when doing your own alignments

[silver69camaro]

Are your turntables floaters?



I ask because when doing an alignment, the turntable has to accomodate for side scrub as wheel as turning angle. If not, the suspension will be in bind until the car is rolling. I recommend getting two 12x12 sheets of 16-18ga steel with grease inbetween. This will allow the wheel to move however it needs to.

Second, soft bushings will make it somewhat difficult. The bushing can take up the change when the car is static, but then "relax" when the car is driving. Also, make sure the full weight of the car is on the suspension - don't use a shock jig of any sort with the hub hanging in the air.

Something that I always do is make sure the ride height is identical between adjustments. When the car is on the plates (and it's completely level - use a self leveling laser to get everything within 1/16"), I measure from LCA bolt to ground. After each adjustment, I measure the distance again...if it's not the exact same distance, it's bound up and your readings will be off.

I could go on and on, but these are the most common culprits that I see.

[a67]

Once i started to use turntables the alignment settings were dead-on. IOW, I could drive off the plates, around the block, back onto the plates, and get the exact same measurements that the front end was set to previously.

It may be that the turntables you are using do not move easily enough. It should be that the car can be easily moved while on the plates (which one needs to be careful off while doing the alignment). That is, the plates move such that they are as slippery as ice.

Bob