Toe Plates Wheel Alignment Tool - Most Accurate Toe Plates on the Market - Made in USA

I bought this product after trying (and failing) to do a "string alignment" to fix my car's toe. Yes, these are a bit more pricey than some other units, but they were the only ones I could find with the standoffs, allowing you to measure from the rim. The repeatability is great. I measured total toe, broke the unit down, switched the tape, set it back up, and measured toe again. Doing this twice gave me the exact same measurement each time, adding to my confidence in this product. The tape measures are quite accurate, and agree with each other down to the lowest marking of 1/32.'' The plastic standoff screws are a necessary evil. They serve as a fail-safe, ensuring that if you drop the toe plates, the standoff will not damage the plate, but will instead break at the easily replaceable plastic screw. The plastic thumb screws are a bit difficult to thread into the standoffs without binding, which can be mildly frustrating. If you have a front wheel drive car where the only adjustable alignment setting is front toe, then these are a great purchase. For less than the cost of an alignment, I can now do my own in about 15 minutes any time I need. This saves money as well as time spent waiting at the alignment shop.

I bought these as twice now I've gotten bad toe alignments (steering wheel off) from alignment shops with the fancy equipment. Clearly fancy equipment doesn't =a precise alignment due to operator error so I haven't much faith in alignment shops being able to consistently align my cars. I just used these after replacing tie rod ends and was happy with the results. Easy to use, one man operation, sturdy build and even a nice finish on the metal. I suppose you could make something like this and maybe they're a bit pricey but heck they pay for themselves in one use if all you need is total toe alignment. With a little care I think you can get a pretty accurate alignment out of them. If you're not confident in your measurement- just roll the car a bit and measure again. I also think the peg on the rim system that these have could be more accurate than resting the plates on the tires. The conversion chart is also a nice time saving touch as you'd probably be looking that info up and forgetting the numbers without it. I look forward to now avoiding pricey alignment shops as much and as possible and being a happy user of these for many years. BTW the company has a couple brief youtube instruction videos- if you're not sure watch them before buying.

First of all I want to say that this thing is very clever and works great. I really like it and feel that it is more accurate than other methods I have used to measure toe-in / toe-out. Having said that, the small hardware pieces that came with it are unsatisfactory. There are eight little plastic 10-32 thumb knobs that are way too delicate for an automotive tool. Second, the threads in the small metal stand-offs were not cut correctly so the thumb screws would not screw in without damaging the delicate plastic threads. Third, washers should be added to help stabilize and align the stand-offs. The good news is that all of this is easy to solve with a trip to your local hardware store. (The hardware store had sturdy metal thumb knobs and better stand-offs). Bad news is that the tool should have been supplied with improved small hardware. This is an update. I have used this tool many times now and have a few additional comments. As others have noted, you need to have a helper hold the far-side plate steady when you are taking a reading as it is very hard to get a consistent reading if you are trying to do it by yourself. Also, you need to do this on a pretty smooth, flat surface. Otherwise, my original review is still valid.

If you need to do a toe alignment these work well and are very accurate for setting total toe. The plates are nice and flat and sit well against the rim. Very good quality.

Apparently these were designed for small cars with small tires and wheels. I tried these on my 1993 Chevy K-3500, 265/75R-16's, and the stand offs barely touch the wheel. When I used a 2x4 under them they fit better, but then the tape measurers touched the tires. Same problem on my 2000 Blazer, 235/75R-15's. I was going to send them back, but I waited too long. Maybe I'll find something they'll work on at some point. They look like they will probably work well with a shorter tire, but if you have a vehicle with larger tires, you will need something else.

A little fiddlier to use than in the videos, helps to prop something heavy against the far plate to keep it from shifting. Having said that, still very easy to use. The stand-offs register the plate to the wheel rim rather than to the bumpier tire, plus with some care in positioning them they make it easier to center the plate on the tire. Both contribute to accuracy and repeatability. The attached chart makes converting your reading to degrees super easy. I felt the need to run a deburring wheel around the edges, most won't be so picky. I bought these with the separate 1100p caster/camber gauge; if doing over would consider the all-in one plate set. With the 1100p it's easier to be precise because it has three contact points so you don't have to worry about holding the tool perpendicular to the rim, but it's also more $$ and another bulky tool to store. Both versions have the built-in wheel-angle indicator, which is dead simple to use and makes the caster measurement surprisingly easy to take.

They work but make sure you have a flat surface and your rim lip isn't dented where the standoffs will contact. I was skeptical of these plates so I confirmed with a string alignment and the reading was accurate. If you have a rocky surface (like I have rocky asphalt in the pic) it can throw off the measurements. Both plates must contact the ground fully so they can't pivot or otherwise move. On asphalt it's harder than it sounds, you may have to reposition the car. Their video shows rubber feet on either side and that may help. I don't know if those came with mine. If your rim has dents where the standoffs will contact (my metal rims have dents everywhere balance weights used to be) you must reposition the car until that is no longer the case. All standoffs must contact a true part of the rim lip that is not bent. Triple check your measurements by going back and forth from one plate to the other to make sure they are still secured and in the right position. Once it happened that I pulled the tape measure through but the metal end rivet got caught on the plate. You want to make sure everything is right when you take the measurements. After I received these plates I was concerned because there was a slight gap when I held them back to back. It turns out there is a gap on both sides that is equal as part of the manufacturing process, according to the seller. I confirmed this. Also I put the standoffs on and put them back to back clamped in the center (lightly so as not to distort) and also had uniform measurements on both sides. Refer to picture. The nylon nuts suck and are easy to cross thread. They give you a few extra.

Wish I bought these sooner. They can truly be used as a one-person operation as well, which is convenient. I've been able to successfully set toe on multiple cars using these. Great design!!!

I was skeptical that these could work as advertised but I have used them on 3 different vehicles now and they are amazing. It is hard to believe that something so simple could produce such great and repeatable results. It is so nice not having to be at the mercy of a dealership or alignment shop, I can now dial in the toe just the way I like it. Awesome product even though pricey for what it is.