String Alignment

[TeeLew]

I have done some of it in the past - but more to verify than to do an actual adjustment but bought this to adjust myself - got it to be entirely self dependent on alignment (even though I have good source right now).

I thought about measuring - lifting the car (have Quickjack) - adjusting - lowering - settling suspension - measuring and doing that until it's "right" but think it'll get old quickly. Also, my floor isn't level side to side, have to at the minimum have one side of the car sitting on something to level it...

But will soon put this to use as I need get rid of those SPC camber arms real soon...

As long as your aren't grossly out of level, you can set toe on a floor. In 'track' mode, I just go to maximum front camber, so I don't really measure camber any more. I just set it to max and then reset toe. If I were actually measuring, it would be a little different deal, but I only really adjust toe.

I have the J&M rear toe links & I highly recommend. Buy a couple Harbor Freight wrenches and chop them off so you can use them under the car. It saves all sorts of aggravation for ~$10.

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[kz]

Why?

Because they're extreme pain in the butt to adjust (eccentric adjustor is on the outboard mount and you need flat 1/2" wrench for it with very limited access and very limited space to turn the wrench (unless you make it (wrench) really short). But mostly because earlier this morning I found my rear wheel camber 0.5 of a degree off which resulted in a wheel being toed out.

 

[kz]

I have the J&M rear toe links & I highly recommend. Buy a couple Harbor Freight wrenches and chop them off so you can use them under the car. It saves all sorts of aggravation for ~$10.

I have Steeda toe links- similar design, they're hold the adjustment. It's the camber arms that I need to replace - I have AAC somewhere in the basement that I tried installing in the spring and gave up on. I do have J&M's brake lines though (same you do) - they make good stuff.

 

[GTP]

As long as your aren't grossly out of level, you can set toe on a floor. In 'track' mode, I just go to maximum front camber, so I don't really measure camber any more. I just set it to max and then reset toe. If I were actually measuring, it would be a little different deal, but I only really adjust toe.

I have the J&M rear toe links & I highly recommend. Buy a couple Harbor Freight wrenches and chop them off so you can use them under the car. It saves all sorts of aggravation for ~$10.

Same here. J&M camber plates. I center the rod in the strut hole for street. Drive to track, jack up one front corner, set camber to max (~2.7*), do other wheel. Undo it all before driving back home.

I think I am 0.2 (-1/8" via plates) total toe in for street, and 0.2 total toe out (+1/8" via plates) when I move the camber between these two settings. So I never have to adjust toe.

Still pondering if the laser level plus camber plates will allow me to swap my rear toe links for the BMR/Steeda/J&M ones. I have spherical bearings at both ends of the OEM links at least, and a good alignment, so I am not in a hurry.

 

[NeverSatisfied]

If you're only doing toe, I'd take a guess that the car does not need to be sitting perfectly leveled side to side, like you'd need to dial in camber. But admittedly just an educated guess on my part.

Also an educated guess, with the trash bags under the stands, I'd think there'd be enough movement to bounce on the car up and down directions to enduce enough settling to check your work...no?

I haven't found the need to bounce the car on trash bags. It's really slippery to the point of dangerous if not careful.

I dial in level on my highly calibrated wheel stands by using vinyl tiles

I run the cheap Moog camber adjusters in the rear and can access them with an extended wrench and extended ratcheting wrench. Seems to take an adjustment and stay put.

 

[galaxy]

...since we're here...what tool are you guys getting to check camber and get it dialed in tight?

Also another learning question...I'm trying to study and soak up the info on thrust angle, but it's my understanding that if your rear toe is dialed in perfectly side to side, thrust angle should be 0, and therefore g

 

[kz]

...since we're here...what tool are you guys getting to check camber and get it dialed in tight?

I use this https://wheelalignmenttools.com/product/hand-held-camber-caster-gauge/ - less than ideal, ones with three points of contact with the wheel would have been better.

 

[Weyland-Yutani]

If you're only doing toe, I'd take a guess that the car does not need to be sitting perfectly leveled side to side, like you'd need to dial in camber. But admittedly just an educated guess on my part.

I haven't done it for a while, but when I did, "flat" was a bigger issue than "level". My garage back then wasn't dead level, but it was flat like a billiard table.

 

[Scootsmcgreggor]

https://calipergarage.com/products/basic-string-alignment-kit-6tg32

Check this out - not quite Smart Strings but not exactly a DYI setup (almost though) - just makes few things easier.

Wow thanks for sharing, a great looking product for the price. Ordered and look forward to getting my strings off jack stands.

But will soon put this to use as I need get rid of those SPC camber arms real soon...

Hmmm. I have a few events on my SPC camber arms and my LR outboard came loose. Or I thought the alignment shop didn't torque properly but now I wonder if they did and it backed out if you've experienced the same. Have you had this happen twice now? What other camber arms are you considering? I'm not fond of their adjustment method (as it also changes the camber curve) but also a turnbuckle in bending is not good.

Above you said AAC did you mean AAD camber arms? Adjustment on those is limited to a couple positions if I understand correctly, not infinitely adjustable.

 

[kz]

if you've experienced the same. Have you had this happen twice now?
Above you said AAC did you mean AAD camber arms? Adjustment on those is limited to a couple positions if I understand correctly, not infinitely adjustable.

Yes, I've had this happen few times now - I don't really expect it to stay where it was adjusted forever, especially with car this heavy and ran on our local bumpy lot for autocross, but feel like it could be better.

Yes - meant AAD - they have discrete adjustment - 9 steps basically + two positions on the inboard mount - I figured that camber being even between sides isn't really that critical as toe so got them - but - for good half an hour I was unable to squeeze it into the inboard mount on a subframe so the lockout plates would stay in - it was too thick (or subframe mount has tolerances that aren't that great - which is a possibility) and I eventually gave up being out of time (it was this spring). Also their lockout plate design IMO is poor - it only has half of the oval slot so technically allows it to slide within the inboard mounting slot, just not as much as OEM mount - SPC is actually well done as it is full oval, locking it out completely.

I may try to use them (AAD) and see what kind of adjustment I get (since I have them) or will just go and buy Steeda or BMR and will use some sort of lockout at inboard mount. Their adjustability is by far the easiest although the threaded adjustor is in poor location loadpath wise.

 

[galaxy]

Interesting...one of, if not the best track guy in the 350 section, honeybadger, swears by the SPC camber arms.

 

[TeeLew]

Above you said AAC did you mean AAD camber arms? Adjustment on those is limited to a couple positions if I understand correctly, not infinitely adjustable.

They're pretty damned close. The 1mm chip graduation gives a camber adjustment of ~0.07 deg, I think. They're only delivered with the 2mm graduations, but the whole kit is only a bit more money.

 

[Scootsmcgreggor]

They're pretty damned close. The 1mm chip graduation gives a camber adjustment of ~0.07 deg, I think. They're only delivered with the 2mm graduations, but the whole kit is only a bit more money.

Interesting thanks I’ll look a bit closer. If they can be adjusted finely enough they’d be great as they’d be the only option that cannot move in use (paired with the right lockout plates on the subframe).

 

[TeeLew]

I held the plates in place with a little grease and bent the ears out a tick. It was not much of a chore.

 

[galaxy]

Here’s the CaliperGarage kit @kz mentioned. And it’s as described; not top shelf, but not DIY. Easy, but tedious getting it perfect. Great learning event in the garage.

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