are the same, you put your string at 100mm from front and rear hubs for example and measure.
My car for example is 12.5mm wider from middle line at the rear so i put 100mm from the front and 87.5 from the rear hub.
Kinda makes you want a mess a' flapjacks or grits. Or a whole slop ducket of griddle biscuits n a half rack a' butter dimple pickle muffins.
I'd fuck up a stack of dimple pickle muffins my ninja.
Did you establish a box? What if the rear tires a fixed narrower than the front?
Mark Vermeulen that’s why your making a parallel line from your centre.
@@angelokarantonis7509 How would you establish a center line that is useable? Hang a plume line under the car and then use straight edge / board against the front tire exterior to set an equal distance from center string?
The string approach will have some margin of error.
@@angelokarantonis7509you really aren't making a parallel line from the centerline of the vehicle using the string method. The string method assumes that the wheels are the same distance from the vehicle centerline on each axle. This is not always true though.
You don't need to establish a box. You can do one side at a time.
Awsome😊
This method only works if your axle widths are both the same
just offset the wire
@@boazruis913 to what? The two axles act as a datum
@@bonkeydollocks1879 if one wheel hub is say 1 cm further out you just add 1cm to the distance to the second hub, so for example the wire to hub distance at the rear axle is 10cm and at the front its 11cm.
@@boazruis913 adds more discrepancies to the overhaul accuracy in my opinion but I get the idea
no shit sherlock, thats common sense that didnt need mentioned, but I guess it did for you!
when you say 1/16 toe in do you mean from the centre of the wheel? so 1/8 from front of rim to back?
or 1/16 difference from front of rim to back?
front of tire has to toe in 1/16
Good question.
The difference of the measurement between the rear of the tire and the front tire is toe.
Unless everything is close, checking one side is not very accurate. At best, it is enough to get to a shop for proper alignment.
Error. You will tie yourself in knots and scrub your tyres if you have dissimilar track front and back. you must get the strings/fishing line parallel first. Then measure to the rims...
he did
Wrong. All front tires are off track
awesome!
I guess I forgot to check my steering wheel bc when I got on the road going straight my wheel was tilted to the left 😂. I have to re do it tomorrow
HELLO. NICE VIDEO. ONE QUESTION. HOW TO COMPENSATE A FRONT WHEELS TO MAKE A STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT AS ALMOST EVERY ROAD HAS A CAMBER TO THE RIGHT AND STEERING ALWAYS SLIGHTLY OFF TO THE RIGHT BECAUSE THE ROAD CAMBER. THANKS
What is meant by "toe in"?
Toe in= / toe out= \
Like a pigeon toed persons feet
Look down at your toe and move it in. It's not straight anymore?
Its tow out for front wheel drive, and it isn't supposed to be perfect each side, it's what ever makes the car drive straight.
How can you possibly verify that the string is true?
He's measuring equidistance from the center of each wheel to determine a parallel line to the car.
@@larrybud I see, thanks
Excellent & very helpful but please don’t use adjustable spanner’s. They are for amateur plumbers, not amateur mechanic’s.
I was going to use a pipe wrench because that's what I have. Simple tools never means the right tools.
It's OK as long as you use a METRIC crescent wrench.
Perfect
Brilliant. Thanks for the video. Is it the same for rear wheel drive cars ?
yes
No, for rear wheel drive cars the front alignment has to be towed in
This will get you close if the contact points on your rim create a plane exactly orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the bearing... but really to get it accurate you need to do wheel rim runout compensation.
You lost me at crescent wrench and pipe wrench!😮
how to do camber
Well, this just confirmed that I’ll just continue paying someone to do it. Lol
1/16 of an inch... Eh, it would be much easier (and maybe more preside) measuring in millimeters (mm).
1/16" = 0.0625" = 1.59 mm.
Imperial is no more or less accurate than metric.
@@larrybud Than why the entire World measure in metric, including the scientists for the precise measurements (American too, btw).
Cheers :)
@@FxRiderST The entire world doesn't, is your first error, but please dr science, explain to me how one is more precise when both can relate a distance in exactly the same precision? It's a *direct* conversion.
@@larrybud who else? Liberia (country created by USA) and Burma? :)
No, you explain to me why NASA use metrics.
Imperial is inconvenient, old and outdated system.
@@FxRiderST It may be inconvenient, old, and outdates, but it is no less precise than metric. The fact that you don't understand that is not my problem.
You are assuming the front and rear axles are the same length. Most cars are not. This method doesn’t work.
If that's the case then you compensate with the string to find the proper distance from the center of the hub. You'll need to know the correct specs of your axels, however.
I’m one minute into your video and it’s wrong information. As a mechanic and tester I can tell you that the vast majority of rear wheel drive cars are set toe in as when the vehicle starts moving the front wheels are pushed outward.
But on a front wheel drive car the setting is usually toe out as when the front wheels start spinning the forces draw them inward.
Not only that but it isn’t just the alignment between the front and rear wheels which is set, the alignment of the front wheels together is also set toe in/out.
Every individual vehicle has particular settings which are a balance between good handling and even tyre wear as you can’t have both perfect it just doesn’t work like that.
Also the settings each one has comes with an “acceptable range” rarely do they align perfectly especially on older cars. As long as the settings are within that range it’s acceptable as tyre wear will be ok, vehicle will run straight and the steering wheel will be straight also.
Seen countless at home alignment videos and most are utter trash which probably cause countless tyres to be destroyed.
WRONG
YOU DONT HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA WTF YOURE TALKING ABOUT, PERIOD!
thanks, I now know real advice from a real mechanic, I have a front wheel drive, and need to do a wheel alignment myself, I was going to do 1/16 to in at the front of the rim, is this incorrect.
Yes, if one is going to do a DIY alignment, they should look up the proper specs for their particular vehicle.
U didn't that ruler. Sometime u have to adjust rear duh
Toe setting ONLY! NOT alignment.
So where does the jack stands go
If you have to ask that you should not be doing this, this is not for some average Joe that’s never done something like this it’s more for the experience old dogs
So basically if the rear distance between wheels are different or one or both rears are out of alignment you are fucking everything up at the front
WRONG, PAY ATTENTION NEXT TIME
If the rear wheels aren't aligned, your bearings are shot and you have bigger problems. They don't turn, they should be constantly aligned.
This is why you establish parallel strings on both sides. Then the difference between front and rear width doesn’t matter
@@dickjohnson5025 And BINGO was his name-o!
That is not front end alignment. Only toe.
Some newer cars only have a toe adjustment anymore. So in theory thats all you need to do.
Small cars don’t have camber. They not supposed to go off only if u modify the vehicle
*laughs in miata*
Laughs in Saturn SC2
I did this and drove over the cat🤦🏻
😝😛😜
U
Too fast, too little details,; I didn't understand much, but thanks for your time.....
It's youtube, rewind it dummy
Hope you guys are looking over the line. And not from a distance. Put yo head up there over the line with one eye closed. I've used to do it like you are holding the measure. That doesn't work.
Bro this is not the right way of alignment becoz mostly cars have different front and rear track width. On the geometric center line method is the right way.
Share your knowledge on the subject. Make a video of the right way.
Use your brain...
This is why you establish parallel lines on both sides of the car
Yes, this is the correct way of doing it and race car drivers do it every single day they don’t use a alignment machine they use a tape measure and a string line. How do you think they done all this alignment before machines come around and steering wells for Dad on that’s awful funny because I paid $120 to have a alignment done on my vehicle and I had to straighten it out because the steering wheel was off by a quarter of an inch I had to get my jackstands and do a string line alignment and it is perfect better than our machine
This definitely won't work. You missed out some crucial information. Shame really because it was otherwise an excellent video.
don't use crescent wrenches for anything , you can get a full set of both types of wrenches for next to nothing, and carry them around in a kit as easy as anything. I'm embarrassed for you
Where are you videos?
I used crescent wrench today change the center link and tierods
@@nathankoroush7918 the other "you" site
@@Deeznuts84356 cool deal, I used one for a hammer , then as a one time use reverse boomerang
Get r done. Never tried the boomerang i might try it
Total bs. You've never done a front end alignment. Do us a favor and remove the video.
*Wears tires horribly because he refused to pay a shop $100 lol
This is typically used as a method after doing maintenance on your own vehicle. This is just to get the alignment close enough to be able to take it to a tire shop for the alignment.
@@C_Gu3 why bother just take it to a shop a few miles won't hurt
@@paintballalienindy09 it depends on how close you are to a tire shop and how far out the alignment is. If it's severe enough it can be extremely dangerous to drive.
Paying people for something you can do with basic knowledge and tools.... This guy couldn't have made it simpler.
Great video!
@@C_Gu3 tyre shops are useless though
I have better way.
Adjust the tie rod a little. Drive down the road. If it isn't right, crawl under and adjust it again...maybe do the other side...jus cuz. Keep doing that till it goes straight. It might take a few dozen miles.
Oh...and buy cheap Chinese tires in case it doesn't work.
I followed this to a T. ITS WAYYYYYYY OFF.