In the past I've always got a nice computerized optical 4 wheel alignment done by the local shop.

But now I'd like to make quick changes at home. What are you guys using.

Norval you have mail.

 

kdlp

 

You have two. Eyes! I may be a bit more sensitive to it because I used to do front end and brakes for a living though ...

But first, declare that the ride height is even, not sagging in any corner but especially that the fronts are even. Next with car on level ground stand next to it with drivers window lowered and engine running (if p.steering).

Level the steering wheel, rocking it back and forth an 1/8th of a turn so it's centered. Kneel down by each front wheel and make sure the wheel is not toeing in or out now that the steering wheel is centered. Sometimes one wheel will look good but the other will be noticeably toed in direction or the other. Sometimes you'll see both of them going right or left, meaning that the last alignment person didn't properly center the steering wheel before setting the toe.

Next is camber. Camber is the effect of the TOP of the tire leaning in or out. When top of tire is closer to center of car than the bottom you have negative camber, positive camber means the tire leans out at the top.

These cars handle well with a bit of negative camber in the front and a bit more of it in the rear. Too much negative camber though will wear the inside of the tires, just as will the toe if it is set too far out (front of the tires farther apart than the back of the tires)

Make sure camber is even as possible ... an alignment machine will certainly measure it in degrees - and the eye cannot - and for optimum driving on a crowned roadway you want about 1/4 degree difference in camber between front settings.

Caster is the alignment angle that allows the steering wheel to return to center after you turn a corner. Caster settings though won't be visible to the eyeball unless the car has been wrecked, and you can visibly see one front tire not centered in the wheel well or something like that.

Always set toe, as mentioned earlier, with engine running if the car has power steering. Always make sure you are on level ground. To verify that the car's ride height is level enough to align, make your measurements at the frame near the tires, not the fenders. Especially on a car like a C3 whose body was probably put on by hand not machine.

Hope this helps.

 

Hi

Would it help if you install extension bars to the rims, somehow attached to the rim lips.
Camber could easily be checked out with a bubble gauge .
Toe could be measured against the cars side line .
Caster, well ???

Günther

 

I should have been clearer. I run "Zero" toe in. I run the max caster that I can put in without loosing shims which is just under 4.0 So those things I don't want to change.

I need a tool for Camber. something to attach to wheel rim. I would also like it to have fine enough increments to make .1 degree changes.

I have normally used .62 neg camber on bothe fronts for years. I upped it to .85 negative on the last shop alignment and it feels good. But I noticed that the fronts were starting to ware the insides. Because I have not been to the track and used the turns to ware the tires more even.

 

http://www.advancedracing.com/produc...artcambergauge


David

 

You know. It would probably be easy to make your own. All you would need to get is one of those 180º leveler things, Looks like half a sun dial. (i cant think of the name of it for the life of me.) And just a straight rod with two slides on it to hold it in the tire.

 

I bought these from JC Whitney years ago.The first time I used them I had the local shop check my work and was told it was

 

and i thought the one from JC Whitny was expensive at $50! (i paid $14 in '89)

 

I have a smart level for work and you cant go wrong with anything by them. I got my smart level for 60 bucks at a pawn shop though. hehe

 

I just used an angle finder

 

Following directions and common sense, I use a carpenters 2' level with spacers on one side to measure both caster, camber, and use the 4 jackstands with measurements off wheel centers and fishing mono filament line taught for tape measurements off sidewalls/rims for the trueness of toe in....

guess what???

judging by tire wear, AND performance over the last say 2 years or so....

it's BETTER than most alignment shops....

course I had to build up pads and areas marked on the garage floor to PRECISELY just which wheel had to be raised and by HOW MUCH so to shim them up to absolute level...you use some steel lengths, some time, and some effort and you too can do the same....

BTW, this is not just me, i'ts published around car forums on just exactly what to do....

GENE

 

I use the Manco Toe gauge. Paid $39 for it last fall. Woderfull device. Very easy to use ( well except it reads in 1/32's for some reason

For camber I have a longacre device.Accurate but kinda a pin to use since it wants to connect to the spindle...