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Tow In Adjustment

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by Brown, Sep 16, 2019.

  1. Sep 16, 2019
    Brown

    Brown New Member

    Medford Oregon
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    Any body know about this ?
    The book says set tie rod end of the steering bell crank at right angles with the front axle ?
    Then with a straight edge see if the front & rear wheel touch the straight edge & if not then loosening the clamps on each end and turning the rod until the tire touches the straight edge.
    What dose right angle on the bell crank to front axle mean ?
    I can tell just by looking the my right side tire needs to come in on the bottom !
    Is this some thing that needs to go to a front end guy, or some thing I could do ?
    Thanks
     
  2. Sep 16, 2019
    Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Apopka, Fl
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    Right angle means 90 degrees....in other words square with the front axle.
     
  3. Sep 16, 2019
    Brown

    Brown New Member

    Medford Oregon
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    That's what I thought (y)
     
  4. Sep 16, 2019
    PeteL

    PeteL If it wasn't for physics, and law enforcement... 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    If that is really true, you have a serious issue - a bent axle stub, balljoint or king pin bearings that are totally shot, etc.
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2019
    ITLKSEZ likes this.
  5. Sep 16, 2019
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    What Pete said.

    Lift that tire off the ground and grab the top/bottom of the tire and try to wobble it in/out. My guess is it’ll be floppy. Find the source of the flop and fix it. Chances are it’s king pin bearings and/or wheel bearings.
     
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  6. Sep 16, 2019
    Brown

    Brown New Member

    Medford Oregon
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    Just had the wheel bearings done with a front brake job last week.
     
  7. Sep 16, 2019
    Brown

    Brown New Member

    Medford Oregon
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    Just jacked it up no wobble at all :shrug:
     
  8. Sep 16, 2019
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

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    Ok, I’ve re-read your OP a few times, and you have two different questions.

    1. You’re asking how to set toe-in via the book. Toe is how much the front of your tires are steering in towards each other. The book is basically telling you to make sure your wheels are straight ahead (by making the bell crank at 90° from the front axle) and to use a straight edge between the front and rear tires to get them matching and straight ahead. Ideally, you want the front of the tire pointing in about 1/8” more than the back of the tire.

    2. The bottom of the tire sticking out in comparison to the top is a problem with camber. This is a factory-set measurement. If it truly is wrong, and all the front end parts are in good condition, something is bent or broken. You might want to take it to an alignment shop just to get a readout to know where to start.
     
  9. Sep 16, 2019
    Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Apopka, Fl
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    Were you describing what you thought was wheel lean or toe in needing to be set?
     
  10. Sep 16, 2019
    Brown

    Brown New Member

    Medford Oregon
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    Maybe wheel lean ? I don't know about front end stuff.
    May be best to take it to the alignment guy.
     
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  11. Sep 16, 2019
    Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

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    I agree, best to take it to the alignment shop.
     
  12. Sep 16, 2019
    Brown

    Brown New Member

    Medford Oregon
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    Yep the alignment shop is the best place to start.
     
  13. Sep 16, 2019
    Brown

    Brown New Member

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    Thanks guys :)
     
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  14. Sep 17, 2019
    colojeepguy

    colojeepguy Colorado Springs

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  15. Sep 18, 2019
    Rick Whitson

    Rick Whitson Detroit Area 2024 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    To set the tow in you just need a two long straight edges. The Jeep is straight and square. You need to set the tires so that the straight edge torches all four of the tires sides. Front and back of the front and front and back of the rear tires. Then turn the tie rods in, so it tows in about a half of a turn on the tie rods. You can check this out in the FSM. I did this and found out my tow in was way off. My jeep drives a lot better now, it stays in the lane a lot better now.
     
  16. Sep 20, 2019
    Keys5a

    Keys5a Sponsor

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    Worn knuckle bearings can cause alignment issues, like negative camber, and are frequently overlooked.
    Also, the shop manual gives the proceedure for setting toe in, but in reality, the toe is always changing while driving because of the original two-piece tie rod setup. As the front suspension compresses and rebounds while driving, the front tires toe out and toe in with suspension travel. Though not original until 1972, a one-piece tie rod removes this constant change.
    -Donny
     
  17. Sep 20, 2019
    Brown

    Brown New Member

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    So I had the front end check & all is good.
    Must of bin the way it was setting & me just thinking to much :beer:
     
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  18. Sep 20, 2019
    Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

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    You're not the first to be fooled by an illusion. :)
     
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