Alignment...haha

[hsach]

I used to make bushings to cross drill holes out of mild steel. Looks like you have the tools to make. Just a bushing with hole diameter the same as your piece you're cross drilling. Then cross drill that (mild steel so easy) the same size as the hole you want in your piece. Mount in vise on drill press or mill, align the cross drilled hole in the bushing and drill. The hole in the bushing should keep the bit from walking on the harder material. Not at my shop so I don't have pics of my setup I use but I think you get the jist of it. If not, I can draw it out on paper....

This is a great idea. I am going to do a similar method using a large nut with a hole drilled through it. My new Dana 44 track bar mount bolt doesn't have a hole for the cotter pin, and if I noticed before I installed it, I could have done this much easier. Hopefully the nut thickness will allow the drill bit to pass through straight, I may have to make a bushing if not. Not sure if mine will be as hard as ba123's 3/4" bolt, but it sounds like we are in the same boat. Good luck ba123!

 

[ba123]

Score!

Got right through it no problem from the other side, with it out and my little milescraft fake drill press and pipe/ olt holder that I got for something else.

These Milwaukee Hard Metal cobalt bits worked great.

 

[m_m70]

Score!

Got right through it no problem from the other side, with it out and my little milescraft fake drill press and pipe/ olt holder that I got for something else.

These Milwaukee Hard Metal cobalt bits worked great.

that's great! another step closer!!

 

[ba123]

The remaining two bolts were a piece of cake with the same setup.

Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[ba123]

For the alignment I decided to check at the location of the treads cause I was curious how different it would be and it turns out it's more than I want.

Front is 54-3-16"
Rear is 55-1/8"

Adjusted to:
54-15/16 front
55-1/16 rear

Perfect.

 

[ba123]

So, as an update to this, the first drive it was easy to tell that it was too much toe in. I measures at the tires, which is easy with my laser measure and the high spot has no tread and brought it to 1/8", seemed much better, but now noticing it still needs improvement and measured 3/16..

Was hoping that first method was gonna be it, but I guess not.

 

[DirtDonk]

Not really out of character for toe-in.
Just keep adjusting it and don’t worry about the actual measurement yet, until you find a sweet spot. Then measure it so that you can repeat it later.
But even then, the next time you change tires, and/or wheels, you might find that a different setting is called for.
Change it a fraction of a turn at a time and then drive it for a day or two. See what you think.

Somehow I have always settled on 3/16” but I had a lot of fun trying to detect the difference between different settings.

 

[ba123]

Thanks! I just adjusted again and will see when I drive it. Was gonna go take care of the last step the dmv asked for, weight, but clouds look like rain.

 

[jamesroney]

Thanks! I just adjusted again and will see when I drive it. Was gonna go take care of the last step the dmv asked for, weight, but clouds look like rain.

Take a piece of masking tape, and affix it to the front of the tire, at the middle of the tread on both left and right tires. mark a line on it with a pen. Measure the distance between the lines with a tape measure.

Roll the Bronco forward exactly 1/2 tire revolution, and measure the distance between your lines at the rear.

Take your "laser" (random number generator) and put it back in the carpenter's toolbox for the next time you need to hang a shelf.

...and no rain today so far.

 

[ba123]

Thanks for the laugh, James, as always!

Question on that...how thick of a line and how can you be sure you're measuring the same part of the line both times?

My "random number generator" has a stop(the base) and measures from there and I do it multiple times from different spots, so pretty confident it isn't random. I've used it a lot and much more accurate than a tape measure.

 

[DirtDonk]

As long as you’re not trying to measure from the “middle“ of a line, it should be pretty straightforward.
Just create a line as straight and “square“ as you can, and no matter how thick you make it, measure from the outside, or inside each time.
Should be pretty easy to be consistent.

But now you’ve got me curious so I’ll have to go back and read how you’re doing it.

 

[ba123]

As long as you’re not trying to measure from the “middle“ of a line, it should be pretty straightforward.
Just create a line as straight and “square“ as you can, and no matter how thick you make it, measure from the outside, or inside each time.
Should be pretty easy to be consistent.

But now you’ve got me curious so I’ll have to go back and read how you’re doing it.

I was messing with James. I like my way and feel is king for the end result.

 

[jamesroney]

Thanks for the laugh, James, as always!

Question on that...how thick of a line and how can you be sure you're measuring the same part of the line both times?

My "random number generator" has a stop(the base) and measures from there and I do it multiple times from different spots, so pretty confident it isn't random. I've used it a lot and much more accurate than a tape measure.

Yeah, but don't forget that the figure of merit for the toe specification is actually an angular displacement. @Broncobowsher pretty much nailed it. The necessary angle is converted to linear inches at wheel diameter. That linear number is published in the specification so that Gorillas with rulers can actually make the measurement. That measurement is tire diameter specific.

When the toe specification is input into a sophisticated front end alignment machine, it is converted back to an angular displacement as indicated at the wheel rim surface. This is why you never see a tape measure on the front end rack. Measured toe angle is re-converted back to inches at tread surface, and added mathematically to the angular deviation to the other wheel, and the result is published.

The only real question is just exactly how much angle is required. I've often thought it was odd that a Ford Pinto with a 13 inch wheel gets the same nominal toe in spec as a Peterbuilt running 11R24.5's at 43 inches OD. Same problem for your Bronco. Do your 33's need the same toe spec as your 26 inch tires?

And the thickness of the line should be approximately 3 units. Then measure to the edge of it. tee hee hee.

 

[DirtDonk]

I did not know (until now) that the modern machines that use the angle in degrees on their readout, were actually taking into account the tire diameter. I thought (assumed really) that they were strictly using stock tire diameter as their assumption, and keeping the angle would not be the same measurement with larger tires.
Good to know that they somehow take that into account.

Does the tech need to manually input tire dimensions, or is it done with some other bit of the equipment mounted to the vehicle?

Paul