Front End Alignment

[moparstud440]

For those of you guys that do your own front end alignments what tools do you use? I just swapped my car from drum brakes to disks, had to change the spindle, but didn't mess with the A arms. I need to adjust the toe, but wonder how you guys check caster/camber.

 

[1963dartgt]

I used a tape measure,a square,a nut on the end of a string and four tiles facing each other with sand inbetween. You can find measurements online or in your FSM. You set the car down on the tile on a flat surface, the sand allows the tiles to turn so you get real time adjustments. Measure front and back of front tire and adjust to spec. Tape string with bolt to fender and use square and tape measure to set adjustments. My 10 yo helped me had it done in an hour and i got about 3.5 years out of the front tires.

 

[toolmanmike]

I take mine to an alignment shop. There's a reason why the machines are so sophisticated.

 

[1963dartgt]

I take mine to an alignment shop. There's a reason why the machines are so sophisticated.

I agree with this but i had a hard time finding a shop that would do it because "our computer doesnt have specs back that far". So i did it myself. As a matter of fact alot of shops wouldnt even touch my car but that was when i was in california,no problems back east.

 

[72bluNblu]

I have a set of turn plates for the front wheels, a caster/camber gauge and a set of toe plates. I can dial in an alignment pretty close now that I’ve been doing it for awhile. My bubble gauges aren’t as easy to read as a digital gauge with full alignment rack, but most of those places won’t touch my car with the amount of aftermarket parts I have. And if they do, they usually don’t want to use anything other than the factory specs. Since the factory specs are for bias plies, that makes any place that won’t do a “custom” alignment pretty much useless if you run radials.

So I set my own, and when I buy new tires I have the shop put my car on the rack, have them tell me what the specs are, and then tell them not to touch the damn thing. Which they’re usually happy to do because they don’t know what to do with it anyway.

 

[toolmanmike]

Yep.

 

[67Dart273]

For those of you guys that do your own front end alignments what tools do you use? I just swapped my car from drum brakes to disks, had to change the spindle, but didn't mess with the A arms. I need to adjust the toe, but wonder how you guys check caster/camber.

Easy. Nowadays, you can buy all kinds of accurate digital angle finders. Caster/ camber gauges are not that expensive. You need something for turning plates, and google that, there is all sorts of ways. Crackedback says he sets toe by laying two boards on soda cans beside the outside of the tires, then measure across them. I use a one-man toe gauge, and "I'll admit" I scored some turning plates awhile back

One of my old posts.............

Hell you can align the whole thing yourself if you have a level driveway.........I don't........I jack my car trailer level and use THAT

WHAT YOU NEED......

a level spot and something to turn the tires, "turning plates" Google it. People use metal sheet, salt, grease, tile, all sorts of stuff

Caster/ camber......Caster is "figured" with some easy math from camber figures, so you need something to measure "wheel tilt."

In today's digital / laser/ world there are lots of devices right from "Home Depot" that will work for that

Toe. Easy way is if you have two people. I believe in scribing the tires, you need a solid scribe you can hold on the ground, and with the tire jacked up under the A arm, scribe a 'true' line somewhere on the tire tread. Then measure between the scribes

READ THE SHOP MANUAL. You can download them free from MyMopar

DON'T USE the shop manual specs if you have radial tires. Use the "scoch chart"

DO A SEARCH on this board. LOTS of posts about alignment. LOTS

DIY Alignment?

Need help with front end -Alignment

Front End Alignment

need alignment help!

My beat-up old Ammco caster / camber gauge. THE CASTER IS NOTHING BUT A CIRCULAR SLIDE RULE and is easy to do without. Otherwise, all the gauge does is to measure in or out wheel tilt from plumb

You can use something like this instead

My toe gauge for "one man" use. You can MAKE one easily. All it does is make a two man tape measure into a one man deal. You can see.........the car is on the trailer

 

[70aarcuda]

for toe..i use two pieces of 1 inch square tubing with bricks holding the tubing against the tires.....not that hard...

 

[brian6pac]

I could put it on the money with the tools I have, and they are basic. It really doesn't take all that much. If you search the internet and learn a little you would be good !

 

[NudeHemidude]

For those of you guys that do your own front end alignments what tools do you use? I just swapped my car from drum brakes to disks, had to change the spindle, but didn't mess with the A arms. I need to adjust the toe, but wonder how you guys check caster/camber.

I use a QuickTrick alignment system I bought from Summit and I wish I had done it years ago.

 

[famous bob]

I used a tape measure,a square,a nut on the end of a string and four tiles facing each other with sand inbetween. You can find measurements online or in your FSM. You set the car down on the tile on a flat surface, the sand allows the tiles to turn so you get real time adjustments. Measure front and back of front tire and adjust to spec. Tape string with bolt to fender and use square and tape measure to set adjustments. My 10 yo helped me had it done in an hour and i got about 3.5 years out of the front tires.

I cant measure front and rear for toe in , no room to sneak a tape thru the front at mid center tire height .

 

[ScamperTom]

I cant measure front and rear for toe in , no room to sneak a tape thru the front at mid center tire height .

I leaned a 2x6 against the tires and had someone hold the tape in line with the front and back of the tire. I also tried marking the tire, measuring it, and rolling it forward to measure the mark on the front again. Should work but I found it to be very time consuming.

 

[famous bob]

I leaned a 2x6 against the tires and had someone hold the tape in line with the front and back of the tire. I also tried marking the tire, measuring it, and rolling it forward to measure the mark on the front again. Should work but I found it to be very time consuming.

Sounds pluasable ,but no one to help , had to do this entire build by myself !