I just installed the JD Performance tie rods.....(and I highly recommend them....they are very strong) and I want to make sure I have my VForce aligned properly.

I have never done this before so I used a carpenters level against the tire, and I am sure this is not the correct way to do it. I am going to be riding all day tomorrow and want to make sure this beast is in alignment.

Can someone please help me .......quick![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Try doing a search for V-Force alignment on this forum. There has been some threads regarding it. Hope that helps.

Ken

 

I read on the honda forums that you can tie a string around all four tires at mid wheel and check the gap at the rear of the front tires sidewall. It should be 1/8 inch gap on a Honda but I don't know if it is the same on the VForce.....anyone know?

 

I couldn't find a previous post with search. The string trick works for toe in/out adjustment if the front wheels are already aligned. My 'bro taught me how to get a perfect alignment, Using 2 items that are 3' long or so and straight. I use a pair of aluminum standards like you would mount on the wall for adjustable shelving. He uses boards. Remove the cotter pins from front spindles. With bailing wire through the cotter pin holes, tie the straight edge across the outer edges of the wheel/tires, parallel to the ground, with the board/standards extending to the front and rear of the wheels. Set the handlebars straight and secure with tiedowns to the footpegs to keep them from moving. Loosen the tie rod end lock nuts. Now measure from the rear of the standards, just behind the tires, to a fixed point on the frame on each side, adjust tie rods until distances are equal. This should give correct alignment. Now measure from side to side, under quad, behind tires. Repeat measurement in front of tires. Subtract front measurement from rear which equals toe in. Adjust tie rods equally to attain desired toe in, while maintaining equal distances from rear of tires to frame. this requires some trial and error. Takes me about 30 minutes and 20trips from side to side on the front end with the tape measure to get it all right. If somebody has an easier, accurate method, I'd sure like to hear it. Hope you had a good ride Brewster, Looks like a mud ride today for us [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img] Dang rain!

 

Ryanstones, that method sounds pretty good to me. I’ve only done it myself once and I used a similar procedure except used a buddy so I didn’t have to fasten the straight edge to the wheels.

After loosening the tie rod lock nuts I straddled the quad and “eyeballed” the handlebars, set them to what I thought was perpendicular to the center-line (pointed straight) and was careful not to move it as I didn’t bother trying to secure them. I also looked several times down at the front wheels, one side then the other while straddling the quad to convince myself the wheels were pointed straight.

Since the V-Force “felt” like it was traveling in a straight line when I thought I had the handlebars straight I assumed both wheels were already aligned properly relative to the handlebars so I was only concerned about toe-in / toe-out. My quad was toed-in slightly from the dealer and was squirmy at high speeds, especially on pavement so as an experiment I wanted to try it with a toe-out setting.

I used a couple of sturdy (and straight) pieces of wood that were long enough to extend past the diameter of the tires. With a buddy on one side of the quad and me on the other we hold the sticks as parallel to the ground as possible going across the center line of the wheels. Using a tape measure read the measurement at both ends of the stick. If an adjustment is needed turn each tie rod the same amount and re-measure. A slight adjustment (such as a quarter or half turn) can make a substantial difference. I had set mine so that the measurement was 5/16” wider at the front than it was in the rear. Then after having another look at the handlebars / wheels while straddling the quad to be sure it still “felt” like it was pointing in a straight line, I rechecked the measurement at the wheels again and then tightened the tie rod lock nuts.

Since the ATV is meant to travel off road and one seldom goes in a straight line over perfectly even ground having a precision alignment is not as critical as it is in a car, therefore the preliminary “eyeballing” method mentioned above is probably adequate as long as it still “feels” like it’s going in a straight line when you have it pointed that way (this saves having to measure to determine if the handlebars are really perpendicular to where the frame is pointed and measuring to be sure each wheel is individually aligned the same relative to the frame before applying a toe-in / toe-out adjustment).

Bottom line is the toe-out adjustment (+ 5/16” in front) made a significant improvement in the straight line / flat ground handling of my quad at high speed. It still feels feather light (very sensitive to any steering input) under these circumstances but tracks straighter than before. To tame it down even more would probably require the addition of a steering stabilizer but for now I feel it is adequate for my needs. Also be sure your tire pressures are set properly (and the same on each side) as this can have a major effect on handling as well.