Doing an alignment w/ minimum tools

[IAD_TDI]

I have a inner tie rod that I have to replace in a ’03 VW Jetta TDI. Look on the internet there are videos of people aligning there cars with a minimum of tools. I am looking for some feedback about doing an alignment with string to get the first front wheel aligned with the back tire and then making marks on the front tires to align the other front wheel with about an eighth inch toe in. Because I am only going to do one tie rod and the steering wheel is straight I will only have to do the second part to get the toe-in correct. How good should I be able to get the alignment? Is an eighth inch toe in a good number?

Other than toe is there any other adjustment that can be done on a VW Jetta? The front tires wear hard on the inner tread. Will the tie rod fix that? I am also getting bad wear on the back tire and will have to check the bearing, anything else that would cause this? I do not see anyway to change this other than shimming the axle stub.

Thanks for the information.

Topic

[Kenneth]

Count the turns, when removing the outer tie rod. And if you’re installing the exact same brand inner, then it’ll be close as you’ll ever need. Best practice, to still get a shop alignment after a job like that tho. The key, is it being exactly the same part no.

[IAD_TDI]

Yes I will count the turns, but you hit on a point that I am not counting on. I am not expecting on getting the exact same part, and I would prefer not because I do not like how this one held up. I do not know what I replaced it with last time and I am not going to buy it at the same place. I also will do a measurement for the length.

[Lorrin Barth]

Take a piece of wood, a 2 x 2 works great, the length should be the width of the car. Cut two pieces out of 1/4 inch plywood, the height of the plywood pieces should be from the pavement to the center of the wheel and the width of the plywood pieces should be the width of the tire tread.

Stand the plywood pieces up against the front of the front tires. Slide the 2 x 2 along the pavement and up against the plywood pieces. Mark on the 2 x 2 where the plywood pieces are. Nail and glue on the plywood pieces where you marked. When finished you should have a 2 x 2 on the pavement with two pieces of plywood sticking up at or near the ends. You have just made a trammel bar. Trammel bars are so accurate they use them at the race track.

Measuring toe ………………

You may need a small flashlight and a mirror for the measuring depending on the room under the fender. The vehicle should be driven into the garage with the wheels straight.

Put tape on the upper edges of the plywood. Slide the trammel bar under the car at the front of the front tires and stand the plywood pieces up against the tread. See where a straight rain groove in the tread is against the tape on the trammel bar. Make a very accurate pin prick in the tape. Go to the other side and do the same thing.

Move the trammel bar to the rear of the front tires. Align one pin prick with the same edge of the same rain groove you marked before. Go to the other side of the car and make a pin prick at the same edge of the same rain groove you used before on that tire. Notice, you are making only one additional pin prick mark with the trammel bar to the rear of the front tires.

You have just measured toe and if you were careful you have done it very accurately. If the new pin prick is inside the mark made when the trammel bar was at the front, the car is toed out. If outside, toed in. If the marks agree front and back, zero toe.

When adjusting the tie rods you need to adjust both sides the same amount. Otherwise your steering wheel won’t stay straight. After each adjustment, put the wheels back on, back in and out of the garage with the wheels straight. Put fresh tape on the trammel bar and measure again.

Happy motoring

[Lorrin Barth]

I just finished piecing my wife’s car back to together after she jumped a parking stop yesterday morning and then backed off of it removing the front fascia in the process. So, I took it for a drive and surprise, surprise, it pulls to the side that got hit the worse. Time to get out the trammel bar.

[Author]

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