As a mechanic by trade a lot of things overflow to atvs that are done on vehicles. One is wandering. Now this can be caused by loose or bent parts, oversize or bad tires or coould be a simple adjustment required. We all hit things, rocks, trees whatever and it does not take much to change the way a bike steers or rides. The following is simple to do, not much required to accomplish and can drastically improve your ride as well as save your tires...


Front Wheel Toe-in Inspection and Adjustment

The front wheel toe-in adjustment should be checked at the interval indicated in the ATV Maintenance Interval Chart.
1.Inflate the front tires to the recommended pressure.

2. Place the ATV on level ground and set the parking brake. Block the rear wheels so the vehicle will not roll in either direction.

3. Place wood blocks under the frame so the front wheels are off the ground.

4. Turn the handlebar so the wheels are at the straight ahead position.

5. Hold a scribe, white crayon or white tire marker against the center of the front tire and spin the wheel slowly. (you are trying to create a center line around the tire). Make sure the line is visible at both the front and rear of the tire. Repeat for the other front tire.

6. Carefully measure the distance between the front dimension and then measure the rear dimension between the centerlines. The differen ce between your measurements is the toe-in. The desired measurement is 1/8" to 1/2" shorter at front tire measurement (TOE-IN). This amount of toe-in is necessary for proper steering. Too much toe-in can cause excessive tire wear and hard steering. Too little toe-in will allow the front end to wander.

7. If the toe-in is incorrect, perform the following:
a. Loosen the locknuts securing each tie rod end and slowly rotate one or both tie rods until the dimensions are correct. Recheck each measurement after adjustment. Turn the tie rods only a small amount each time. It takes very little adjustment of the tie rod to move each tire a large amount.
c. When the adjustments are correct, hold each tie rod in place and tighten the locknuts securing each tie rod end to the following torque specifications. (18-30 ft.-lb.)

Does not take long but as stated could make your ride more enjoyable.