Setting the toe,-in

golfbag1999

2010 Precedent PH1035. My right front wheel was noticeably out of alignment, pointing to the right, it wore out the center of two tires. I had the front bushings replaced in March. I put replacement tires on today and followed the directions for setting the toe, thought I had it till I drove it. You can tell something is not right, wants to wander around and there is a terrible shake at higher speed. How do I start over with setting the toe or where should I start?
Thanks in advance for the help.

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BGW

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NoleFan4Ever

Measure from the center line on the back side of your front tires (half way up) and mark those 2 center spots you measured between with chalk or a marker. Now roll it 180 degrees to the front and the 2 marks should be half way up the front. Now measure again. The front measurement should be ~1/8" to 1/4" less than the back measurement as you should be slightly toed in to maintain proper steering control at higher speeds.

WalterM6

That is more than a mis-adjustment. You need to jack up the front end one tire at a time. Then wiggle shake and lift the tire and see where all the looseness is coming from. Probably bushings or tie rod ends.

golfbag1999

Checked the play with one wheel jacked up. When holding the front of the tire there is half to three quarters of an inch of travel, left to right. Most of the movement appears to be around the king pin. Are the king pin bushings difficult to change?

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Fairtax4me

If only the one wheel was way off there's a good chance the spindle is bent on that side. The arm that the tie rod bolts to bends somewhat easily and is usually the cause. Once it's bent you can't get the alignment right even if you adjust the toe angle it will still scrub the tires when turning because the angle of the spindle is off.
Look for cracked paint around the weld of the arm. You're better off to replace both spindles and install new king pins. King pin bushings are bronze and have to be pressed in (very carefully) and then have to be reamed to the proper size so the king pin will fit through them. It's tedious and if you don't have the proper tools it will cost nearly as much in labor to have them done as it will to just replace them.

golfbag1999

Thanks for the info FairTax I'll check it tomorrow.

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WalterM6

I fought with the front end of my precedent for years. In the long run you will be better off if you replace it all with a 4" All Sport A-Arm lift Kit. Probably cheaper to when you start replacing spindles and kingpins.

Aflyer

golfbag1999,
The All Sports A-arm lift is a good upgrade, I have one in my 2013 Precedent and like it allot.
But before you go to a total front end replacement I think more diagnosis of what you have would help to pinpoint the problems.
If the king pin bushing was completely gone, I am not sure it would create 3/4" of play. You may have a different problem, or a combination of worn out parts.
At the very bottom of the spindle, the King Pin bolts to the leaf spring with bushings and a steel sleeve, are these the bushings you had replaced? Are they still there or is this contributing to your 3/4" of play?
You can also check to see if any of the play is coming from the wheel bearings. Also check the ball joints that connect the spindle arms to the steering rack, these could be a source of play or movement. Good luck with diagnosis, and keep asking questions, there are lots of people here to help diagnose your issues.
Aflyer

golfbag1999

Turns out the shaking and shimming in the front end was due to operator error! Stepped back from the cart yesterday and could see that the tires looked like a couple of crab claws. I adjusted the toe until it "looked" right and then drove it a little, everything seemed to be fine. I drove it a couple of miles and again everything was fine. I then set the toe as directed and again everything was fine. I think I had the toe so far off it was sort of crab walking down the street. As for the loose parts, I'll just replace them because there was more play than what I would think there should be.
Thanks for all the input.

NoleFan4Ever

See post #2....

In all seriousness, it cannot get to where you were over night. That takes a long time to wear to that point or as mentioned, severe damage. If to is "out" or off-set, the geometry of the tires are such that they "wander" and float across the road with no resistance. That is why you want the ~1/8" to no more than a 1/4" toed in so the front is evenly applying the same small amount of resistance and allows your steering to be equalized and stable.