Self alignment

[05Single]

Anybody tried? I'm bored looking at YouTube lol.
Trying to save $140 at a shop

 

[SnowDrifter]

Please don't

Alignments are measured down to the 1/100 of a degree. And doing your own won't allow you to get an accurate reading on caster either. Only time it's worth it is when you've done some front end work and need to be able to drive it to the shop without destroying your front tires/bearings but it's grossly inaccurate long term.

 

[swathdiver]

My dealership will align the truck for $89.99, which around here is less then the tire stores! But it can be done the old school way and done right.

 

[Danny3737]

Unless you're riding on very cheap tires, you are better off letting the pro's do it.

 

[SnowDrifter]

My dealership will align the truck for $89.99, which around here is less then the tire stores! But it can be done the old school way and done right.

"old school" doesn't cut it for new cars

 

[adventurenali92]

Wow $140 is steep. I think I pay the local shop that does the best alignment $75. They have the latest tech in alignment I guess so that's where I go. I let them handle it cuz I've never had a problem with their alignments. It's just the ****** pavement here in big bear. Lol

 

[swathdiver]

"old school" doesn't cut it for new cars

Care to expound upon that thought?

 

[Tab shots]

I had my trcuk done the old school way the guy took his time and it drove better then any other ailment I ever had

 

[retorq]

I did my 86 Mustang alignment at home with tools from HomeDepot. If you understand how to do it and take your time you can get it pretty close. I got mine as close as I could and took it to the shop to have it checked. The measurements on the before portion of the sheet were all in the green and toe was within 1 degree.

 

[SnowDrifter]

Care to expound upon that thought?

The days of a car running rough and it being either the carb or the cap and rotor are over. A tune up isn't a fix all any more. You have things like mass airflow sensors, oxygen sensors, MAP sensors, catalytic converters, evap systems, crankshaft and camshaft position sensors, etc.

In regards to alignment, we don't have front leaf springs any more where "toe and go" is acceptable. It's a torsion bar with eccentric adjustments for the upper control arm. You can't measure things like caster with a home setup. Camber, sure. but you start playing around with camber and it changes all of your other angles. Toe, good enough to get it to a shop but your margin of error there will be about +/- 2 degrees. Compared to the spec for these which have a tolerance of .2 degrees. And most guys worth their salt at an alignment place will strive to get you withing about .02 degrees of where you should be

Plus there's the issue of tires. The shop I worked at and most of the others in the area will deny you warranty coverage for your tires if you can't prove you've had a professional alignment done.

You could potentially do your own if you had some of the older --professional-- alignment tools (Not a tape measure and some chalk) but the cost of getting those will generally outweigh the cost of a lifetime alignment at a reputable chain. Then there's the issue of even having the basic ability to do it in your driveway. At a shop, all the wheels are placed on ball bearing slip plates that allow movement in in the XZ plane, so any adjustments made will be at ride height and you won't be fighting spring tension in the steering components and tires in your measurements.


I know we have an affinity for DIY stuff here on the forum. I get it. Believe me. I've rebuilt totaled cars in the driveway. But some things, there's no replacement for proper tools. Alignment is one of those few things that I don't have access to the proper equipment so I take it to someone who does.