Portable Wheel Alignment Tools

[Joe_Rocket]

Wow, lots more comments since I checekd last. Thanks, again.

I took a look at the Intercomp guage. It looks cool. I'm still leaning towards the ART Digital Smart Guage.

I hear what you're all saying about accuracy and people knowing or not knowing what they are doing. I only took a car once to a shop that did computer alignment. I watched them fit the rim attachments and then the car was lifted in the air with the suspension hanging down at full droop. I thought "what the f..." at the time. It was about 16 years ago... my 1986 IROC... It was lowered, and I just thought how in the heck do they do an accurate alignment with the wheels not even on the ground. Maybe I missed half the show, but the car pulled to the right pretty badly afterwards.

I thought forget that and took it the next day to one of my old favorite shops. They did it with a tape measure and mag mounted bubble guages. It drove great after that.

Anyhow, I just want to do my own alignments. It's my ride and most of the fun is in doing everything myself.

[DLinson]

You caught the opening sciene of the show. When you do an alignment with electronic sensors, you first mount the sensors to the wheels, raise the vehicle, and then electronically compensate the sensors for wheel and sensor runout. The car is then lowered back onto the rack, unpinned turnplates and slip plates, then jounced and now the vehicle is ready to be adjusted.

There are lots of reasons for a pull in a car. The largest cause for a pull is either a caster or camber difference from side to side. The car will pull to the side with the higher camber reading or the lower caster reading. Toe will not cause a pull. The rear end can also cause a pull. The direction the rear end is pointing relative to the geometric centerline is call the thrust angle. Electronic measurement machines measure this angle, you can't with a string. If the rear end is adjustable, you can adjust it out. If not then you align the front tires to match the thrust angle. If it is too great, you will have to replace parts. you can trie to measure the thrust angle by comparing the wheel base from side to side but then you don't know if there is setback in the front end. Setback is when one wheel is setback further than the other. Not many companies have a spec for this but it is something body shops need to adjust.

Other things that can cause a pull is a difference in steering axis inclination, power steering issues, worn parts, difference in tire inflation, and the tires themselve. Some tires may have a lateral pull in them causing the pull. Tires may have a conicity problem, difference in sidewall stiffness, and plysteer.

You may want to have the car aligned at a shop that you can trust for you base line. Then when you go to the track or at home you can measure the car with the strings and levels and then do an incramental adjustment from there. Record all of the adjustments so you can return the car back to the original alignment. The digital Smart level is pretty good. You can calibrate it for unlevel surfaces. Make sure all of your adjusments are made on some type of slip plates to relieve the stresses in the front ends. You may be able to get a cheap set of turnplates for the front tires from Harbor Frieght. I believe they may sell a set. A local Hunter service rep. may also sell you a used refurbished set. If you log onto www.Hunter.com you can find a local service rep by typing in your area code.

You may want to check out sights like Longacer Racing for tips on how to read tire temps to diagnose alignment problems. An alignment for the track will definately be different than what you want on the streets. Different tracks will require different alingments.

As for custom alignment specs, if the shop has a Hunter PC based aligner, they can create a custom spec. for you and save it in their computer data base. Then they can recall it the next time you are there. Some shops may not want to deviate from factory alignment specs because they do not want to be liable for premature tire wear and be expected to purchase the customer a new set of tires.

Good luck with the alignments.

DLinson

[dennis68]

Some shops may not want to deviate from factory alignment specs because they do not want to be liable for premature tire wear and be expected to purchase the customer a new set of tires.

Good luck with the alignments.

DLinson

Bring it to my shop, I rarely use factory specs. Factory engineers do their best to determine what will work best on paper. The difference between ideal on paper and ideal on the street are miles apart and factory spec almost never get you a happy compromise of good handling, good tire wear and good street manners.

[DLinson]

Offense taken. Many people think engineers don't know what they are doing buy you have to remember they are not designing the cars to handle like a race car. They are designing cars than can be driven by average people. Cars usually have bump steer designed into the car to ensure that the toe never goes negative. Negative toe is unstable. Yes lots of race cars are set up with negative toe which helps turn-in, etc. but the average driver isn't a race car driver and does not have the skills to react properly. Cars are also set up to push because that is easier for average drivers to handle. It for sure isn't the best thing on a track.

People always complain to me about about a small aspect of a product but they don't have a clue how to look at a problem, come up with a solution, design a product to solve that problem, and then produce. I invite all of those people to try and do it, and they ususally mumble under there breath and go away.

[dennis68]

Well I can tell you that DCX is having a hell of time making the LX platform drive straight, I fix them the old fashioned way...align them my way. Same with the Dodge truck from 1994-1999, I fixed those too.

[MrQuick]

hey Den, how the hell do you get your arm all the way back there? LOL

[dennis68]

Years of practice

[Joe_Rocket]

Hey Denny, I would bring it by your shop, if you weren't so far away. Thanks for offering...

Anyhow, I'm only brought up the IROC to make a point and chime in with those who mentioned that a computer alignment is useless if the guy doesn't know what he is doing. I don't have that IROC any more. I'm trying to align my 69 Camaro now, and the point of this whole thread was to get input on some do it yourself tools and perhaps a step by step of the alginment process so I can give it a shot.

Thanks again, everyone.

[DLinson]

Joe,

If you want to try and align the car at home these few web pages have procedures on how they aligned their own cars using strings and levels. Take a look at them, they should get you close. At least it will give you a method to change alignment angles at home or at the track to make those incramental adjustments.

54 DIY aligment

Negative Camber's alignment tips

Sherline Products


Sherline is for open wheel cars but if you take your time, you could probably make similar alignment bars for your car. Just some more info for you.

DLinson

[Joe_Rocket]

Awesome, DLinson! Thanks for the info!

[DLinson]

DYI alignment from corner-carvers.com

If you haven't seen the new Hardcore Suspension thread under the Suspension section, they have the above link as well as a few others for DIY alignments. The link above looked pretty good.

DLinson

[Joe_Rocket]

Yeah, actually, that article looks great, too. I like that description for leveling the floor.

Thanks, again.