Can’t Fix Toe-In....

BigSky
BigSky Senior Contributor
in "How To" - Skills, mechanical and other wise
I got to looking at my 37 Hudson’s toe setting and found a big difference.  When measured from front of tire to opposite front of tire then compared to the same measurement on the back side of the tire, I came up with 55.25” & 56.50”, so I have a huge toed “in” problem.  

I loosened the two tie rod ends of the bar up & could only rotate it very minimally before it stopped.  Unfortunately it only moved the toe out a 1/4” & now there is no more adjustment.   Pictures below are how the two ends look at max adjustment inward.  

Currently I can’t figure out why this may be occurring & what the best fix may be, any suggestions?



Comments

  • BigSky
    BigSky Senior Contributor
    I’m wondering if the steering arm on the passenger side can go into the axle at different angles.  Thus making the arm farther away from the backing plate than it should be?




  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    How much thread do you have on the opposite side?   could be a case of re-positioning the ends on the  bar.
  • BigSky
    BigSky Senior Contributor
    I was hoping that was it when I disconnected the right side (2nd pic) since it appeared to have more room to turn in but she didn’t turn but 1/2 a turn.  
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    So how much toe-in do you have?  It is measured at the rim.  The steering arms will only go in one position.

  • BigSky
    BigSky Senior Contributor
    When measuring from the same tread groove of one tire to the other, on the front side & back side of the tire.  The front side measured 55.25” & the back side measured 56.50”.  
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    But the arms are located by a woodruff key right?  Therefore it is not possible to transpose them.
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    If they were installed without the key then there would be nothing to locate the kin pin.   if they were transposed they would have to be installed upside down!
  • tallentr
    tallentr Member
    Is it possible due to the age of the car that at some point a salvage yard part was installed from the wrong year car for instance a 36 Hudson? The 1936 outwardly is very similar but nothing much interchanges.
  • BigSky
    BigSky Senior Contributor
    Definitely hard to tell what 80 years has done.  All good ideas!
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    I would shorten  the tie rod.

  • barrysweet52
    barrysweet52 Expert Adviser
    You could check part numbers if concerned a wrong part was fitted. You could strip clean and check the tie rods for burrs rust and dirt
  • BigSky
    BigSky Senior Contributor
    Went ahead & pulled the passenger tie rod as I’d seen it wasn’t screwing completely into the tie rod.  Cut off about 1/2” of the tie rod end, screwed it back in & was able to adjust the front end as needed.  Now I’m about 1/16” total toe in!  Thanks guys!

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