P1000 Setting "toe in" on my 1000-5

[CCA]

I build custom weapons for a living now and I've done so for for a lot of years. But... Waaaaay back when I was a diesel tech and truck mechanic. When I noticed my front tires being burnt off, I knew the toe was in question. After reading some of the complaints and changes offered by the folks on this forum, I made the assumption my machine was toed out from the dealer set up. Boy was my assumption correct. You guys were right!

I noticed lots of guys were using tape measures from the insides of the rims when I watched videos and read that posts. I think that can work, and I'll admit if you're off the road 95% of the time, that'll be close enough. But I spend a ton of the time on gravel roads and they chew up tires quicker than you'd think. I wanted to be more precise, so I did the same thing on this machine I used to do on semi trucks years ago.

I lifted the machine up and had my daughter and son spin the wheels. I took light colored spray paint and in the center of the wheel I sprayed a line. I let it dry just a moment or two, then had them spin the wheels again. This time I used the spray can as a rest for a screwdriver tip. I simply inched the can close to the spinning wheel and pushed the screw driver blade in until it barely touched the tire as it spun removing the slightest bit of fresh paint. This 'score' mark was true all the way around the tire now which is important...

Same thing to the other side tire.

I let the machine down, back it up ten feet, then rolled it in under power and came to a stop and put the brakes on, shifted into park, and hopped out. This is as close to 'traveling down the road' as you're going to get without moving forward... LOL.

Then I used the tape measure to check from the front to the aft of the tire what my measurement was. My machine was toed out 1 1/8"... ugh...

First thing is first. I used the drive side wheel to adjust the steering wheel, since it was cock eyed. After I had the steering wheel centered and the driver wheel parallel with the rear wheel, I locked the jam nut on my adjustment arm. I simply adjusted the passenger side wheel at that point until I had 1/8" toe in.

I took it out for a drive and rechecked it. It held fine, needed no more adjustment, and after a few miles of gravel road the paint will be worn off. Besides, my daughter likes the pink, so it made for some smiles.

I'll post up the pics below. FWIW, I'm hearing a lot of people unhappy about tire wear and machines that are toed way out from the dealer. I'd highly recommend you check this. Even if you only measured from rim to rim front and back it will give you an idea of whether you're in trouble or not...

Food for thought.

 

[Admin]

 

[CCA]

 

[elkguide]

Pink tires look great with your green plastics.

Great idea for a way to get a center line.

 

[Cuoutdoors]

I build custom weapons for a living now and I've done so for for a lot of years. But... Waaaaay back when I was a diesel tech and truck mechanic. When I noticed my front tires being burnt off, I knew the toe was in question. After reading some of the complaints and changes offered by the folks on this forum, I made the assumption my machine was toed out from the dealer set up. Boy was my assumption correct. You guys were right!

I noticed lots of guys were using tape measures from the insides of the rims when I watched videos and read that posts. I think that can work, and I'll admit if you're off the road 95% of the time, that'll be close enough. But I spend a ton of the time on gravel roads and they chew up tires quicker than you'd think. I wanted to be more precise, so I did the same thing on this machine I used to do on semi trucks years ago.

I lifted the machine up and had my daughter and son spin the wheels. I took light colored spray paint and in the center of the wheel I sprayed a line. I let it dry just a moment or two, then had them spin the wheels again. This time I used the spray can as a rest for a screwdriver tip. I simply inched the can close to the spinning wheel and pushed the screw driver blade in until it barely touched the tire as it spun removing the slightest bit of fresh paint. This 'score' mark was true all the way around the tire now which is important...

Same thing to the other side tire.

I let the machine down, back it up ten feet, then rolled it in under power and came to a stop and put the brakes on, shifted into park, and hopped out. This is as close to 'traveling down the road' as you're going to get without moving forward... LOL.

Then I used the tape measure to check from the front to the aft of the tire what my measurement was. My machine was toed out 1 1/8"... ugh...

First thing is first. I used the drive side wheel to adjust the steering wheel, since it was cock eyed. After I had the steering wheel centered and the driver wheel parallel with the rear wheel, I locked the jam nut on my adjustment arm. I simply adjusted the passenger side wheel at that point until I had 1/8" toe in.

I took it out for a drive and rechecked it. It held fine, needed no more adjustment, and after a few miles of gravel road the paint will be worn off. Besides, my daughter likes the pink, so it made for some smiles.

I'll post up the pics below. FWIW, I'm hearing a lot of people unhappy about tire wear and machines that are toed way out from the dealer. I'd highly recommend you check this. Even if you only measured from rim to rim front and back it will give you an idea of whether you're in trouble or not...

Food for thought.

This is the exact same way I used to do it on my buddies race cars. I had kind of forgotten about that. Thanks for doing a write-up.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Dezrik]

I had my local alignment shop do the work on my pioneer. He made notes that he set toe exactly neutral and my tires have been wearing very even. He said my toe was 2" out .

 

[Tramguage1]

I use 2 4ft levels, bungy cord one to outside of each front tire. Us a tape measure to set it up.

 

[DDDonkey]

I use toe plates and tape measures, set mine 1/8" toe in, I run a lot of black top.

 

[GlockMeister]

I use 2 4ft levels, bungy cord one to outside of each front tire. Us a tape measure to set it up.

Thats what i do...seems to work good.

 

[CCA]

I use toe plates and tape measures, set mine 1/8" toe in, I run a lot of black top.

you don't think inconsistencies in the tire can push the tip of a 4ft level quite a ways off way out there at the tip? just a slight difference on the tire would be amplified greatly.

granted, these aren't race cars, and this is better than nothing for sure, but i'd always be questioning how accurate my findings and settings were... if you don't believe me, lift up your machine and start spinning the tires. it would be rare to find one that was actually 'true' all the way around when mounted and aired up. a small bend in the rim would really throw you for a loop too.

 

[joeymt33]

Hopefully my wheels aren’t warped. I used yard sticks and clamped them together so they just touch the inner wheel lip forward of the axle and then took that to the rear side of the axle. I took the measurement and then adjusted.

 

[DDDonkey]

you don't think inconsistencies in the tire can push the tip of a 4ft level quite a ways off way out there at the tip? just a slight difference on the tire would be amplified greatly.

granted, these aren't race cars, and this is better than nothing for sure, but i'd always be questioning how accurate my findings and settings were... if you don't believe me, lift up your machine and start spinning the tires. it would be rare to find one that was actually 'true' all the way around when mounted and aired up. a small bend in the rim would really throw you for a loop too.

I agree with you that inconsistencies in a tire can throw a level off at the tips. That is why I said I use toe plates, they lay against the rim not the tire. These are the ones that I use for reference, you can see that the sit off the tire.