Toe Adjustment on Tracker

[sina27]

Hello,

Trying to adjust toe / alignment on my 96 tracker, 2WD manual.

I'm having a lot of trouble loosening the locknuts on the tie rod / tie rod ends.
Without these locknuts loosened, I'm unable to adjust the tie rod connector sleeve.
Unfortunately, I only have 2 spanner wrenches that are large enough for the locknuts. Even with the wheel removed, no amount of force I use am I able to loosen the locknuts. I sprayed with WD40 and still unable.
Any advise on how I can loosen the locknuts so I can adjust the toe?

Also - for adjustment, is it okay if the toe is adjusted with the front end off the ground? Or should i make sure the car is down on the suspension before I adjust the tie rod connector sleeve?

Thank You
Sina

[fixkick]

only heating them up might un freeze them. (a torch "propane")
as far setting tow on/off the ground does not matter, after all if the toe did change dynamically the car would be totally unsafe to drive.
(going straight ;there is no bounce TOE changes,) but turning OH BOY. yes.
but steering wheel straight is first.
chapter 3A covers this. (the steer box pitman arm shows a pair of marks for wheels really forward, if steering wheel is planted wrong the arm never lies !)
best is to check toe with wheels on, and first making sure the rim of wheel is not bent , spin the wheel and make sure bearings in wheel hubs not bad and loose, over 0.002" play is wrong.
then using toe guage that lands on both rims 1/2 way from bottom measure tow. (front of rim and then rear) this tells you where it is.
and most be adjusted on both ends, so the amount of toe is same left and right. side (1/2 on both)
as you can see the GM book sucks on toe, and uses degree gauge. ( - 0.32degrees toe-in is ideal) i bet the suzuki book is far batter but is rare to find.
https://web.archive.org/web/201011190830...3a-pdf.htm

[fixkick]

if measuring distance for toe, all different wheel sizes would be different so that is why they spec angle in degrees
but distance can be learned if rims (wheels) are stock,
set it with degrees first, then check distances at 180 and 360 degrees (0 is bottom of tire)
the distance is now known, at .32deg toe-in.
some car books spec inches, toe, for only stock wheel.s , but I dont have it. sorry.

[fixkick]

there are jam nuts there, see that? those are first. off.
make sure no left hand threads there, seen on some cars, but I use my thumb nail on the thread
there and move it CW on the tread there and if nail moves inward that is a right hand thread, some just look at it, but Id need glasses to do that and a powerful light. LOL
if not it's left hand jam nut.

the reason they do that is so if say road debris (say off road tree branches ) hit the nuts on the bottom they dont go loose. so left nut may be left hand thread. IDK but look.
same is true on axle nuts on some cars , not all but many.
always look at threads of all things that spin, for left and right hand threads. (not saying this is, )