Hi,

I am a stickler when it comes to wheel alignment and feel the difference whilst driving if it is off.

I realise that I am spending quite a bit on wheel alignment (125$ a pop) to have the wheels set at toe=0 and camber=-.5

I think I have had the alignment done at least 5 if not 6 times in the past two years. After the snow driving I have to take back again as I hit a snow bank and think the rear right is off.

So, I am pondering doing it myself. The issue would be getting tools and cost of tools to get a setting where I don't bitch.

Google returns this:

Camber tool: 435$ http://www.advantagewheelalignment.c...ber_gauge.html

Toe tool: 975$
http://www.advantagewheelalignment.c...Alignment.html

Pretty steep price and I don't know if it is worth it in terms of achievable accuracy.

Hunter is out of my reach for sure, I was considering getting a second hand hunter setup, if I could. But wasn't sure of the quality/reliability.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

a++ Cedric

 

First, I support doing it yourself.

Second, if you do the research zero toe is not ideal. What happens is if you set the static toe to 1/8", when the wheels are rolling there is drag which compresses the a-arm bushing and bring it close to zero. So if you have it now at zero, it will actually end up toe out when it's rolling. Also, the car will wander around more especially on rutted roads.

The factory setting are pretty good for all around street.

I use a couple of pipes on jack stands with fishing lines stretched between them. The measure to the wheel. I can get accuracy to less than 1/64" on toe.

 

125?!@?@! I get mine for 60$ at sears.... you must "know someone" hahaha

 

Yeah, but the question is how good is the alignment at 60$?

If it's within factory specs, that's a bit large ...

a++ Cedric

 

So what are the factory settings? My experience is that factory is pretty much about anything within spec.

a++ Cedric

 

[QUOTE=Fluffy13;1572884162]So what are the factory settings? My experience is that factory is pretty much about anything within spec.

a++ Cedric[/QUOTE

Factory recommended settings.

 

hi,

You mean this?



It still remains extremly broad if you ask me, unless you are referring to the median values?

Also, it appears to me that factory spec is toe out (total toe 0.1) and not toe in as you hinted in your post, hence my confusion.

Would you mind clarifying things for me, because I'm a bit befuddled here.

Thanks,

Cedric

 

You should be able to get toe plates for $50 including a couple of tape measures (PRC 82015). I bought my plates off from EBay. A Sears Laser Level for $65 is all you need to set thrust angle and a magnetic camber gauge should run you some where between $90 and $150 (Longacre, Rebco, etc). Just make sure you get a gauge that fits through the wheel center and fastens onto the hub. The camber gauge is used when you initially set the camber and caster on a level surface but once out in the field you can use the Sears Level to make relative camber changes so you can change things back and forth during the day. Racer Wholesale will give you a 10% discount if you access their web site from Yahoo.

To set up a level spot in your garage you will need a 6 ft long level. Mark four spots where you want the tires to be when you are working on the car, then use two small sockets of the same size and make to set the level across the front tire locations and see how much you need to bring up one or the other spots to level. I used 1/8 inch asphalt floor tile and put one at each tire location to start. I finished with 3 stacked at the left front, 1 at the right front, 2 at the left rear and 1 at the right rear. The car has to be level from side to side not front to back. Now use a spray can to paint around the tile locations so you know where to place them when you want to do an alignment.

You are now ready to do your own alignments. First thing you will find is you probably were wasting your money getting so many alignments. They just don't change that much unless the tech didn't tighten the lower control arm cams properly when they were finally set. Other than that there isn't much on the road that can affect the alignment. If you hit something hard enough to change the alignment you probably have other issues as well.

Bill

 

Actually their is another part of the spec you are not showing and that is the Service Preferred settings. In your chart they are the settings without the tolerances. For street driving it doesn't really make much of a difference although toe in Vs 0 or toe out at the front wheels will reduce wander due to run flat/wide tires.

Bill

 

Hi,

Thanks for your response

Well, over here I have the magnificient pothole roads of Manhatten and Jersey City. There are times when I can go through long periods of none alignment and times when I do it often.

As you are upstate, you probably don't have the corrupt, incompetent and power hungry people that you have in large cities, hence I assume you have better roads

Actually, I banged the car in a snow bank this weekend in NH and the rear right wheel is out of alignment.

Last week going to LaGuardia airport I hit a bump that I didn't see and it put all 4 wheels out of alignment.

Thanks,



Cedric

 

Hi Bill,

Just copied what I could find here, I haven't found anything about the Service Preferred Settings.

My initial settings were based on this: http://www.pfadtracing.com/docs/camb...t-settings.pdf

and some discussions here and there. Car has 20k miles and I'm ok with the current settings (ride, wear 'n tear). It may change in the futur as I become a better and more educated driver, but that's another story.

a++ Cedric