DIY Alignment: Am I doing it right?

[TheBandit]

Thanks for the kind reply. Unfortunately it's not financially feasible for me to go to an alignment shop every time I want to adjust between street and autocross/track alignment. Do you think a string alignment could be used to help with steering wheel centering and thrust line adjustment?

[DLinson]

The thrust line alignment is based on the direction the rear end is pointing. The string method is going off of the geometric center-line. Whenever you make a change to camber and caster, it will change the toe. Do you have a way to adjust the rear end or does it still have leaf springs on the back?

you could have the alignment set at a shop then go home and do a string alignment and record all the measurements. That way you can make a camber/caster change then adjust the toe back to the original measurements. You may want to play with adjusting toe out for better turn in but make sure it is done equally on both side. It will probably get twitchy on the road and wear out the tires faster.

You could also do a center-line string alignment then take it out for a test drive. If the steering wheel is off, you can make small adjustments in toe on both sides in the same direction until you get the wheel level. Again record those measurements for future reference.