Toe In
Introduction
Toe in is an often configurable setting of a cars wheel alignment. The front steering wheels can be set to point away (toe-out), toward (toe-in) or parallel (zero toe) to each other. Production vehicles will typically have some toe-in, as it encourages the vehicle to drive in a straight line and provides straight-line stability; race cars will typically have zero toe or toe-out, as it encourages quicker steering response while sacrificing straight-line stability. Both toe-in and toe-out will increase rolling resistance, as the tires will "scrub" even when driving in a straight line. Therefore, the most efficient configuration is zero toe, when the steering wheels are parallel to each other; however this will sacrifice the straight-line stability of the vehicle.
Contents
Instructions for mod
Consult your workshop manual for specific directions
Most cars will have a steering arrangement as shown in the picture to the side. The steering rack tie rod ends screw into a bracket at the back of both wheels that steer. Rotating the tie end will increase or decrease the overall distance between the 2 ends of the steering rack. As the steering bracket on each wheel is set a distance behind the centre of the wheels increasing or decreasing the overall steering rack distance will set the toe in of the wheels.
User experiences
Please enter your user name and any relevant data in the table
| User Name | Car Make, Model, Year | Cost of Mod | Time to Perform Mod | MPG Before Mod | MPG After Mod | MPG improvement guess | Instruction Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| External Tester | Honda Insight 2000 | $0 | 1 Hour | 63.2 | 68.6 | 8.54% from 1/8 inch toe in to 0 toe in | 2000 Honda Insight - Long-Term Road Test - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver |
Problems / Consequences of mod
- Twitchy steering control
- Decreased straight line stability
- No more driving while eating breakfast and talking on hand-held cell phone
