Trailing arm adjustment

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BigRay800

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how much tow in  or out do you run in the rear. Car is an 06 suspension unlimited two seat mid engine. The car just don't handle well

 
I like a car that slides and turns well. I have a 2 seat desert dynamics rear engine and run a 1/4" toe out for the rear. I also have a 1/4" toe out for the front end. Car is 118" wheel base. My car is fast and loose in the small to medium dunes. Car can be a little twitchy at higher speeds. 

Describe what you don't like and what you want the car to do better.

 
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For me the Toe out seems twitchy at hid speeds bur very responsive at low speeds,  I tow mine in a little, to do this i pull the tires off and clamp angle iron around 4 feet long to the calipers, I measure off the frame and off each angle iron to get my towin and get the arms even to the frame, 

 
At medium to high speeds the back end want to lead in the corners. You have to work to drive it

 
1/4" to 3/8" on the rear arms. Pull a string line down the center of the chassis and use that as you base measurement. Might be surprised how out of square a chassis can be.

 
So, from my knowledge and experience of alignments, ( and doing many) you never want tow out on your rear alignments. Tow out on the rear wants to drag the vehicle one direction or the other.  Used to do front end alignments, then go drive and wonder where I screwed up. Car didn't drive right. I would go back and set up again and re-do. drive again and scratch my head. (I'm slow) Then realize it was the rear alignment that was the issue and set up to do all 4 wheels. IMO you do not want tow out on the rear, ever. Specially with front wheel drive vehicles. But, rear wheel drive will want to wonder if not close to being centered also. Centered, on rear-wheel-drive, imo, need slight tow in as the force of the drive will push rear wheel to a centered location. So short answer, made long, you want slight tow in on the rear.

 
1/8" toe-in at ride-height is the general consensus with prep guys. Trailing arms typical toe out at droop and in at bump. 

 
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BigRay800 said:
At medium to high speeds the back end want to lead in the corners. You have to work to drive it
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Toe-in will help that.  Start with 1/4" and increase until you like it.  You can also add air pressure up front or drop air in the rear.  

 
J Alper said:
For me the Toe out seems twitchy at hid speeds bur very responsive at low speeds,  I tow mine in a little, to do this i pull the tires off and clamp angle iron around 4 feet long to the calipers, I measure off the frame and off each angle iron to get my towin and get the arms even to the frame, 
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I'm sure you don't clamp the angle iron to your calipers?  you mean spindles.

 
L.R.S. said:
1/4" to 3/8" on the rear arms. Pull a string line down the center of the chassis and use that as you base measurement. Might be surprised how out of square a chassis can be.
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this works better then just doing toe at the front or toe at the rear separately  as LRS mentioned you could have the toe correct in the back but the thrust angle is off.  meaning the rears are not pushing straight ahead, they could be slightly right or left and still show a correct toe!

 
Reece Pettersen said:
1/8" toe-in at ride-height is the general consensus with prep guys. Trailing arms typical toe out at droop and in at bump. 
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I like this too, but remember about the camber too.  in a big wheelie the camber now becomes the toe!

 
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John@Outfront said:
this works better then just doing toe at the front or toe at the rear separately  as LRS mentioned you could have the toe correct in the back but the thrust angle is off.  meaning the rears are not pushing straight ahead, they could be slightly right or left and still show a correct toe!
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Yes LOL, to the rotors, is where i try to clamp them to, Thank you John 

 
John@Outfront said:
this works better then just doing toe at the front or toe at the rear separately  as LRS mentioned you could have the toe correct in the back but the thrust angle is off.  meaning the rears are not pushing straight ahead, they could be slightly right or left and still show a correct toe!
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For this correction just find center line of car and then set toe on each wheel from this point. I use a short length of wire with a hook on one end and a half inch nut for weight on the other. 

 
I think many years ago @L.R.S.advised me to go 5 feet forward of hub to center line then 1/4 to 1/2 max on each side and it's worked perfectly for me. Never wanted to overthink it. I used 3/4 straight tube clamped to rotor and done. Thanks Jefe!

 
Chingon619 said:
I think many years ago @L.R.S.advised me to go 5 feet forward of hub to center line then 1/4 to 1/2 max on each side and it's worked perfectly for me. Never wanted to overthink it. I used 3/4 straight tube clamped to rotor and done. Thanks Jefe!
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That is what i do also about 5 feet,   and   the front plates have a notch for a measuring tape,  someone could use angle iron and put a notch it each one to hold a tape measure that would make it a little easier 

 
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