I always like to wander "off track".
Getting back on track ... Montana Man, I do think we are thinking the same way, just having a hard time convincing one another. Your example of an axle would work with the correct track, but the likelihood of one side being toed in and the other toed out equally would be rare. Generally on a tube axle concerning incorrect toe, you'll have one side in or out noticeably more than the other. Yes you may have 1/8" toe in in total on a given axle, but one side may be straight on and the other side the entire 1/8" toe in. From my alignment days, that axle will track oddly as you pull over uneven roads and the one toed in side will wear a bit more. On tandem axle setups, owners just don't notice when only one axle is out aside from tire wear because the good axle fights to make the trailer track straight. One other point ... don't try to visualize in your mind toe adjustments between say your steer axle on your truck to a trailer axle as there are no tie rods on a trailer axle nor are both spindles directly connected.
Theunz however will not convince me you'll force a bent axle into alignment with those little plates. Go to a trailer alignment shop and see what kind of chains and hydraulics it takes to bend the axle tubes on 7K on up axles. Likely all that will happen is the axle will pivot on the opposite side adding to the misalignment issue or the equalizer on that side will partially absorb what the plate is trying to do. But I'd guess I'd have to have a video of an alignment machine hooked to that axle to convince. I bid farewell for now as was pointed out ... I've caused this ship to veer way off course.
