Toe-Out
A wheel alignment condition where the front edges of the tires point outward away from each other.
Toe-out is a wheel alignment setting where the front edges of the wheels point slightly outward away from the vehicle's centerline, when viewed from above. It is the automotive equivalent of being splay-footed, and a small degree of static toe-out is common on front-wheel-drive (FWD) vehicles.
In FWD vehicles, the engine's drive torque pulls the front wheels inward as they pull the vehicle forward. Setting slight static toe-out allows the wheels to pull straight (zero toe) under acceleration, maximizing traction. In performance applications, slight toe-out is sometimes used on the front axle to improve steering responsiveness and turn-in agility.
Excessive toe-out causes the tires to scrub sideways, leading to rapid wear on the inner edges of the tread and a darty, unstable steering feel at high speeds. Toe is adjusted on an alignment rack by loosening lock nuts and rotating the tie rod adjustment sleeves. Technicians verify that the steering wheel is centered before locked-down adjustments are finalized.