Alignment tools

[PC_GUARD]

I wasnt sure whether to put this here or in suspension but figured most guys who track are doing their own stuff.

Im generally irritated with the lack of ability (well of 99% of tradesman of any sort) in my area. I have to do the work myself or it wont be right, and theyll be butthurt when i tell them do it right or dont give it back to me or im not paying you.

Anyway, I was looking at toe plates and and camber frames, and theres a few companies that appear to have it setup to use the toe plates as camber frames.

My initial thought is I can use race ramp wheel cribs and fabricate some kind of degree wheel for doing caster. I can string for parallel, and I can diag for car center to adjust tracking/squareness, although Im not 100% sure how much or if there is any slop with the K or rear cradle to move any.


What are you track guys doing at the track to accurately adjust? Or are you marking various alignments, working with a shop that can do good work?

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[Ewheels]

There's very little track enthusiasm/knowledge left on this forum. You'll have better luck at TrackMustangsOnline.com

Never personally done a home alignment but when I was looking into it, I was using articles from Grassroots Motorsports and Motortrend as a guide.
I know it can all be done with a bubble level, string, and other misc parts from Home Depot.
I know this didn't answer your question but hopefully it gets you there.

 

[WItoTX]

There are plenty on here interested in track alignments. I do my own, and I also have a shop that I can lean on if I don't have a week to get it done.

I personally set up a PVC pipe on jack stands with fishing line and 4 oz sinkers to keep it all tight. Take my toe measurements, put them into excel, then jack the car and make adjustments (We are moving soon, otherwise I would have a 2x12 set up so I can drive up on to and make adjustments). For camber, I just bought a camber measurement tool accurate to .1, but prior I had a tool set up to hang a fishing line with a 4 oz sinker on it, and took measurements to that line (It was a giant pain, and the $200 or so I spent on the tool was totally worth it). Then drive around the block, see what it did, and adjust again. Kind of a pain, which is why I have used the mechanic in the past. If I do it, it's a ton of trial and error. And I don't mess with caster (yet).

Camber plates are pretty straight forward, as is toe. The rear gets slightly more tricky, but the reality is it isn't hard. Just make sure you have time. It really helps getting to know the car, its weak points, and its strong points. Looking back, I wish I would have done some other stuff while swapping camber arms. Live and learn.

Good luck!

 

[NGOT8R]

I just went through this last week. I also used 1 1/2” PVC piping with jack stands and two chalk lines with no chalk added of course. I wasn’t feeling 100% comfortable with it, but as it turns out, I was headed in the right direction. Here’s the before (my self alignment) and after (alignment shop’s alignment) printout. Maybe one day I’ll invest in some more precise tools to help facilitate doing the job.

 

[TeeLew]

If you want to do alignments at home, then this is the way to go. Buy the Smart Strings kit, get a camber gauge and follow their instructions. I was too tricky by 1/2 and reconstructed the Smart Strings kit with 80/20 extrusions. They're nice, but at twice the price, they should be. I would have been better just buying this kit than making my own.

https://www.smartracingproducts.com/smartstrings

 

[PC_GUARD]

There are plenty on here interested in track alignments. I do my own, and I also have a shop that I can lean on if I don't have a week to get it done.

I personally set up a PVC pipe on jack stands with fishing line and 4 oz sinkers to keep it all tight. Take my toe measurements, put them into excel, then jack the car and make adjustments (We are moving soon, otherwise I would have a 2x12 set up so I can drive up on to and make adjustments). For camber, I just bought a camber measurement tool accurate to .1, but prior I had a tool set up to hang a fishing line with a 4 oz sinker on it, and took measurements to that line (It was a giant pain, and the $200 or so I spent on the tool was totally worth it). Then drive around the block, see what it did, and adjust again. Kind of a pain, which is why I have used the mechanic in the past. If I do it, it's a ton of trial and error. And I don't mess with caster (yet).

Camber plates are pretty straight forward, as is toe. The rear gets slightly more tricky, but the reality is it isn't hard. Just make sure you have time. It really helps getting to know the car, its weak points, and its strong points. Looking back, I wish I would have done some other stuff while swapping camber arms. Live and learn.

Good luck!

Ive done those methods in the past with off road cars, but the demands are different in a lot of cases you're trying to numb the car a bit, same with ice. Im a good rough in man, to get you to the shop even if its a few weeks down the road for the car to behave and not eat the tires.

I'm hoping theres tools out there that can expedite the learning curve on this, particularly the rear, in its stock form.

 

[nbjeeptj]

I use quick trick tools https://quicktrickalignment.com/product/4thgenslider/

there is one draw back to the set that I have and that is the bottom bar of the T is too long and hits the body when doing caster adjustments. My set is the 1st generation and I think they have a different set up today to handle that issue. I solved mine buy just making a 2nd T bracket from aluminum that was available at the hardware store and made the bottom bar shorter.

 

[PC_GUARD]

I use quick trick tools https://quicktrickalignment.com/product/4thgenslider/

there is one draw back to the set that I have and that is the bottom bar of the T is too long and hits the body when doing caster adjustments. My set is the 1st generation and I think they have a different set up today to handle that issue. I solved mine buy just making a 2nd T bracket from aluminum that was available at the hardware store and made the bottom bar shorter.

I like that price point. How easy is it to square/track front to back?

 

[nbjeeptj]

I like that price point. How easy is it to square/track front to back?

Well that was an additional tool as well. With the car on my 4 post lift. I ended up finding the center of the car in both front and back and marking that point with a silver sharpie. Then with a laser on the floor that makes a straight line like they use in construction I lined up the laser with the 2 center points on the car. This gave me a laser from front to back that was dead center on the car. Then using the alignment brackets I was able to measure to the center laser and adjust till I had the same measurement per side on both sides of both the front and back wheels. This gave me 4 wheels going straight with 0 toe. Then for my set up I added a slight toe in on the rear and left the front at 0 toe. Please also note this was done with simulated weight in the drivers seat that was near my weight so it not be different with me in the car. My car has coilovers and I corner balanced it prior to setting the final alignment. If you go down the road to learning and doing your own alignment it is very rewarding but it is a pretty steep learning curve if you plan to go all the way thru from setting corner balance, then adjusting sway bar end links, then setting the alignment, plan a whole day to get it right on your first try. Now that I know the steps and in what order to do them it does not take all day, but its still very time consuming.

 

[nbjeeptj]

This was the laser I have you set it up behind the car and then the vertical laser line can be lined up with the marks and it gives you the laser down the center. Its pretty cheap and easy compared to the aggravation of strings

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Bosch-30-f...TNGJEY0s9c5M1i_UsJhoCQTwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[PC_GUARD]

Well that was an additional tool as well. With the car on my 4 post lift. I ended up finding the center of the car in both front and back and marking that point with a silver sharpie. Then with a laser on the floor that makes a straight line like they use in construction I lined up the laser with the 2 center points on the car. This gave me a laser from front to back that was dead center on the car. Then using the alignment brackets I was able to measure to the center laser and adjust till I had the same measurement per side on both sides of both the front and back wheels. This gave me 4 wheels going straight with 0 toe. Then for my set up I added a slight toe in on the rear and left the front at 0 toe. Please also note this was done with simulated weight in the drivers seat that was near my weight so it not be different with me in the car. My car has coilovers and I corner balanced it prior to setting the final alignment. If you go down the road to learning and doing your own alignment it is very rewarding but it is a pretty steep learning curve if you plan to go all the way thru from setting corner balance, then adjusting sway bar end links, then setting the alignment, plan a whole day to get it right on your first try. Now that I know the steps and in what order to do them it does not take all day, but its still very time consuming.

My old car was on CO and I corner weighted it. I agree with driver loaded weight too, definite plus and another reason i'd like to do it myself.

Corner to corner to find center and use a laser is how i imagined doing it, especially with 11 inch wheels in back 10.5 in front... I have no idea if that would be parallel or not. I have not done that wheel and tire package yet, but i intend to.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[TeeLew]

I gave you the answer. Why are going out of your way to make it difficult?

 

[Scootsmcgreggor]

I gave you the answer. Why are going out of your way to make it difficult?

You gave him AN answer. Take a chill pill.

 

[TeeLew]

You gave him AN answer. Take a chill pill.

I'm F-ing around. Take your own.

 

[NeverSatisfied]

If you want to do alignments at home, then this is the way to go. Buy the Smart Strings kit, get a camber gauge and follow their instructions. I was too tricky by 1/2 and reconstructed the Smart Strings kit with 80/20 extrusions. They're nice, but at twice the price, they should be. I would have been better just buying this kit than making my own.

https://www.smartracingproducts.com/smartstrings

Lowes sells a smart string alignment kit for a lot less money

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