Wheel Alignment Gauges

[dodge freak]

Took my control arms off this weekend and had my auto part store install new bushings and ball joints, now all I have to do is set the camber/caster and toe. Yes the repairs shops could do it but would rather spend a little more and do myself so I know its done right and can recheck it when I feel like it. Does anybody know some good gauges that would be good for a DYS. SPC performance has one Summit wants $150 for it w/o toe gauge, has anybody used this or know a good one. I have done alignments before when I work in a shop but that was with those $10,000 units that I don't have room for let alone the $10,000.

[TylerCharger69]

Front end alignment should be done on an alignment rack.   You can get close doing it yourself, but it won't be perfect

[Chryco Psycho]

 I used a digital 24" level & a tape measure & have done better alignments than  $10.000 machines
basically max the castor tip the upper ball joint as far back as possible  , adjust the upper control arm to get 1/2* negative camber , this will compromise the castor somewhat , then set you toe in with a tape measure somewhere between 1/8 & 1/4 depending on tire width & speed you tend to travel at

[dodge freak]

Well I am sure those $10,000 units can do a good job, just the Techs working on them don't care. #1 its not their car #2 they are hungover or doped  up. Sorry but after working at a few shops thats all I can say. Look at Summit again they have a few different ones and even a digital one for $335. thats too much , going to Lowe's and look around. I have a long bar I got from Eastwood for toe. Let you know how it works out. I have driven it and it seems fine, no pulling but its has to be off a little bit.

[hemihead]

Or # 3 - they don't know what they are doing. 

[Chryco Psycho]

or they are too young to have ever worked on a torsion bar car & have no idea how to set them up or what specs to use
I set up Daves car last year & we drove it 150 miles & it worked perfectly but Dave wanted to be Sure the alignment was right & took iti n to be Professionally alinged & it was far worse after ... I had to reset it 

[TylerCharger69]

well...i know that the newer dodge trucks  nowdays still use torsion bars....a bit fatter,  but they are there!!!

[HeavyFuel]

I used a digital 24" level & a tape measure & have done better alignments than  $10.000 machines
basically max the castor tip the upper ball joint as far back as possible  , adjust the upper control arm to get 1/2* negative camber , this will compromise the castor somewhat , then set you toe in with a tape measure somewhere between 1/8 & 1/4 depending on tire width & speed you tend to travel at

I used this method last night.....and have a question.

First I put the front tires (225/70 14) on level floor by putting a few thin layers of plexiglass under the tires (needed four on one side and two on the other).

Then I set the ride height.  No problem there.  I went with close to stock....about 1 3/4 inches difference in the two dimensions mentioned in the FSM.

I had previously maxed the caster by having the cam bolts in the UCA set totally outboard for the forward bolt and totally inboard for the rear bolt.  Asd it turned out, the right side was pretty close to neutral camber....the left side was really positive.

So, in order to keep as much caster as possible, I move the front cam bolt on right side just to tish to make it just a hair on the positive side, per FSM.  The left side cam bolts had to get adjusted almost to the complete inboard side in order to get it to just a bit positive.  So in effect....the right side still has most of the caster, and the left side had it all taken out, since now the front and rear cam bolts are both inboard on that side.

(I put silicon spray between the plexiglass sheets, and that allowed the tires to slip to the new adjusted position each time I lowered that car after an adjustment.  All I had to do is wiggle the car back and forth a little suspension would slip into position)

So now to the question:  Is the deference in caster from side to side that big of a deal, and if it is how do I fix that?

Power steering car.

Thanks.