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Ok, I'm putting on new brakes, and tires. I see stuff on do it yourself alignments. I'm game. How do you adjust stuff? I see guys say they use string, and levels. Camber, caster, and toe in. Sounds easy enough. Any pics? Tips? Thanks.
-------------------- David Posts: 31 | From: Venice, Florida | Registered: Dec 2007
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Professional alignment shops have messed up my alignments so many times that I committed myself to learning how to do it myself. My C5 has never been to an alignment shop since I have had it.
I do it with the strings and tape measures. It takes almost a full day the first time I do a car for the first time. Keep notes on the measurements for future reference and it'll cut your time down significantly when you do it again.
I found an article in "Grass Roots Motorsports" magazine that I studied before I tackled my first alignment. The article is several years old, but if you contact them, they might be able to send you a copy of it.
The hardest part of doing it is trying to run strings parallel to each side of the car equidistant from the cars centerline. After doing several of these, I think the easiest way is to run strings (I use 80 inches) apart on either side of the car using jack stands or concrete blocks to attach the strings to, then I measure from the strings at right angles to the wheel hubs. When the distance from the strings to the left and right front hubs is the same, and the rear meaures same left and right and the strings are still 80 inches apart (you'll be moving the jack stands or blocks around in smaller increments as you get closer and I prefer the blocks as they are more stable), then you have a nearly perfectly parallel box around the car and can start taking measurements from the front and rear of the wheels to the strings.
If you measure the same from the front of the wheel to the string as the rear (we're talking about on the same wheel), then you have zero toe. More distance to the front of the wheel than the back means toe in.
I keep a note pad and take several measurements before I start adjusting. Adjusting is probably the most difficult thing to master, because you're probably lying on your back looking up trying to visualize what you're trying to accomplish at eash wheel based on your notes. I usually make an identifying mark on each tie rod so that I can more easily keep track of how many flats of turns I am making.
Spray eash tie rod with penetrating oil before you start trying to make adjustments since they may be corroded and difficult to turn initially.
Unless your car is way out, you'll be making very small adjustments. One or two flats on the tire rod is typical in my alignments. Remember that as you pull the leading edge of the wheel in or out, the trailing edge is going the opposite direction by an equal amount, so if you are trying to change a toe in condition of 1/8 inch on a wheel to zero toe, you really want to move it 1/16 inch. The tie rod is also about half way from the hub centerline to the outside diamater to the tire, so when I determine how much a wheel is from the desired amount, I divide that number by 4 to get the desired amount of actual adjustment to the tie rod. That is, if I have a wheel that I want to toe out an additional 1/4 inch, I will divide that by four and end up making a 1/16 inch adjustment on the tie rod (which will be one full revolution).
Sound confusing? If you decide you want to try your hand at this, I would start with a good alignment from a shop so that your car is close to square to begin with, then set up the strings and try taking measurements. Your measurements should be pretty much in agreement with the shop supplied print out.
Of course, we've been talking only about toe. I have my car set to maximum negative camber and don't worry about that (except for visually checking the cam bolts and maybe torquing them) nor do I check the castor.
My car has been to the north side of 150 mph a number of times since I have been doing it this way and it tracks straight, but the main reason I torture myself with this is so that I can adjust the handling of my car to suit myself. For my daily drivers, I usually take them to a shop.
Posts: 773 | From: arizona | Registered: Nov 2001
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