Rear toe adjustment

Synchros shot? Weird noises while shifting? Not sure what needs to be replaced?
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WA1DH
Senior Standardshifter
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Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:14 pm
Cars: 99 Ford Escort
Location: Seekonk, MA
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Rear toe adjustment

Post by WA1DH »

The people over at the Escort forums aren't responding fast enough so I figured I'd give this a shot here :D

Anyone have any experience with the kind of rear toe adjuster in the following picture? I'm trying to figure out how it works. My toe should be 0 on the rear but I've got 2/16" in on the passenger side and 1/16" on the driver side. I have the fronts within 1/32" after replacing the suspension parts.

Image

There is a bolt with a tab next to it. From what I've read, there is some sort of cam lobe adjuster attached to the tab. I loosened the bolt and the tab moved a little, changing the toe from 1/4" in to 2/16" in. Unfortunately I didn't notice the direction the tab moved, nor could I move the tab by hand after loosening the bolt. I didn't loosen the bolt too much though because I don't know if the lateral link will pop out or something if I do.

Any ideas?
Rope-Pusher
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Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 3:44 pm
Cars: '08 Jeep Liberty
Location: Greater Detroit Area

Re: Rear toe adjustment

Post by Rope-Pusher »

^ Just be grateful that all you have up your rear is a toe and not the whole foot!

Those tags hanging off a bolt or nut are sometimes used just to keep it from rotating during assembly. A lot of cars are aligned to a "net build" - the dimensions of the components are tightly controlled to the degree that the final assembly is not adjustable - alignment is what it is by design.

If toe is adjustable, there may be cam plate that changes suspension alignment as it is rotated, attached to the nut or bolt. You loosen the mating fastener and turn the one with the cam plate until the cam position offsets the bolt centerline so that the suspension geometry changes to what you are looking for. Than you tighten the mating fastener and you are set. When you do this, be careful not to let any part of your body get caught between two mating fasteners. They're ornery when they're hornery and have been known to crush a fingertip to death.
'08 Jeep Liberty 6-Speed MT - "Last of the Mohicans"
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kamesama980
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Location: Columbus, IN

Re: Rear toe adjustment

Post by kamesama980 »

I've done those several times at work. the tab is indeed attached to an eccentric lobe and will change toe if you move the tab. loosen the nut/bolt and move the tab up and down to adjust. I work in the rust belt so it's usually a combination of PB blaster, hammer, ratchet strap, and adjustable wrench to get it where I want it.
-Russ
2012 Nissan Frontier 4.0l M6 4x4
1990 Toyota Cressida 3.0l M5
1994 Pontiac Firebird LT1 M6
1970 Volkwagen Beetle M4
1990 Suzuki VX800 SM5
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