Chester,
Measure the distance from the center of the hub to the outside diameter of the tire.
To convert degrees of toe multiply the measurement above (the radius of the tire) times the tangent of the degree of toe times 2.
For example Michelin tire book says diameter of 315 tire is 42.3 inches, making the radius of that, say 21.15 inches.. .23 degrees toe in would be tan(.23) X 21.15 X 2=0.16 inches or 3/16 total toe. You have to multiply by two because when an alignment machine measures toe in degrees it is per wheel. They do that because each side of an IFS has to be set individually. You can set a straight axle with total toe because it only has one tie rod. As you know the IFS has two.
Leave it be, if it drives like you want it.
Like Michael said, if it were indeed toed out, that was a handful.
To convert degrees of toe multiply the measurement above (the radius of the tire) times the tangent of the degree of toe times 2.
Ok I swear I heard that on Big Bang theory.. Lol
I drove the coach this morning with considerable improvement in steering. I hugs the road better and new tie rods removed all of the slack. The alignment machine shows .16 degrees for each wheel, or a total toe in of .31 degrees. Pete, who did the alignment, measured the rear and front of the tires for a toe-in of 3/16". Applying the above formula, .31 x 21.15 x 2 = 13.113. Obviously, I do not understand the formula. I would appreciate if Richard or someone would compute my toe-in. If it is fact 3/16" I will experience more tire wear than the factory 1/16", but if they last three more years I am OK with the better steering.
Chester, I doubt that you will find the tires wear fast enough to be an issue. We don't put 100k + miles a year on these things. I have replaced lots of tires with GREAT thread (looked new) but the sidewalls were cracking and they were 7 years old.
tan(.16)=0.00279 This is a trigonometry conversion.
.00279 X 21.15 X 2 = 0.118 inches
To convert to 16ths multiply by 16, so you have 1.88/16ths total toe in. Lets just call it 2/16ths.
By the way, mine was set up to be 3 mm toe. That is 0.118 inches.
Some of you might ask why aligment machines converted to degrees. if you look at the formula you will see that the toe in measured in inches is highly dependent on the tire diameter. For example a 16 inch tire toed in at 1/16 is toed in a whole lot more than a 32 inch diameter tire at 1/16 toe. Using degrees toe does not care about the tire diameter.
Richard, thanks. I am not math savy, so I think you are saying that .31 degrees total toe-in (.16 per side) converts to 1.88/16" toe-in. If I have read this correctly, I am pleased with this setting.
Chester,
That's the .16 I had mine done to and told you about at the Rally and even though Richards skills are unchallenged, Pete at Newell is one of the FEW mechanics left at Newell that really knows everything about alignment /leveling/ brakes and suspension and I was sure he would listen to you and get it right. He or Mike Payton when he returns from an injury are the 2 best remaining at Newell.
Larry, I hope Pete got it right. I asked him for a toe-in of .16 which is greater than 1/8", but less than 3/16". He was unable to convert my request in inches or percent to his machine's degrees. Only with my approval, he set each wheel at .16 degrees, then measured with a tape and said he had achieved 3/16" overall. In any event, his setting together with four new tie rods now makes driving the coach a real pleasure. Hope your trip is going well and give my regards to Hedy. I am in Kansas, about half way to Denver and Jan flew back to Phoenix to be with a great grandchild on his first birthday.
Mike, did mine last year and I've been happy. It stayed on the Hunter most of the day. They even had to close the bay door so they could see the light better.
Chester, Can you replay the earlier conversation? I am thinking that this might be a routine maintenance thing. (My coach has 220,000 miles and I add another 15-20k every year. How many miles do you have on your coach? Was the general symptom "wandering"? Richard uses the crown of the road approach which I understand...but am still not sure how it *should* be. (My coach is the only one I have ever driven so I am used to how it drives and may be overly compensating for it).
Should I consider an alignment as general maintenance? Tom, does your bus guy do alignments? Chester, would you go back to Newell or would you now consider another place?
Cheers,
bill