Replacing the tires may replace the worn rubber

Replacing the tires may replace the worn rubber, but it won’t eliminate the tire wear problem. The new tires will suffer the same fate unless the cause of the misalignment is identified and toe is reset to specifications. So anytime the tires show toe wear, toe alignment should be checked to see if it is out of range. Also,tyres and wheels service & repair equipment the steering should be inspected for worn or bent parts. In addition to checking for loose or worn tie rod ends, look for bent steering arms or tie rods because either can cause toe wear, too.Strange as it may seem, on some front-wheel drive cars and minivans, a slight amount of toe-out (up to about 1/16th inch) may be specified when aligning the wheels to compensate for toe-in that occurs as the front wheels pull the vehicle down the road. Drive torque more than offsets the compliance in the steering and suspension allowing both front wheels to toe-in slightly when accelerating. This is also what causes ‘torque steer’ (a sudden steering pull) in some FWD cars that have unequal length halfshafts. Under hard acceleration, the left wheel with the shorter halfshaft experiences more toe-in than the right wheel with the longer halfshaft. The result is unequal toe changes and a steering pull to the right. Vehicle manufacturers have reduced or eliminated torque steer in many FWD cars by using equal length halfshafts and/or stiffer control arm bushings.Worn or loose tie rod ends should always be replaced. But new tie rod ends won’t necessarily cure a tire wear problem unless the tie rods are properly adjusted after the new parts have been installed. 

Changing the tie rod ends, tie rods or a steering rack will change the distance between the steering arms, which changes toe. So after the parts have been installed, some type of alignment equipment must be used to measure toe. Then and only then can the tie rods be adjusted to set toe within the vehicle manufacturer’s specifications (always use the specs listed in an alignment reference manual or service manual, never ‘rule of thumb’ settings,Vintage tubs because every vehicle is unique).One old mechanic’s trick when replacing tie rod ends is to count the number of turns it takes to unscrew a tie rod end, then to use the same number of turns when screwing it back on. This only works if the same tie rod end is being reinstalled because the length of the tie rod end and threading may be different on a new part. What’s more, there’s no way to know if the original alignment setting was correct or not. That’s why toe should always be measured and readjusted as needed after parts have been replaced.Something else to keep in mind about toe is that rear toe is just as important on front toe—especially if a vehicle has an independent rear suspension or rear toe adjustments. This includes most front-wheel drive cars and minivans as well as some rear-wheel drive cars. Rear toe misalignment can cause toe wear on both the front and rear tires by creating a steering pull to one side. Unlike front toe which is self-centering because of the steering linkage, a difference in rear toe angles side-to-side creates something called a ‘thrust angle.’ The result is the same as rear axle misalignment that causes the vehicle to pull or lead to one side. 

So how does this cause wear in the front tires? Because we forgot to tell you that front toe changes slightly anytime when the wheels are steered to either side. Because the inside wheel follows a shorter arc than the outside wheel, the steering arms are angles slightly so the wheels tow-out with respect to one another when the wheels are turned to one side. The amount of toe-out is only a couple of degrees, but it helps to minimize scuffing and tire wear. If the rear wheels are misaligned, though, and the driver has to constant steer off-center to keep the vehicle going straight, it means the front wheels are constantly toed-out. Over a period of time, this will cause toe wear to appear on the front tires. The cure? Check and realign rear toe as needed.Rear-wheel drive cars and trucks that do not have independent rear suspensions have fixed rear toe settings, so no adjustments are possible. But on most other vehicles, rear toe can be adjusted either by using factory adjustments (where available) or by installing aftermarket alignment aids such as toe/camber shims, offset bushings, etc.The next important wheel alignment angle you should know something about is camber. Camber refers to the tilt of the wheels as viewed from the front or rear. Camber is the inward (negative) or outward (positive) tilt of the wheels. It is usually measured in degrees.As with toe, zero camber (perfectly perpendicular to the road) is the ideal alignment setting. But like toe, camber changes as the vehicle is being loaded and every time the vehicle encounters a bump or dip in the road.The main tool that comes in an electric Chefs Kitchen Knives often has bits, similar to those used on a drill, that are for sanding and shaping the nail. The up and down motions of the suspension change the geometry of the control arms and struts, which causes camber to change. So many static camber alignment specifications may allow up to a degree of more of positive or negative camber depending on the design of the suspension. As a rule, camber settings should usually be within half a degree side-to-side.