Primative Alignment?

MrFixit · Feb 28, 2006

In a previous post I mentioned my Steering Arm broke and my new KAMA 354 was STRANDED.

My dealer shipped me a new steering arm and it arrived yesterday. I plan on installing it this weekend. After installing steering arm I'll need to align the front wheels.

I have a couple 8 foot conduit pipes and a bunch of bungie cords. I plan on fastening one pipe to the outside of each front tire so they pertrude forward by about 5 feet. Using a tape measure I'll adjust the Tie Rod End untill I get the same distance front to rear between pipes (Paralell), and Steering Wheel is straight

Should I adjust the Tie Rod so there is a slight Toe In with the pipes?
Does anybody know a "Less Primative" method?

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Tim

beenthere · Feb 28, 2006

Your method sounds pretty sophisticated to me and should give you a good alignment. Better than just measuring the distance between the front and the back of the front tires, as we used to do. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
I'd put some toe in as it will keep the wheels from wanting to try to find their own path and wobbling back and forth (not sure this is a problem like it used to be with the front ribbed tires.

Your method sounds clever and should give you some good information and a good adjustment. If more toe-in is needed, then you will be able to add it at anytime.

RonMar · Feb 28, 2006

My 284 operators manual has a paragraph about setting front wheel toe-in. Measure from center tread to center tread on the front of the tire, at a height above the ground even with the center of the wheel. Measure at the same point(center tread to center tread) on the rear of the front tires. For proper toe in on the 284, the front measurement should be between 4 and 10MM less than the rear measuement.

tat2z1969 · Mar 2, 2006

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( In a previous post I mentioned my Steering Arm broke and my new KAMA 354 was STRANDED.

My dealer shipped me a new steering arm and it arrived yesterday. I plan on installing it this weekend. After installing steering arm I'll need to align the front wheels.

I have a couple 8 foot conduit pipes and a bunch of bungie cords. I plan on fastening one pipe to the outside of each front tire so they pertrude forward by about 5 feet. Using a tape measure I'll adjust the Tie Rod End untill I get the same distance front to rear between pipes (Paralell), and Steering Wheel is straight

Should I adjust the Tie Rod so there is a slight Toe In with the pipes?
Does anybody know a "Less Primative" method?

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Tim )</font>
Set your pipes up equal distance sticking out the back of the tire and front, measure the back then the front you want 1/4 to 3/8 inch less on the front. I wouldn't worry about centering up the steering wheel it might not have been put on straight to begin with.

MrFixit · Mar 3, 2006

Thanks for the suggestions!

Tim

Ranch_Hand_Supp · Mar 3, 2006

Back in the old days of the Rodeo..... I worked in an Truck shop and we used an Tire Scribe to mark the center of the front tires and then set the toe in using a tape measure. Still use this method on the tractors I assemble..... I made my Scribe.

You can do a Google search ...... Tire Scribe and all kinds of INFO will come up.

Ronald
Ranch Hand Supply

Paddy · Mar 5, 2006

I had an old GMC that I replaced some front end parts. After I was done, I wanted to get it close enough to get it to an alignment shop. I I did the same thing with straight edges attached to the tires. On the way to the shop I desided it was as good as it ever was!

For a tractor, you will find it to be perfect.

Patrick

HGM · Mar 5, 2006

That should work fine.. I would recomend going to the rim rather than the tire for a more true measurement.. However, you are talking about a tractor, so a little off wont hurt unless you spend allot of time on the road..

MrFixit · Mar 5, 2006

The Steering arm is now installed and aligned with slight toe in, Handles fine. Tractor is no longer Stranded in the Jungle.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Tim

Keoke · Mar 5, 2006

Tat, you got some good ideas on setting toe. Here is one more, not that you need it.
Take a level from the hub center and and mark front of tire.
Bring line around to center of thread and shoot a shallow staple longways into tire. Do the same with tire on the opposite side. Measure distance between the two staples pointing forward. Rotate tires so that staples are now pointing rearward and level with hub center.
As pointed out, the back spacing should be 1/8 to a 1/4 more then the front.
Because of king pin angle tires will tend to toe out when tractor moves forward until all the steering joint slack is taken out.
The toe IN setting is what you supposebly give up before the joint slack is taken up. The perfect dynamic (in motion) toe setting is zero or dead ahead.
In short the more sloppy the steering joints the more toe you need to compensate for straight ahead wheels when moving forward.

lots of luck,