Home alignment tips/steps

My first post! I have downloaded some interesting tech stuff and lurking.

I am somewhere between too cheap and too untrusting to get another alignment. It seems no matter which car or which shop the results are always sketchy. Either tire wear gets worse and/or the handling gets worse.

I am also inherently curious about the goings on at the contact patch.

Can someone share their home alignment techniques and tools? I change parts or the combination and then pay $150 - $200 for an alignment I do not like or trust the results.

Thanks for your help

Welcome to the motley crew Mark,

One of my little minor accomplishments over the last few years has to be doing my own home alignments, and correctly too, with wear patterns on large tires, and handling and tracking.....this all brought on here upon my move to Florida 11 years ago, and loosing my olde tyme alignment shop up north, who could align anything.....:harhar:

so to do the job correctly, you need go to what I hope are some sites still up, and so....

www.vettenet.org/align.html


www.vtr.org/maintain/diy-alignment.shtml


now if those don't come up, I can scan the docs and send to you or maybe I should just publish on this site.....

they essentially spell out the necessary steps for DIY home alignment....

you can wind up with better results via a 2' carpenter's level and some screws so it rests on the rims directly and I used some 1.5 inch square steel tube layed out on the floor to the majic markered places of tire patch so to determine the lo spots and by how much.....I used some formica covered plywood from a old cabinet, with greased beer cartons under the wheels, slick enough for me to turn the wheels via the tires with the steering wheel unlocked....slick enough to relax the suspension with just a body bounce....

:trumpet:

What he said..... "MRVETTE"

I agree, same story here. You can do a much better job yourself than a shop "will" do. They have the fancy equipment to do a bang up job, but most don't know how to use it or take the time necessary to do a perfect job.
Plan on spending at least a half day the first time you dial your car in. The rear might take longer... but once the rear is right, it doesn't usually move for any reason other than wear (assuming it is street driven). The front is much easier to adjust but harder to get it just right.. caster, camber, toe. Toe is usually where tires get trashed. You can't always feel it when toe is out of norm, but caster or camber screwed up will let you know pretty quick.

I just went to the VTR Vintage Triumph Register site, and sure enough you go vehicle maintenance handbook, scroll down to SUSPENSION and DIY alignment.....

damn fine information....










Chris Teague's information there seems fine....

but should be some 3 pages worth....

:thumbs:

I purchased the fast track alignment equipment from Eastwoods,cost about $240,it is self leveling,mounts to the wheel,does caster,camber ,toe in ,and is simple to use.set up takes about 10 mins,comes with very good and detailed instructions.
After rebuilding my ft end over the winter i aligned it once and and have had no problems.

Here is a link to it.
http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/...UCT&iMainCat=608&iSubCat=617&iProductID=16616

Thanks for the links. I now have a good excuse to buy a digital level from Sears. The price has been coming down and it will cost less than the alignment. I can see how you could spend a day doing this the first time. Once I mark the chassis for center the investment is made to go quicker the next time.

Thanks again and I'll post anything I learn above what people have mentioned.

I want everything straigh before I start moving the rear trailing arm bolts up in the frame to limit squat if possible but that is another thread....

I pulled the car into the garage, and Majic markered the tire patches on the floor...then measured with bob weights on front center and rear center of the frame......then chaulk lined the floor, measured to the tire centerlines, and knew everyone was happy....that is the ONLY time I ever referanced the car centerline....

after that, I knew the rear is 3/8 inch per side narrower on the rear wheel centerline than the front...do to set the fishing line 3/8 inch further away from the wheels in rear than front....this to the wheel centers....when the front of the car is level side/side I stick the 2' level with screws in the edge (obviously adjusted for depth to be dead nutz on) of the tire flange, and then use the tables posted to get the degrees crap.... toe and such is off the jackstands with the monofill fishing line strund snug dead center vertically, measure front and rear very carefully and adjust the tie rods....PIA with the car on the ground....but really yes, those alignment tools can be ok....but without referance to the REAR wheels, you have NO WAY to make sure the car tracks square down the road....ever see one crabbing really badly?? that's it....shitty alignment, OR a bent frame....

to adjust for caster, you need the rear to be level side/side and with the front also--fore/aft......just like on the racks....this way you just turn the wheels and measure as if it's camber...only now it's caster......

besides my system as suggested by others also costs about nothing....

cheeep uber alles....

:shocking: