Tirewear

[Velocess]

Kia,

If you are looking for a good shop, head over to Long Beach Tire & Wheel on Cherry in Signal Hill. They have been around forever. You should look for a short Mexican guy, I forgot his name. He is the best in town.


Velocess

[67GTV]

Thanks Velocess, I'll keep that place in mind. Behind the AM/PM across from the Chrysler dealer?
There used to be a good exhaust guy around there. He only worked with stainless. Unfortunately he closed his shop.

You sure remember the LBC well. Busted me when I thought the Moto Guzzi dealer was a Ducati place.

[CarlosSpider]

Interesting.

How it is that "string method"? Can you descibe it?

[papajam]

The 'special' tools required for a string toe alignment are about 12 feet (4 meters) of string or twine and since the front track of 105/115 cars is 2 inches (50mm) wider than the rear, you'll also need a one inch (25mm) spacer (a piece of wood for example).
Before starting, ensure there is no free play in the steering system. Adjust, repair or replace as necessary. The car needs to be on level ground and tires inflated to specs.

1) Center and lock the steering wheel

2) Refering to figure 1, have a helper hold the spacer, at axle height, against the rear portion of the left rear tire and the string against the spacer (location A) while you at the front, pull the string tight and move it in the direction of the arrow toward the left front tire also at axle height. If the string touches the rear portion of the front tire first, as in fig. 2, the wheel is toed in so the left tierod needs to be shortened. If, however, the string touches the front of the tire first, fig. 3, the wheel is toed out requiring the tierod be lengthened.

3) Adjust the length of the left tierod so that the string touches the front and rear portions of the front tire at the same time (fig. 4). The toe of the left wheel is now zero.

4) Measure the length of the left tierod from stud center to stud center. If the length isn't between 264-280mm, somethings bent.

5) subtract 5mm from the dimension obtained in step 4.

6) adjust the length of the right tierod to the dimension obtained in step 5.

7) Move the spacer and string to the right side of the car and using the same technique as on the left, see what the toe of the right front wheel is.

8) If the right front wheel is toed in, shorten the long center track rod. DO NOT adjust the right tierod. If the wheel is toed out, lengthen the track rod.

9) After adjusting the right wheel toe, measure the length of the center track rod. If the length isn't 530-550mm, somethings bent.

There's a second method string toe alignment as well. This involves measuring the distances between the rear portion of the front tires (across the width of the car) and the front portion. However, since these measurments can't be taken at axle height, this method is not as accurate.

[Velocess]

Kai,

Yes, 30+ years in the LBC. The place behind AM/PM is where you need to go. And yes, Gary had is muffler shop behind that place. He did the full system on my GTV but it is not stainless.

More importantly, there is a new top-less bar where Uncle Bill's was originally. You could walk there from Sperry Valve Works.


Velocess

[67GTV]

Papajam, is this something that a shop would know how to do? i.e. "DO NOT adjust the right tierod" I'm gonna print this out for reference just in case. Thanks!

Velocess, do you have any experience with Long Beach Muffler on Anaheim? The guy gave me a quote for both the front and center sections without looking under the car. Another muffler shop told me it would be difficult to make (or source) the front section because of the down pipes.

Where was Uncle Bill's? I rarely get a night out, but you never know.

[Mr. C.]

Is a topless bar a bar with no roof? I guess it doesn't rain in Long Beach very often.

[Velocess]

Kai,

Yes that shop would patch up the system in my "74 Spider once a year. I would feel confident going to them. They are another shop that has been around forever.

Directions from AM/PM: head westbound on the cross street (26th or 27th?) and when you come to Walnut, it is on your right.

Enjoy

Velocess

[CarlosSpider]

Quote:

Originally posted by papajam 3) Adjust the length of the left tierod so that the string touches the front and rear portions of the front tire at the same time (fig. 4). The toe of the left wheel is now zero.

[papajam]

Kai,
A shop would know how to do this procedure only if they have done it before and are aware of it or, at the request of the cars owner, they follow the car owners instructions on how to do it. The vast majority of vehicles have two adjustable tierods; one left and one right and this how the toe is adjusted for these cars. So now a 105/115 Alfa comes in the shop with three tierods but the tech adjusts the toe the same way they always have; uses the right tierod to adjust the right toe and unknowingly upsets the natural order of the universe.

CarlosSpider,
Zero toe isn't such a bad thing as it will slightly improve turn-in without adversely affecting tire wear (unless you have a lot of negative camber). The 3mm toe in spec (1.5mm per wheel), is measured by electronic equipment at the edge of the wheel, 7 inches (half the wheel diameter) from the axle and not at the tire where we are taking our measurement. So a new toe in spec must be calculated. Assuming a 195/60 14 tire, the distance from the axle to where the string is on the tire is about 11.5 inches from the axle or an increase of 65%. So increase the 1.5mm spec per wheel by 65% for a new spec of about 2.5mm per wheel.
After adjusting the left toe to zero, lengthen the left tierod until there is a 2.5mm gap between the string and the tire. Adjust the right toe with the same 2.5mm gap.