Any good links or tips?
Want to replace the A arms with a set I have that got poly bushings and Moog balljoints
Probably getting in over my head but is there a simplistic approach to getting it pretty close?

Only place around that does a 4 wheel alignment is the dealer who wants 250. If I screw up Ill go that route
Havent bothered with it now as the tires are hard, old and probably contribute to its funkyness on rough roads

 

Search youtube, I think I saw some videos on there about front end alignments.

 

Hi
from my experience doing home wheel alignments, to prevent multiple re adjustments afterwards. Turning plates that fit under the tire or vehicle positioning jacks that lift the tire slightly, are the best way to do the alignment.

Any adjustment of toe the wheel needs to turn slightly left or right, if its on the ground the flex in bushes will give you a false reading. Having the front tires on a pivot plate or two vehicle positioning jacks, will allow you to set the toe accurately. Otherwise you will be chasing the alignment finding a difference each time after rolling the car back and forward after adjustments.

Two pieces of sturdy angle iron is what I use, strap it to the wheel near hub and use a jack stand to hold the end sticking out past the bumper so the iron is sitting on the tires evenly. They should stick out a a few feet from bumper, measure close to bumper from angle iron to angle iron and adjust to get the correct toe in via tape measure.
A mold wheels make it easy to use a magnetic caster camber gauge that attaches to the disc, however you can use a piece of metal or wood that fits within the rim outer lips. To adjust your camber, however you will need someone to hold that.
while you set the caster and camber with shims.

Its a trail and error thing knowing how thick a shim to use, but is quite straight forward that a bit of practice you will become really good at .

No one will be more precise than the owner if the car to get it just right, lazy alignment techs will mostly do a toe adjustment and take your money.

However you pay for a front and rear alignment, that will include correcting caster and camber.
make sure you get a before and after specs, if it takes five or 10 minutes they are ripping you off.
it takes time to put mirrors on the wheels, jounce the car to settle suspension and check caster camber before adjusting toe.

I do like the alignment places that have rollers at floor level you drive on, way more precise as long as the tech is experienced and knows what he is doing.

The shim adjustment is quiete easy, no need to jack the car up. Just loosen the two bolts and use a pry bar to give access to add remove shims, then tighten the bolts. Roll car back and forward ( unless using turn plates or vehicle positioning jacks that will allow tire movement)

Is quite easy with a bit of trail and error, to judge what thickness of thim to add or remove.

Good luck

 

I am just finishing a full bushing install on my 96. If you car is aligned right now or pretty close you just have to put it back the same way it was and you will be close enough to see if you need an alignment or not.

You are going back with the same A arms just new bushings in the replacements?

Before you start take lots of pics of everything. Take pics of the shims on the upper arm. Take pics of the sway bar mount and how it sits when the car is at normal ride height. Take pics of all of it.

I would highly recommend you go ahead and do the tie rod ends as well since you will have it apart. When you get ready to remove the current tie rod ends you measure from a mark or fixed point on the rod itself to the CENTER of the existing tie rod end and write this down. Then mark the new tie rod end across the center when looking down from the top. It will most likely have a grease fitting on it so finding center would be easy. Screw on the new tie rod end until the measurement matches the old one. Install snug.

Install bottom A arm and torque as normal.

When you remove the upper A arm note the shims that are currently in place remove them as a group and set aside. Do this for each one of the 4 posts that there are shims mounted on. Also note the direction that the washer is mounted on the upper A arm. When you install the new ones go back with the same shim setup that was there.

You should be close enough putting everything back how it was to find out how much of an alignment you will need. You most likely will need one with the new bushings.

I really like the write up above about doing your own alignment. I may give it a try myself, hell I have done everything else to this car including painting it in my backyard. Thank you for writing that post.

 

Sure it needs tie rod ends, Napa stuff good enough?
I bought some A arms from a member who had the bushings/ball joints put in so its a quick swap;theres a couple tiny bushings on these where can I get those
Ill take some measurements with the shims and go from there....biggest problem is giving into project creep without the funds to back it up.

 

I would think those tie rods would work fine. Not sure what the tiny bushings are you are talking about. Need a pic.

 

Id have to dig them up...tie rods will get done why skip it if its all apart?
Nothing feels better than a freshened up suspension.

 

These are the tools that work for me...

 

I don't have the equipment and they do. Whatever time they take, I will spend many times that to get it done right. So why bother? Supervise. Watch them and make sure they show you what it is after it gets hooked up and what it is after it is aligned BEFORE it gets taken off. I just did that with my Excursion and got good results. Did the same thing with the C4 a few years ago when the bushings were replaced. Same thing. 2 other cars. See above. If they don't agree, to me doing that, I just say "Thanks for your time. If I need you, I'll call.".

 

Is that toe gauge available anywhere? Id like to buy one