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Alignment: adjust toe, front and rear

DIY: 
43K views 31 replies 17 participants last post by  boris1 
#1 ·
This DIY may be helpful to at least evaluate or troubleshoot those situations when replacing suspension components, after heavy track use, or the incidental pot hole or parking curb insult. If motivated you can not only measure but adjust alignment settings all without lasers, lifts, etc... that is, if you're brave. As a disclaimer, don't adjust anything if you're not comfortable with this sort of thing. I've actually gotten my toe exactly perfect before being brought in for a 4 wheel alignment, but I digress. The scope if this DIY is to ensure your car is tracking true and toe is where it should be. I do not intend to cover caster or camber and those should be checked with professional equipment. Also, alignment specs are posted on this forum and elsewhere and everyone has their own opinion as to the best within spec settings so I won't cover those particulars. If you're getting involved in this then you probably already know what numbers you're after.

Tools:
- tape measure
- ratchet
- 5/8 inch socket
- 17 mm socket
- 15 mm open crescent wrench
- flashlight (torch for our UK members)
- WD-40 and heat (depending on circumstances)

(please see pictures at end)

First, start at the rear. If the rear is not aligned, the front won't be. I measure across the back and then front of the tires with a tape measure. The original spec PS2s are great due to the linear tread pattern. Obviously some tires will not lend kindly to this exercise. Use a part of the tire which is consistent. The rear PS2s have a narrow valley in the middle just made for the lip end of the tape measure to grab on to (see pic 1). It isn't possible to measure 3 and 9:00 (more like 4 and 7:30) but close enough. Compare readings (pic 2). Again I won't focus on specs but 1/16" to 3/32" difference is reasonable. If not the case this needs an adjustment. But wait there's more...

Next check the track of the car. It should be going down the road straight and there should be no yaw angle. Back the beast out onto the driveway. Spray some water ahead of the car. Get in, and briskly drive straight into the garage without turning the steering wheel. Apply the brake and don't let it back up. Get out and with a flashlight look at the tread of the front wheel where it tracks back the the front of the rear wheel (see pic 3 looking back at the front of the left rear tire). Each side of the car should show a symmetric relationship. In my case with PS2s the center valley of the rear tire is seen exactly in the middle of the front tire's third tread, counting from the middle outward. If there is asymmetry, the rear toe-in needs to be adjusted to shift the car's rear end left or right. To do this, there is an eccentric bolt on the upper control arm, forward of the rear shock tower on each side (Pic 4 shows this on the right rear side). The bolt may be snug and to turn the bolt the nut at the front side of the bracket may need to be loosened a bit. Then, a 5/8 socket can turn this in the appropriate manner. The eccentric cam may be up or down or left or right so I can't specifically say which way it will need to be turned. However if the large lobe of the cam is pointed out, the toe in on that side is maximally toed in, as example.

Next check toe in of the front wheels with the tape measure as done with the rear wheels. If a change is needed (especially if the rear was adjusted) get out the 17 mm socket and loosen the bolt on the tie rod (pic 5 - rusty colored bolt pointed downward). Then the 15 mm crescent can grab and turn the inner half of the tie rod. Some free movement occurs until the ball joint ends its motion. When suspended downward the push of the wrench backwards to the rear of the car will turn the wheels to the left. Said differently, it will increase toe in on the right wheel and decrease toe in on the left. If toe is set but the steering wheel is still tilted then turn both tie rods the same way. Again, as example if the steering wheel is cocked to the left on a straight then both wheels should be oriented towards the left. Put the crescent wrench on the tie rods and push down and to the rear on both sides equally to preserve the toe. Lastly, remember to tighten all bolts before packing it in.

N.B. I make all front adjustments with the car on the ground. If lifted, the ratio of measurement across front and rear of the wheels is not always preserved. However, the car should be moved 5-10 feet in reverse and then forward between adjustments. For the rear, the rear tires may need to be removed to get to the eccentric bolt. I always lower the car, move it, and re-measure before re-adjusting. There's too much friction with the wheels on the ground to accurately measure the changes made. This takes time, lots of time, but is worth it to get an absolutely straight wheel.:thumbsup:
 

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#2 ·
I dunno if I would do this by hand. When I got my aligment done of a modern machine they had to measure the fender arch height and put that into a program specificaly made for the e39 M5 and then the machine told the mechanich what to do.
 
#3 ·
Good point, but they may have been checking camber. I find this useful in the following ways. First if the car has had a known recent alignment and a component is to be changed out, sure a post alignment is desireable but DIY pre and post measurement/adjustments can be done if scheduling an alignment is inconvenient. Second, even if you're off by 1/32", the normal range is so broad that that won't necessarily throw you out of normal alignment. Third, nothing beats the car's performance on the road. Imagine if the subframe is bent or diff replaced and one rear wheel/axle is slightly forward of the other. A four wheel alignment may align the rear toe symmetrically but the car could still be yawing down the road. Without a road test and checking as I suggested it isn't possible to see what the car is really doing. Fourth, how many times does the car come back from the shop and the steering wheel is just so, so slightly off? Once a professional alignment is done, this can allow one to fine-tune anything amiss. I've done this enough to know how much to turn things and how reproducable the results can be. Again, I've had my front absolutely perfect when I brought the car in (the rear would have been too had I not a bum rear bushing at the time.). To each his own.
 
#4 · (Edited)
This is crazy. I can garantee you are not getting this perfect. The front will change after doing the rear and visa versa. This is not worth it on a car like this. Mabe on a older car that has front toe only but not our cars with all the adjustments required. It's just not possible to get it right by doing it with a tape measure. If you can afford PS2's you can afford $60 to have your car professionally aligned.
 
#5 ·
idk if i would attempt this with only a tape measure but the fancy computerized machines are only as good as the tech using them. many years ago i had a 86' corvette that was pulling bad and needed an alignment. i took it up to the local pep boys with their super state of the art machine. they did the alignment and told me that they couldnt get it right as the frame was bent. frame didnt look bent to me so i took it over to this body shop run by a couple old timers. they broke out this set of anchient tools which consisted of different levels etc, the kind with the bubble you line up with the mark on the tube. this stuff look like tools the anchient egyptians used, lol. anyway when they were done the car was spot on, straight as an arrow.
 
#6 ·
I ruined my driver side rear couple months ago by jumping a curb. Now the whole wheel is toed in quite a bit, and wore out the rubber off a 6 month old tire w/in this time frame. I've takin it to several shops and I am getting different answers from each one of them. I am trying to avoid having to take it to the dealer because of financial reasons, but would like to get it fixed for spring. Just thought I'd get one more opinion from someone that knows what he's talking about lol. Hope you can help. Thank you.
 
#7 ·
You should tell us what the "different answers" have been thus far. A curb hit could affect either/both the rim and suspension (including alignment). The dealer won't be able to help you any better than a qualified mechanic on these issues. Some suspension fixes can be DIY.
 
#8 ·
OK, here's the truth.. It was raining, and I was having a little fun around an S curve. Little did I know, the last right turn ended in a down hill slope. So I lost control and the rear end slipped out from under because of the downward momentum. The car whipped around and I jumped the curb hitting the driver side rear wheel first. Yes the wheel is ruined and is toed in A LOT.

-The first mechanic said he couldn't visually see what was bent, so it could be just the wheel (I don't this mechanic liked his job)

-The second guy owns a European Auto Repair shop and upon inspecting, he had told me it was the rear control arm that costed $350 for just the part.
Now I knew that was BS because I looked up the costs of all the components before I even let anyone look at it, and the list price is around $105. But with my friends discount I had acquired the part for $80. So then I take the parit to him and told him how much I got it for and I can tell he was mad and he blew me off saying he couldn't fit me in his schedule that week. (I gave up on this guy because I felt like he was trying to take advantage of me)

-Now Pep Boys said they wouldn't be able to tell me what was wrong until after I paid a hundred dollars for them to just inspect the suspension, but I didn't want to pay that just yet because from the info I aquired so far leads me to believe it doesn't seem like too hard of a fix. But from the looks of it, if I can't find help here, I am going to go with Pep Boys because I'll need to have an allignment done as well.

So this is where I stand.. I've got a new rear wheel/tire, a lower control arm, and an upper guide link? (don't know the name of this part), and a tie rod end. I feel like I've got the majority of the part or parts I need to fix this problem so I am stuck on wheter or not to buy all the parts needed that make up the suspension and try to restore it all myself, or just to pay someone to save me the time and frustration.

I'm hoping that someone else has had this same problem and would tell me I've already got what I need and is a piece of cake. I am not experienced with the supsension at all, but wouldn't mind attempting a DIY to get to know my BEAST.

I'm so confused, please help me. Thank you in advance.
 
#9 ·
My advice would be to take it to a reputable shop, pay they $100 or so for a full inspection and then go from there. They will be able to tell you what is bent/broken and you can choose to repair/replace yourself or pay someone.
If you don't know what's wrong you can't aptly get it fixed. In this case, it could be as simple as just the wheel, or it could be as complex as a bent control arm mount on the frame - which will require a frame machine to fix - something generally only better body shops have.

Either way, you probably greatly shortened the life on your wheel bearing :(
 
#10 ·
Our suspension has a lot of aluminum that's prone to bending -- especially with a force sufficient to "ruin" a rim.

It's not surprising that a tech would turn his back on you after you deprived him of a profit center.

I would pay a qualified tech with experience working on our cars before DIY, as tech can evaluate problems as he peels the onion. I would DIY before Pep Boys.
 
#11 ·
Thanks all for your advice! It's greatly appreciated.

I have never been so indecicive before, but the love I've got for the beast makes me this way i guess.

Since spring is here already I said eF it! My baby's going to the doc. Can't wait to hear the burble early in the mornings :thumbsup:
 
#12 ·
Good post. As mentioned, I would really only use this for very short term, and only if I had plans within a week or two for a shop to throw it in spec. WITH THAT SAID, I have done this on another car. I hand replaced the front subframe on my daily after I found a curb in heavy snow and wrinkled the old one to such a point that the car was incapacitated. Replaced the front-end with a parts yard piece, got new wheels, tires etc and called it good.

After 4 months of rather mild driving, and having been too lazy for an alignment, the front tires were chewed up and worn down. Belts on the inside shoulders were fraying. My car was not driving well, and it took really nice tires to find that out. I found an alignment guide online and went to work. Dialed the whole front-end up. Tire chewing stopped and the car was much more controllable.

I am soon doing a suspension refresh on my beast and ill use this method to get the suspension close so I know its safe to drive to the shop. Can't afford to make the same mistake twice.
 
#13 ·
I only posted this because it CAN be done. When I did it (on only a few occasions) I had pre and post alignment numbers which proved I got it right. Obviously camber and caster can't be adjusted this way. Also, how many times have you had a car aligned and found the steering wheel is off or that they compensated for the road crown when you really didn't want that? Here, after professional alignment I show that one can simply "touch up" what is slightly objectionable. Lastly, I don't care what the lasers say the best way to prove that the car's thrust angle is straight is the water test I showed. To each his/her own though...:D
 
#16 ·
Carboncopy/others - I just had an alignment done. Car drives beautifully, except the %&%(% steering wheel is cocked about 5 degrees to the left to drive dead straight.

I really don't feel the need to have this shop take it back to them (quite a distance). Can I literally just turn the outer tie rods, lets say, 1/4 turn in the appropriate direction - same direction both sides! - with no other adjustments and maintain my alignment while having straightened my steering wheel?
 
#17 ·
If it's only 5 degrees, I don't see an issue with pulling the steering wheel and adjusting it from there. I was going to post up a question on the board about this before I attempted it myself, but since you're interested in making a minor tweak too I'll piggyback here and see if anyone more experienced than I would see any reason not to do this? Mine is also about 5 degrees off, and while it bothers me, I'm not going to take it back to the shop or adjust the tie rods myself. If it's as easy as moving the steering wheel a spline or two on the column though, I'm all about that.
 
#18 ·
I f*ing hate BMW's specs for alignment on m5 with 18" stock wheels... The specs are for city driving..... making my highway only lifestyle a ***** when you have the steering wheel cocked 5 degree's driving in the left lane only... super annoying, so I feel everyone else's complaints on this.
 
#20 ·
For anyone going to attempt this, I would suggest using toe plates. It makes the job easier and much more precise. These work great: Longacre Deluxe HD Toe Plates - SafeRacer

Also, I would use turntables under the tires. That way you don't have to keep moving the car back and forth. A cheap trick is to use two VCT floor tiles with a little sand in between them. Home Depot Racing has them for $.69 or so. Not as good as a ball bearing set, but it gets the job done for basically next to nothing.
 
#28 ·
I would suggest using toe plates. Also, I would use turntables under the tires. That way you don't have to keep moving the car back and forth. A cheap trick is to use two VCT floor tiles with a little sand in between them.
Fantastic advice, I was not familiar with toe plates. Will have to make a pair.

Here's how I used to DIY-adjust the toe on my off-road truck with 35" tires:
- Lift front tire off the ground and spin it, then paint a white stripe down the tread with spray paint.
- Spin the tire & use a nail in a heavy vise (for stability) to carefully scribe a hairline in the white paint line. Do same on other side.
- With a buddy, measure the distance from hairline to hairline on the front and rear of tire, at the centerline of the tire. (With a lifted truck, you can measure the back side.)
- Adjust toe-in to about 1/8" (large diameter tires are nearly parallel with 1/8" of toe)
- Spin tires again and paint over white paint with black paint. Done.

Someone disinclined to paint their tire tread could probably use that white holiday spray, or something water-soluble. On a low car, measuring the back side of the tire could be tough, never tried it. But it'll probably get you "close enough" to drive to the alignment shop after replacing your tie rods, etc.
 
#21 ·
#22 ·
Thanks Rao. I read your thread and didn't feel comfortable my specific question was answered. In fact, the closest "answer" in your thread was that "You can see a 1/4 turn difference. The larger problem is keeping the steering wheel straight when you get to that point."

That made me a bit uncomfortable at addressing my speciifc question about straightening the wheel once the alignment was set and driving wonderfully.
 
#23 · (Edited)
I linked to the post with pics of my "turntables" to show what the tiles look like in action; I wasn't talking about making any adjustments. I would never make any adjustments without measuring, but that's just me :)

Also, If I paid for an alignment and it wasn't done correctly I would take it up with the people who did the alignment and have it corrected :)






PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT OWN AN M5 AND THIS POST IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ARROGANT. PLEASE READ THE IMPORTANT REVISED DISCLAIMER THAT APPLIES TO THIS POST
 
#25 ·
Ah, I see what you are saying now (btw, a bunch of your pics aren't loading for me)...

If I am reading you right (I have rao reading comprehension issues...): pop at least the front wheels on a pair of tiles with salt between them. By the way, seems like it would be smarter to have the polished sides of the tiles facing each other with salt in between.

Then, assuming I can reach it with my lowered suspension, mark the tie rods and turn an equal amount in the same direction on both sides (i.e. I believe inwards on the driver's left side and outwards on driver's right side) ~1/4 turn then test drive it.
 
#26 ·
I don't do smart and I'm not providing technical support to smart people, because by definition I can't help them ;)

I doubt you will be able to make adjustments on the tie rods on a lowered car, but see above ^^ :rofl:







PLEASE NOTE THAT I DO NOT OWN AN M5 AND THIS POST IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ARROGANT. PLEASE READ THE IMPORTANT REVISED DISCLAIMER THAT APPLIES TO THIS POST
 
#27 ·
If the included angle is where you want it, then adjusting both tie rods the exact same amount (probably 1/4 turn at a time) will shift your steering center. (Based on the standardized thread pitch for the tie rod ends, obviously).

After a few tries using rao's string method, I have yet to visit an alignment shop, either for the M5 or my wife's E320. :M5thumbs:
 
#29 ·
Oh yeah, when adjusting the toe on a vehicle that doesn't have rack & pinion steering, make sure the inner and outer tie rods are inline when you tighten the jam nuts. If the tie rods are offset (one rod end is twisted to one side, and the other twisted to the side in the opposite direction), they could bind when the suspension cycles.
 
#31 ·
you won't have any problem getting the wheel straight. just go a little bit at a time and equal on both sides. also keep in mind that the tie rods on these cars mount to the back of the knuckle, not the front like most cars that have a steering rack. so when you turn the tie rod in(shorten it) you're toe'ing the wheel out, if you turn it out you toe the wheel in.
 
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