Can you DIY - Alignment?

[grdprx]

As the Subject says, can you Do it Yourself?  I being some what mechanically inclined.  Or are special tools needed that don't make it realistically possible?

[FLG]

Id say with some string you can get it close enough to probably drive to the alignment place 

[grdprx]

 

[68X426]

All you will need are these:

[elacruze]

As the Subject says, can you Do it Yourself?  I being some what mechanically inclined.  Or are special tools needed that don't make it realistically possible?

No, you cannot do it without an alignment rack. You have no way to measure caster without it.

Race car guys shoot from the hip, but they measure alignment by lap times, not tire wear and residential streets.

[HPP]

Yes, you can do it at home, but your accuracy depends on your tools though.

In simplest terms, you can do it with a laser pointer and an angle finder. This would get you in the ball park enough to drive it to a shop to have it done more accurately. I'd say this method can get you within +/- 5* of correct.

If you have a caster/camber guage and some form of pivot plate, then you can get it right where you want it. Caster/camber guages can be found for $50 to $200, depending on how fancy you want to get. To get everything square to the rear and do the thrust alignment would be trickier to do at home, but it can still be accomplished.

When I was racing, we set alignments by tire temps. Sure, the first set up was a swag, but after 5 laps, the tires would tell you exactly what the suspension needed to have done. It wasn't just alignment either, but you can also get weight distribution, shocks, and spring rates dialed in with temps as well.

[grdprx]

I kind of figured it wasn't really feasable, since I couldn't find any threads about it.  My front wheels are really tilting inward at the tops...

[tan top]

was going to take the charger into work & use the latest laser wirles computer thingy , but no real need as our type of cars dont have ajustability on the rear ! with the stock set up ,  So
i got one of these

[chargergirl]

Been there done that...there are some things in life that are just worth paying others to do. Take it to the best shop and get it done. The money will be well worth your frustration.

[RallyeMike]

Been there done that...there are some things in life that are just worth paying others to do. Take it to the best shop and get it done. The money will be well worth your frustration.

You said it. Tire life and drive-ability for are worth the money. Get it close at home and have a shop finish it.

When I was racing, we set alignments by tire temps. Sure, the first set up was a swag, but after 5 laps, the tires would tell you exactly what the suspension needed to have done. It wasn't just alignment either, but you can also get weight distribution, shocks, and spring rates dialed in with temps as well.

And if you're short tracking it, it will be knocked out of alignment soon enough! A couple a sticks, a tape measure, and a pyrometer and yer set.

[HPP]

I kind of figured it wasn't really feasable, since I couldn't find any threads about it.  My front wheels are really tilting inward at the tops...

Oh, its certainly feasible. Like most thing though, the right tools make it easier to do. Before you do anything though, you need to get the nose up out of the weeds. The adjustment for the camber (tilting in on the top) is made by moving the eccentric cams out. You can use a bubble level to get them mostly upright at that point.

Also, since you have different than stock height tires on there, I wouldn't bother with factory height and alignment specs, unless your using skinny bias ply tire up front with no power steering. Set the ride height where it looks good with your final tire combination. Then when you take it to the alignment shop, ask for  0 to -.5 * camber, +4-5* caster or as clsoe to that as you can get, with 1/16 toe in.

was going to take the charger into work & use the latest laser wirles computer thingy , but no real need as our type of cars dont have ajustability on the rear ! with the stock set up ,

You can adjust thrust in the rear pretty easily with shims. Camber can be modified too, but requires removing the axle housing and installing in a press. Back in my oval track days we would bend the right side tube up to get -1* of camber in the rear. Does wonderous things for cornering ability, but accellerates wear on axle splines and gear carriers.

[red79]

I kind of figured it wasn't really feasable, since I couldn't find any threads about it.  My front wheels are really tilting inward at the tops...

FYI you might want to check your UCA/LCA bushings for wear, if the rubber is bad the tires tend to tilt in at the top because of the suspension geometry

[flyinlow]

[
Also, since you have different than stock height tires on there, I wouldn't bother with factory height and alignment specs, unless your using skinny bias ply tire up front with no power steering. Set the ride height where it looks good with your final tire combination. Then when you take it to the alignment shop, ask for  0 to -.5 * camber, +4-5* caster or as clsoe to that as you can get, with 1/16 toe in.






I used those numbers and it worked well.

[rp23g7]

You can kind of get it close, i rebuilt my front end, took the measurments before i took it apart, then got it close when i put it back together.  But of course, those were the worn out measurments, so it was close but still messed up, my camber was way off, but i eyeballed the toe and got it close.  But from the alignment specs beofre and after, it was still way off.

[70 500]

the way i look at it, the time i could waste sitting in the garage messing with it i could have made more than what the bill would be just goin to work for those few hours.

[Bobs69]

Been there done that...there are some things in life that are just worth paying others to do. Take it to the best shop and get it done. The money will be well worth your frustration.

I agree.  However I do remember having a magazine article that showed doing it at home.........involved using 2X4's.  I'll try and find it for conversation purposes.

[375instroke]

Not hard.  All you need is a carpenter's square, machinists 6" scale or equivalent, and a tape measure.  I've posted how I do it before.  I should take pictures.  It's really easy, and even caster can be measured with just these tools.  A 6" scale is all that I need to align $60,000,000 aircraft.  It's good enough for a car.