Can I get front alignment now, rear later?
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Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: San Jose CA
Can I get front alignment now, rear later?
I installed the new front springs and need a front alignment. Can I get the rear done later? I am switching to a composite spring when $$ allows.
-Steve
-Steve
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 511
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From: St. Louis MO
Re: Can I get front alignment now, rear later? (Pacin'California)
Most wheel alignment machines now put sensors on all four wheels to check the alignment of the car. On a solid axle car you can't adjust the rear so its called a two wheel alignment, on indpent rear cars you must first align the rear of the car with the center of the car and then you adjust the front. So if you do just have them adjust the front, when they go to adjust the rear they will have to redo the front toe according to where the rear had to be set to get it in line so the car tracks straight. SO they may end up charging you for a four wheel alignment when you do the rear end alignment only, and that's just becuase they had to adjust the toe. The camber and caster on the front should stay the same between the two alignemts but the cast could change slightly depending on how much you change the overall height of the rear end.
So its a yes and no, just depends on how much you want to spend on the second alignment.
Your next best thing would be to set the toe yourself and let the camber/caster slide until you can align the entire car. All you need to do to set the toe is line up four stools two on each side of the car and tie a string to the stools on each side. Fine a good refrence point on the frame to measure out to the string and get the string straight front to rear on both sides useing these refrence points. make sure the string is about 6 inches of less from the wheels on the car. Once the string is set you can measure to the front and rear bead lip of the wheel to measure toe. You'll need to calculate what the toe measurements should be the difference between your two measurements will give you the toe angle for that side. Just adjust your tie rods and your set.
hope this helps
So its a yes and no, just depends on how much you want to spend on the second alignment.
Your next best thing would be to set the toe yourself and let the camber/caster slide until you can align the entire car. All you need to do to set the toe is line up four stools two on each side of the car and tie a string to the stools on each side. Fine a good refrence point on the frame to measure out to the string and get the string straight front to rear on both sides useing these refrence points. make sure the string is about 6 inches of less from the wheels on the car. Once the string is set you can measure to the front and rear bead lip of the wheel to measure toe. You'll need to calculate what the toe measurements should be the difference between your two measurements will give you the toe angle for that side. Just adjust your tie rods and your set.
hope this helps
