Author Topic: front wheel tow in  (Read 288 times)

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Offline andyj007

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front wheel tow in
« on: Saturday,January 22, 2022, 01:42:02 AM »
Hi,  my front wheels are badly out of alignment on my s2 .... 
so far out that i should be albe to make a signifgicant adjustment usinig the string line method..
am i aiming for justy a little tow in ?

thanks

Aj

Offline EuropaTC

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Re: front wheel tow in
« Reply #1 on: Saturday,January 22, 2022, 02:47:36 AM »
The specs for the S2 & TC are the same on my manuals with a wide range from 1/16" to 3/16" (1.6mm to 4.76mm according to Lotus). That's total toe, not per wheel.

I've run my TC anything from parallel to 3mm toe in. I have read folks advocating toe-out as a more sporting ride but I've never gone beyond parallel. I think it's around 1.5mm toe in at the moment but without looking up the records I'm not 100%.

Brian


Offline jbcollier

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Re: front wheel tow in
« Reply #2 on: Saturday,January 22, 2022, 06:43:06 AM »
These cars just screamed, "Thrash me!" back in the day, and many were.  They slid off roads, hit curbs and every other nasty thing you can't imagine.  Not only is the chassis a bit on the delicate side of light, the a-arms are designed to fold to cushion that chassis from any blows, and the uprights are weak right where the steering arm passes though.  Add 60 years of this and there is a very good chance you have bent parts in your front end.  All this to say, get it checked on an alignment rack, at least the first time.  And every time after any kind of "incident".

The front end is not adjustable except for toe.  That means if your castor or camber is off, something is either bent or worn.  If your KPI or included-angle is off then your uprights/spindles are bent.

Lastly, your thrust angle will tell you if the rear wheels are pointing in the same direction as your fronts, a useful thing to know!

Offline Clifton

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Re: front wheel tow in
« Reply #3 on: Saturday,January 22, 2022, 03:10:14 PM »
Stringing it is good to check thrust. If it's just front or rear toe, laminated boards are fast and easy. I thought I had a saved pic of mine but I found this post. https://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showpost.php?s=0bc590dccde1f15ef4b1a2923a92cc5a&p=24746713&postcount=209  Makes sure the boards are the same length and measure close to the edge equally. I use  piece of heavy steel to keep them against the tire and use two tapes, one works too though. If you adjust, roll it back and forward to settle it before checking again. If it's close, go for a drive and pull in straight and don't turn the wheel and check again. Mine are taller and I have a notch for the tire bulge at the bottom. I shoot for between zero and 1/16" in on the front. Toe out will make it catch and wander a bit. More than 1/8" in is too much in my opinion.

Offline andyj007

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Re: front wheel tow in
« Reply #4 on: Sunday,January 23, 2022, 12:47:34 AM »
thank you all.. i do intend to rebuild all teh front suspension at some point this year...  but for the moment I will make do.. i know its way out form visual and i can feel this at 50mph plus..   what a cool idea with the digital measure.. i have one of those..  thanks for posting that up , should work much more accurate !!!


aj
« Last Edit: Sunday,January 23, 2022, 12:49:12 AM by andyj007 »

Offline EuropaTC

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Re: front wheel tow in
« Reply #5 on: Sunday,January 23, 2022, 02:04:30 AM »
A word of caution, some of these digital measures aren't as accurate as you'd think so I'd check the specs on the one you've got.

I use a digital Vernier when I do mine - that's pretty good for the string method, and with the rear wheels you need that to ensure they're both equally aligned to the car axis.

Brian

Offline jbcollier

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Re: front wheel tow in
« Reply #6 on: Sunday,January 23, 2022, 05:29:34 AM »
Due to the shape of the body, a Europa tends to look toed out when the alignment is set correctly.

Offline Clifton

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Re: front wheel tow in
« Reply #7 on: Sunday,January 23, 2022, 09:37:37 AM »
Due to the shape of the body, a Europa tends to look toed out when the alignment is set correctly.

So true. It is impossible to eyeball a tow setting. 1/16" or so total in 22"