DIY Tire Alignment

[@johnwahl7460]

I’m still in need of the card board josh. It’s the one thing that’s will guarantee my trail experience is complete

[@mikeypotts4732]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but although you might have an 1/8th inch toe in this does not ensure that each wheel has an equal amount of toe. One might be perfectly straight while the other is the 1/8th inward, which isn't ideal of course. At least with IFS vehicles. I have no idea how front solid axle vehicles work. What I do is first set the toe at zero. Then center the steering wheel if need be. If so, I would zero the toe again just to make sure both sides are straight after centering the steering wheel. Then I would make equal measurements on both sides till the total toe is 1/8th inch. This would ensure both side have an equal amount of toe and the wheel is straight. I also will hand tighten the lock nuts, drive backwards, wiggle the wheel back and forth a couple of times, then move forward again on pieces of cardboard just to make sure the adjustment was transferred to the toe angle of the wheels after making the adjustments if that makes sense. Thanks for the video and hope this helps someone!

[@mcoffroadinaz4075]

on a rack/pinion, or any system that has seperate tie rods, you would be correct... but the solid tie rod on a Wrangler means there is only one toe. Wheel centering is last thing to do.

[@veerod383]

I appreciate your upfront disclaimer that this is a temporary solution before seeing a professional alignment technician with commercial-grade equipment. Total toe is the sum of the individual toe values, split by the thrust line, which is derived as a perpendicular reference from the rear axle’s total toe. This makes measuring the rear axle critical for achieving a straight steering wheel. Front toe must be set at steer-ahead, which centers the front total toe to the thrust line. Adjustments must account for Ackerman geometry, which causes toe to open as the steering wheel moves left or right from center. Once the alignment is set, the steering wheel is centered using the drag link. Yes, it’s a complex process, and a commercial-grade alignment system accounts for all these variables to deliver precise results that strings and gadgets simply can’t match. Thank you for your honesty in acknowledging that.

[@rkd350z]

Nice. Good to know how to do it

[@dawabbitt3079]

One thing I have to respectfully disagree with you on is not 'sighting' both the front outer edge and the rear outer edge of the FRONT tire down with the outside edges of the REAR tires... I say this because there will be those of us who will rebuild the entire tie-rod / steering system and in one hypothetical scenario... Let's say the RIGHT FRONT tire is not in-line with the RIGHT REAR tire, but is facing OUTWARD (toed-out) by 1/2 inch. The LEFT FRONT tire is not in-line with the LEFT REAR tire, but is facing INWARD (toed-in) by 1/2 inch as well. So, essentially - your toe-setting is at 'ZERO'... the steering wheels is STRAIGHT... but the entire front alignment is facing toward the RIGHT. Then you happily adjust each side evenly by toeing-in each tire 1/16", to get what you believe will wind-up being a 1/8" toe-in. But in all actuality, the RIGHT front is still TOED-OUT by 7/16" - and the LEFT front is now TOED-IN by 9/16".

[@xavior718]

I agree 100%. I would’ve straighten and locked the steering wheel first then aligned the front based on the rear wheels’ at 1/16 toe in each side equaling to the 1/8 total. The string line method I think is a more accurate way.

[@danepickens508]

Jeep factory toe adjustments are done from one end

[@jdavis8610]

Are you Navy?

[@gooseberry769]

That’s not full alignment. You didn’t check for castor, axles etc

[@gooseberry769]

Castor can be changed. Camber is always 0 in Jeeps yet gotta be checked in case of damage.