Author Topic: Home alignment  (Read 800 times)

Offline dodj

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Home alignment
« on: June 11, 2014 - 11:48:00 AM »
Just recently changed out my tie rod ends and adjusters. Camber and caster were not touched. I've often read where people set the toe-in themselves. How do you measure that at home? And get it straight? I know I want 1/16 toe-in. Do you use a straight edge against the tire sidewall and make marks on the floor or what?
Scott
1973 Challenger  440 4 spd 
2007.5 3500 6.7 Cummins Diesel, Anarchy tuned.
Good friends don't let friends do stupid things. ........alone.




Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: Home alignment
« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2014 - 11:52:44 AM »
do you have the caster maxed out if not why not adjust that as well ?
 I just use a tape measure & 2 people go as high as you can without deflecting the tape & make sure you use the same point on both tires front & rear some tires are easier than others .

Challenger - You`ll wish You Hadn`t

Offline dodj

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Re: Home alignment
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2014 - 12:38:55 PM »
do you have the caster maxed out if not why not adjust that as well ?
 I just use a tape measure & 2 people go as high as you can without deflecting the tape & make sure you use the same point on both tires front & rear some tires are easier than others .
Ok I'll give it a try with my better half.

I have 3.5* +ve caster.
Scott
1973 Challenger  440 4 spd 
2007.5 3500 6.7 Cummins Diesel, Anarchy tuned.
Good friends don't let friends do stupid things. ........alone.

Offline Strawdawg

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Re: Home alignment
« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2014 - 01:43:43 PM »
Not having anyone to help, I used a piece of angle iron.  Set it on a couple of cans as high as I could go.  Then I marked the spots on the rear to show the distance and moved the angle iron to the front...put it at the same elevation and checked to see if the front was less than the rear and adjusted.

then I ran a string down the length of the car across the rear tires and to the front so I could see if the front tires were lined up in reference to the rears so the car would run down the road straight instead of a slight angle.

Bit tedious but cheaper than making a 100 mile round trip to the nearest alignment shop and trying to deal with someone that has no clue how to align an old car.