Tow dolly alignment (fixed frame)
Hello everyone, New to the forum here. Just purchased a used tow dolly (can't tell the brand or if it was home made). I have rented and used some before, but first time I buy one. The issue is that...
Forum Discussion
ldestrada5 wrote:
HI did a rough measurement of the front and back of the tires and it seems to be toe out by about an inch.
If you can get the trailer up in the air with jack stands you can make a simple alignment measuring tool as follows:
1) get wheels off the ground so you can spin them - but close to the ground.
2) Put a nail through a 2x4 board or plywood - something you can hold steady with your foot.
3) slide the board into the tire with the nail facing up so that the nail point will dig in just a little. You may need to bend the nail a little to get the point in a good spot.
4) Step on the board to keep it from moving.
5) Spin the tire. You need to spin it so it does not dig into the nail head. You don't need much pressure for the nail to leave a line on the tire.
6) There should be a very fine line in the tire left by the nail head.
7) Repeat for the other side.
Now - at the height of the hub, measure the distance between the two scribed lines. It's important to try to measure at the same height off the ground front and back/side to side.
If you can't get both wheels up off the ground easily, you can do the scribing one side at a time and then measure on the ground.
This should get you to within 1/16" when measuring.
