Messed with my alignment setting.

Yep, I messed with my alignment setting and I'm totally happy!

I've told the story here before, so I'll try to be brief.... the dealership messed with my front end alignment when I told them not to mess it. They steering wheel was now off to the right just a bit and the car drifted left, and wandered back and forth in its lane.

A total pain in the ass to drive. And they wouldn't make it right.

I drove over 30k miles frustrated, and thinking about what I could do if I could just get the tie rod's to turn in my garage.

Well just the other day, during the timing belt change, I had the wheel off and the tie rod in plain sight.

I got a wrench on the lock nut and plenty of penetrating oil.

I channeled all my frustration and broke the lock nut and tie rod end free.

Using the printout the shop gave me, I knew which ways and about how much the wheels had to move.

Pass side .20 to the right (pass. side) and drivers side .10 to get my wheels pointed back and get the wheels toe'd back out instead of in. ( .05 total toe out)

These measurements are super slight, but apparently they make all the difference in the world.

Now I have no way of actually taking these measurements like a 40k dollar machine, but I'm good at guessing/ estimating.

So I moved the lock nut back just enough to fit a dime in between it and the tie rod end.

Then I adjusted the steering rack inner tie rod to close the gap.

I'm not sure if that was more or less than the .20 the tech moved my wheel, but as far as driving my car goes, I must be pretty damn close because right away the steering wheel isnt as cocked and the car no longer pulls over the center line.

I'm totally happy, in that I don't have to fight to keep the car in its lane!
If I looked at the radio for a second I'd be heading towards the next mailbox.
It was totally peculiar, when the highway started to curve, it wouldn't turn with the curve, it would either turn to much or to little.

So long story short. I messed with it myself, and I like the results.

take a tape measure and put it from one tread to the same tread of the other tire under the car.

measure this in front and in back of the tire.. and that will give you the difference or toe.

there are measurement conversions somewhere online. based on tire size etc..

Thanks PR.

The thing is with measuring that way, is that you cant get right to the forward most edge of tread and measure to the other tire. same with the rearward most edge.
The car gets in the way.

Thats where alignment machines have the advantage.


I've used a way in the past with 2 fishing lines. One strung up each side of the car.

You then take measurments from the rear wheels centers to the front wheel centers to get the lines perfect (taking into account the difference in track width at each axle) and then measure the front wheel settings from the edges of the wheels . It worked pretty well.

I should do mine, it's been pulling to the right since I got aligned a year and a half ago.

mine pulls to the right too :idea:

I made my own toe-stick with some copper tubing and a few elbows. Take a straight piece that's about a foot longer than the track. Solder an elbow then a piece to point up, another elbow and a short piece of pipe just long enough to clear the sidewall of the tire to touch the outer bead lip of the wheel just at the center of it's height from the floor. Do the same on the other end, but make it stand away from the wheel a few inches so you can measure distance, then solder a couple wall brackets that fit the pipe, along the floor section. Make one point forward, the other to the rear, so it stands on the floor without falling over. Take a tape measure of the front distance, then the rear. The difference is your total toe. If the rear measurement is shorter, you have toe-out. BTW, the floor or ground needs to be somewhat level and flat. Hope this works for ya! I don't have a picture, but use your imagination...