Tech Tip: FIAT 500 Rear Axle Alignment

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Tech Tip: FIAT 500 Rear Axle Alignment

Andrew Markel
By Andrew Markel
Andrew Markel is the director of content for Brake & Front End magazine. He has been with Babcox Media for 20 years. He is a technician and former service writer and holds several automotive certifications from ASE and ­aftermarket manufacturers. He can be reached at [email protected].
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Rear axle alignment shims are available in a kit containing two shims and replacement spindle mounting bolts. The front shim is used to correct an out of specification toe-in condition, and the rear shim is used to correct an out of specification toe-out condition.

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Only one of these shims, front or rear, will be used in the process of an alignment. The unused shim will be discarded.

Before ordering the Axle Alignment Shim Kit, first attempt to correct the toe condition by adjusting the alignment thrust angle until a zero thrust angle is achieved. (Refer to the service information.)

If the toe angle is still out of specification after adjusting the thrust angle, use the axle alignment shim to correct the out of specification toe condition. The shim will provide approximately ¼ degree of toe correction.

Do not use more than one shim kit per axle side and do not stack shims.

CAUTION: Do NOT completely remove more than one spindle bolt at a time to prevent the spindle and wheel assembly from rotating or coming off the vehicle, since damage to the brake hose may occur.

Loosen, but do not remove, all four spindle bolts on the side of the rear axle requiring the alignment shim.

NOTE: Front shim is larger and has a square cutout area in the center to clear the wheel speed sensor. To correct an out of specification toe-in condition, insert the front shim between the rear axle and the spindle as shown above.

To correct an out of specification toe-out condition, remove only the lower rear spindle bolt for shim clearance, then insert the rear shim between the rear axle and the spindle.

CAUTION: Do not completely remove more than one spindle bolt at a time to prevent the spindle and wheel assembly from rotating or coming off the vehicle because damage to the brake hose may occur.

NOTE: The spindle bolts have adhesive on the threads and are required to be replaced with new bolts every time they are removed. The replacement spindle mounting bolts are included in the shim kit.

Replace all four spindle bolts one at a time with the new spindle bolts included in the shim kit.

Tighten the NEW spindle bolts to 125 N·m (92 ft./lbs.). If the thrust angle adjustment combined with a maximum of one shim per axle side did not provide the desired amount of toe correction, then a rear axle replacement will be necessary.

Courtesy of AllData 

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Andrew Markel
By Andrew Markel
Andrew Markel is the director of content for Brake & Front End magazine. He has been with Babcox Media for 20 years. He is a technician and former service writer and holds several automotive certifications from ASE and ­aftermarket manufacturers. He can be reached at [email protected].
Published:

How can a mysterious case of tire wear occur in a perfectly aligned vehicle? It happens and the answers aren’t always simple. To better explain, let’s go back a few decades when I aligned a 1983 Mitsubishi RWD pickup, only to have it return a month later with a tire scuffing complaint. Although the outside edge of the right front tire showed evidence of toe-related wear, the current toe angle was 0.100 inches, which is within the Mitsubishi’s +0.080” to +0.350“ specification.

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