Next week I am putting on a new set of Maxxis Bighorns. Shop manual calls for a toe out of 1" plus or minus 9/16". I have recently tried to set the toe out to this spec and the machine doesn't seem happy.

First question, why is a toe out required?

Any downside to making the toe out more "straight" than 1"?

I used a long "straight edge" off of the rear tires the last try at alignment. Besides eyeballing, anything easier?

Thanks, FF

 

If you don't have an alignment gauge to mark the tires, if you have a couple of carpenter squares you could C clamp their long sides together so it forms a U with the outside edges of the short ends about the width of the centers of the tires.

Slip that under the machine and stand it up so the short ends are against the backs of the tires. Mark the tires with a pen on both sides.

Pull the squares out, roll the machine forward until the marks you made are on the fronts of the tires, put the squares on the ground with the short ends leaning on the fronts of the tires, line one end up with the mark on one side, and measure the difference on the other.

Basically, you can't measure the width of the rears of the tires directly because the frame is in the way, so you need something of fixed width that fits around the frame.

From looking at the design of the suspension, I'd guess the toe changes a bit when the suspension fully compresses. They do seem to handle best with around 1" toe out...

 

Thanks JTD, I used your framing square method on my old tires, worked ok. It seems easier for me to use the straight edge method. You can see I took your suggestion and bought Bighorns. Later, FF

 

Yeah, it might be worth while to buy an alignment tool like the book said. Using their method I think gets them a bit more accurate.

I think you will like the bighorns.