Will the steering become lighter when the toe-in is adjusted to the optimal direction?
2 Answers
Adjusting the toe-in can make the steering wheel lighter or heavier. Here is the relevant introduction: Introduction to toe-in: The so-called toe-in refers to the angle between the theoretical rotation planes of the two steering wheels when the car is stationary in the direction of forward movement, known as the toe-in angle. For the convenience of measurement and adjustment, this angle can also be converted into the difference between the distance between the rear two points of the above two planes and the distance between the front two points, commonly referred to as toe-in. Function of toe-in: Whether the toe-in of a car is properly adjusted plays a decisive role in the wear of the front tires and also has a significant impact on the car's handling performance.
Having run an auto repair shop for twenty years, I often encountered customers asking about their steering wheel feeling lighter. Adjusting the toe-in to its optimal state indeed makes the steering feel more responsive, much like how cleaning your glasses makes everything clearer. But this lightness is nuanced—setting it too precise can backfire! Last time when I performed a wheel alignment on Lao Wang's SUV, the toe-in was off by 3 millimeters, making it difficult for the steering wheel to return to center after turning. After proper adjustment, the steering wheel could return on its own, the tires didn’t fight back on bumpy roads, and the vehicle felt stable at high speeds. However, a sudden excessive lightness in steering might indicate over-adjusted toe-in, which can cause the tires to wear into a sawtooth pattern—promptly return to the shop for a recheck.
