Please critique my home front-end alignment method

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1973dust

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I've been searching and reading tips on here for home alignments for several weeks if not months. I know it would be faster to have a pro do it if I could even find the right one but I like doing whatever I can myself. I installed the Moog problem-solvers as directed for max positive caster and set the cams fully in in the rear and out in the front on both sides. I'm using 2 pairs of thin Teflon cooking sheets with grease between them as slide/turn plates. Using a digital angle gage on a steel plate across the center of the wheel, the driver's side was actually perfect at 1/2 degree negative camber with max positive caster. However the passenger side was at 0 degrees. The following are the steps I took. Good logic or I'm an idiot, I would like to know either way. Obviously, I have no idea what positive caster numbers I'm able to achieve but I'm just going for the max possible with factory upper arms and the offset bushings.

Step 1 - I adjusted the front cam on the pass. side in to achieve 1/2 degree negative camber. With the rear cam all the way in, I believe that wheel now has the max positive caster possible with 1/2 degree negative camber at my ride height?

Step 2 - I turned the steering full lock, both left and right, and took camber readings for inward and outward tilt for both wheels in both positions. I had about a 2 degree difference in the numbers from full right to full left.

Step 3 - I adjusted the driver's side rear cam out and front cam in slightly to maintain 1/2 degree camber while taking away some caster. I ended up repeating this step 2 more times until I achieved equal camber numbers full-lock both directions.

Step 4 - I haven't done this yet but I will string the car to check and adjust the toe. If the toe has to be adjusted, I assume that I should then recheck the right and left camber readings afterwards?

Step 5 - Drive it and see how it handles. I can't do this yet as I am currently waiting on a radiator and Illinois had enough winter weather this morning that the salt trucks were out coating the roads with the car-eating chemicals.

I would like to know if it seems that I am on the right track. Thanks to all.
 
You can easily measure caster. You measure CAMBER at two settings of tire turn in/ out, you subtract the two readings, and multiply by a constant depending on the amount (degrees) of wheel turn in / turn out. Hang on..................

Basically you are turning each wheel a total of 40 degrees. In other words, from straight ahead, turn the wheel either in or out 20* and take a camber reading. Now turn the wheel the opposite way, so if you first turned it in 20, now turn it back out straight and continue turning until it is turned out 20. Take a second caster reading. Subtract the two readings and multiply that number X 1.5 and that will be your caster.

Remember, you want the top of the spindle layed back as far as you can, pretty much. Start with the adjusters such that this is so, in other words, the front cam on the A arm pushing the arm outboard of the car, and the rear cam pulling the cam inboard towards the center of the car. Then jiggle the adjustment to get your camber in and see where you ended up

1...Set ride height
2....Set camber/ caster
3.....Set toe.

Be sure to joggle the suspension to settle it, and I would roll it back, roll it forward onto the plates once again, and recheck, and at least re-check after a test drive.
 
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How are you measuring caster?
I'm not actually getting a caster measurement. I'm just measuring the tilt of the wheel in or out at full lock both directions. I just adjusted until the tilt was the same angle both ways.
 
during measuring you should lock the brakes (turning in and out 20°}
Is that to make sure the wheel can't rotate on the spindle? I'm not actually attaching my angle gage to the wheels. I turn to full lock and measure both wheels both directions.
 
You can easily measure caster. You measure CAMBER at two settings of tire turn in/ out, you subtract the two readings, and multiply by a constant depending on the amount (degrees) of wheel turn in / turn out. Hang on..................

Basically you are turning each wheel a total of 40 degrees. In other words, from straight ahead, turn the wheel either in or out 20* and take a camber reading. Now turn the wheel the opposite way, so if you first turned it in 20, now turn it back out straight and continue turning until it is turned out 20. Take a second caster reading. Subtract the two readings and multiply that number X 1.5 and that will be your caster.

Remember, you want the top of the spindle layed back as far as you can, pretty much. Start with the adjusters such that this is so, in other words, the front cam on the A arm pushing the arm outboard of the car, and the rear cam pulling the cam inboard towards the center of the car. Then jiggle the adjustment to get your camber in and see where you ended up

1...Set ride height
2....Set camber/ caster
3.....Set toe.

Be sure to joggle the suspension to settle it, and I would roll it back, roll it forward onto the plates once again, and recheck, and at least re-check after a test drive.
I don't have a way to know how many degrees I'm turning the wheels. That's why I'm just going full lock and comparing the two directions. From what I've read on here, if I understand correctly, I can't get too much caster with factory arms so I'm just doing this in an attempt to make both sides equal.
 
I don't have a way to know how many degrees I'm turning the wheels. That's why I'm just going full lock and comparing the two directions. From what I've read on here, if I understand correctly, I can't get too much caster with factory arms so I'm just doing this in an attempt to make both sides equal.
You could pin the metal Yer using fer the tires to turn on and take Inkzall "Milwaukee tools" and draw out ° "degrees' with a Speed Square....
 
You could pin the metal Yer using fer the tires to turn on and take Inkzall "Milwaukee tools" and draw out ° "degrees' with a Speed Square....

Make yourself a pair of slip plates with some old tile or something..put some grease in- between... then the suggested speed square or such and mark out center and then + / - 20° I used that and string (front to rear...and. plumb bob vertical)

Good luck

20220622_143719.jpg


20220622_143728.jpg
 
You could pin the metal Yer using fer the tires to turn on and take Inkzall "Milwaukee tools" and draw out ° "degrees' with a Speed Square....

Make yourself a pair of slip plates with some old tile or something..put some grease in- between... then the suggested speed square or such and mark out center and then + / - 20° I used that and string (front to rear...and. plumb bob vertical)

Good luck

View attachment 1716065843

View attachment 1716065844
That's a good idea for laying out the degrees. What I don't understand is what is magic about 20 degrees? If I am turning the tires the same amount both directions by using the steering stops, aren't I basically doing the same thing? Again, I don't really care what my caster numbers are as it looks like 3 - 4 degrees is best-case you'll ever get with factory uppers and offset bushings. I just want to know if what I am doing is a valid comparison of the caster value on each side, whatever the number might be. Isn't caster just found mathematically using the camber gain/loss when the steering is turned?
 
That's a good idea for laying out the degrees. What I don't understand is what is magic about 20 degrees? If I am turning the tires the same amount both directions by using the steering stops, aren't I basically doing the same thing? Again, I don't really care what my caster numbers are as it looks like 3 - 4 degres is best-case you'll ever get with factory uppers and offset bushings. I just want to know if what I am doing is a valid comparison of the caster value on each side, whatever the number might be. Isn't caster just found mathematically using the camber gain/loss when the steering is turned?

Smarter folks than I can weigh in here. The +/- 20 is the arc of travel for steering (short of the stops) having a consistent, neutral spot and repeatable turn helps verify any adjustments. An accepted standard. Just like "jouncing" the suspension if you make ride adjustments to get everything to settle and assess the effect of those adjustments.
 
You can easily measure caster. You measure CAMBER at two settings of tire turn in/ out, you subtract the two readings, and multiply by a constant depending on the amount (degrees) of wheel turn in / turn out. Hang on..................

Basically you are turning each wheel a total of 40 degrees. In other words, from straight ahead, turn the wheel either in or out 20* and take a camber reading. Now turn the wheel the opposite way, so if you first turned it in 20, now turn it back out straight and continue turning until it is turned out 20. Take a second caster reading. Subtract the two readings and multiply that number X 1.5 and that will be your caster.

Remember, you want the top of the spindle layed back as far as you can, pretty much. Start with the adjusters such that this is so, in other words, the front cam on the A arm pushing the arm outboard of the car, and the rear cam pulling the cam inboard towards the center of the car. Then jiggle the adjustment to get your camber in and see where you ended up

1...Set ride height
2....Set camber/ caster
3.....Set toe.

Be sure to joggle the suspension to settle it, and I would roll it back, roll it forward onto the plates once again, and recheck, and at least re-check after a test drive.
Well yeah, I know that, but I was askin how HE was doin it.
 
If you’re going to do your own alignments it’s best to get a few tools to make sure you can measure and get accurate results. Your method “sounds” good but only if your measurements are accurate. I bought a longacre gauge and made some turning plates and haven’t paid for an alignment since on any vehicle i own.

DECO Magnetic Caster Camber Gauge Suspension Tool, Aluminum
 
Mighta missed it, you do toe last cuz it doesn't affect the other settings .

Good job !
Yes, I haven't done the toe yet as I didn't want to waste time setting it until I'm reasonably confident that what I've done so far is accurate enough.
 
If you’re going to do your own alignments it’s best to get a few tools to make sure you can measure and get accurate results. Your method “sounds” good but only if your measurements are accurate. I bought a longacre gauge and made some turning plates and haven’t paid for an alignment since on any vehicle i own.

DECO Magnetic Caster Camber Gauge Suspension Tool, Aluminum
I'm going to have to pull the trigger and purchase one of those or something similar.
 
You could get lucky and it drives just fine. Or, you could be wasting your time by adjusting camber and not knowing what the caster is.
 
You could get lucky and it drives just fine. Or, you could be wasting your time by adjusting camber and not knowing what the caster is.
That's what I'm trying to determine. Will my method of comparing the camber change at full lock each direction tell me if I have equal caster on each side.
 
That's what I'm trying to determine. Will my method of comparing the camber change at full lock each direction tell me if I have equal caster on each side.
I would think so. I always had a computer do the math. Lol. If it is equal, I would have left the left camber at zero for the crown of the roads. At least around here.
 
That's what I'm trying to determine. Will my method of comparing the camber change at full lock each direction tell me if I have equal caster on each side.
Likely not. The wheels need to be turned the same amount (of degrees) from zero and you have no method of determining if the lock is the same both directions. All you know is it’s at the lock.
 
If camber is equal and it pulls left, either reduce pass caster, or increase driver caster, (or a little of both) till no pull with camber equal .
 
If camber is equal and it pulls left, either reduce pass caster, or increase driver caster, (or a little of both) till no pull with camber equal .
It would drive me nutty if I didn't know that caster number but your system should work.
 
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