I've just replaced tie rod ends and used the count-the-thread method to try
and ensure that I didn't screw up the alignment (or at least retained any
pre-existing screw up), but I had to loosen the lock nuts to line the rods
up with the holes on the steering arm and wheel side, so I can't be 100%
sure.
I skimmed the following off the archive (from Randall I think), this method
will ensure the total toe-in is correct across the front wheels but how do I
know it's even? i.e. if the correct toe-in is say 2 degrees, how do I know
one wheel isn't in 1.5 degrees and the other is .5?
Art
I use what I consider to be an easier method. A length of 1x2 lumber, 8'
long (the excess forms a handle), with two rectangles of 'masonite' screwed
to it in strategic locations, such that with the 1x2 laying on the floor,
the masonite reaches up to wheel centerline height. Jack the car up, spin
the front wheels by hand and use a scribe to mark the approximate center of
the tire while it's spinning. Set the car back down on the (level) floor,
bounce it a few times to settle the suspension, then slide the 1x2
underneath and rotate it so the edge of the masonite is behind the front
tires and at the center line. Use a pencil to transfer the scribed line
from the tires to the masonite. Then move it to the front of the tires, and
measure the toe-in/out directly.
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