I picked up this nifty little device at an Auction recently for $7.00. It's a Bear alignment gauge for setting toe.
I have one like that Kenny. Paid nearer $100 off Tbay. Can't find the ad I thought I had for it.
You can use it for checking camber, too.
How about a few more pic's of it.....
Here's what I have:
Kenny,
Bring it to the party Saturday. I am sure the club members would like to see it.
That will work if your wheels are 100% straight. Most wheels are not and so method with tape on the tire with a mark in the center and roll 1/2 revolution and measure method is more accurate.
Norm
With the high degree of camber in the front wheels, the tape measure method is only accurate if the measuring is done at precisely the same location ahead of and behind the tire. A little higher or lower and your measurement is way off.
The possibility for error exists either way.
I use a carpenter's framing square and put the mark where the square touches the wheel on front. Then roll to the point the square touches the wheel at the back, so it is always the same height both front and back. If you use that tool, make the measurement in several places as you roll the car front and back. If it is different, then perhaps an average would be the way to go. However, the adjustment has to be made one full turn at a time, so I just set it first with toe out, then adjust it one turn at a time until the first turn on which I get a toe in and clamp it. The car steers fine that way.
Norm
I think one of the larger sources of inaccuracy is not rolling the car forward and back after lengthening or shortening the tie rod since there is always slack in the suspension and the measurements need to be taken with the suspension fully slacked which is not where it is at the moment after you adjust the tie rod length. It is also a mile off when you first sit the car on the ground after jacking up the front end. Wrong "Toe In" adjustment wears the tires out faster than any other of the alignment adjustments such as camber or caster.
One of the more effective Toe adjustment gauges was the so called "scuff" gauge where you simply drove over the thing with the front end of the car. Those things were amazingly accurate since they measured the force of the tire pushing a couple of plates apart (toe in) or together (toe out) and were calibrated in Feet/mile. Supposedly the gauge would tell you that for every mile driven - how many feet sideways the tires were being dragged. You could also drive the rear of the car over it and see if the rear end housing was sprung in some fashion. My step dad (R.I.P.) had these gauges at each of three entry doors to his alignment shop service bays. All of his alignment equipment at that time was BEAR brand.
I have the Snap-On toe board, or scuff plate.
Ed:
Could you post a picture of the thing if not too much trouble. Is this a modern device. My step dad's BEAR scuff gauge was in fact a rather large machine that was wider than the shop doorway or almost as wide. I had a vertical gauge assembly at one end that stood about waist high with a vertical pointer on it that pointer to toe in or toe out side of center zero.
I will post a picture tomorrow. It is early 50's vintage.
http://collectingsnapon.com/catalogs/catalogs.php?loggedin=0&catalogPage=1788
I could spend days on that site! The toe board is at the bottom. You can "mouse over" to magnify the pics.
Thanks, Art. It is a little tricky with front wheel drive, I let the cars coast over the gauge in neutral.