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.

 

[1992rs]

my

If you go down that route you will need to invest in some tools like:
- http://www.longacreracing.com/products.aspx?itemid=2446&pagetitle=Caster+Camber+Alignment
- http://www.longacreracing.com/products.aspx?itemid=2445&pagetitle=Toe+Measurement+Tools
- https://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/alignment-wheel-stand-slip-plates

As you can see the tools can easily add up to the cost of multiple alignments. People have made their own slip plates and toe bars very cheaply though. Good tools and/or high dollar alignment machines doesn't mean shit if the operator doesn't have the skills or knowledge to do so. A lot of race teams use the "old school" string method simply because they dont have the space or want to transport an alignment machine when they can do it with small tools and have the same outcome, because they know what they're doing.

Full disclosure, I've never tried to do my own alignment, but I want to and I fully intend to when I buy my own house and have the space for it. Several times, from different businesses, Ive received "good" alignments, only to find out its because the computer "says so" and my steering wheel is still a good degree off.

I dont want to sway you either way. The major point I'm trying to make is Skills > Tools, and that you need to really know how the steering system works and how each adjustment can alter the overall feel of the vehicle and to have the patience to get it right. Most likely you will be redoing your alignment a few times before its good. Eventually, down the road it will save you some money, but not upfront. The biggest appeal of DIY'ing alignments for me is when you start adding a bunch of mods you'll be able to know how to do it and also you can tailor it your driving style. I know with my Third gen F-body almost all average shops wont align it because they say my alignment specs are not possible, my suspension is too modded for them to work on it, or they say it will drive like ass, so I'm stuck with high dollar performance/race shops that are willing do it.

If you still want to do it, read up, heres an article from the people who make our aftermarket suspension. http://djmsuspension.com/alignment-is-important/

and a bonus of how Ferrari F1 does their alignments

Keep us updated if you decide to tackle it!

 

[SnowDrifter]

^^Good links, though worth mentioning those tools will also require a good bit of math to be able to do things like setting caster effectively and will be more or less a guess and check system for doing so. It won't be a quick process as alignment specs given for passenger vehicles are done with the weight on the wheels, not in the air.

Just a consideration. It'll be an afternoon project

 

[SnowDrifter]

Also since we're on alignment, some interesting info:

Front toe on it's own will not cause a pull. Provided your steering components are in good condition and you've ruled out things like brake calipers and inflation pressure, a pull will be caused by one of two things: A difference in caster, or a difference in camber. I'm a little fuzzy on details as it's been a while, but IIRC >.3 degree difference in caster or >.5 degree in camber will cause a noticeable pull as a rule of thumb. The vehicle will pull towards the side with more positive camber, or the side with more negative caster.

A more positive caster increases the car's "go straight" drivability with a stronger return to center. More negative will be better for turning. Too far negative and you risk things like death wobble. Ever seen the shopping cart with a wobbly wheel? Imagine that on your car.

Some manufacturers, like ours, leverage this property and give different caster specs per side of the vehicle to create a pull and correct for things like road crown - the slight slope in the road to allow for water drainage. If you live in an area that has more or less road crown than anticipated, you can adjust your caster to alleviate this issue. Caster adjustments are the preferred way to adjust the pull as they won't have an impact on tire wear like camber will. Though if you had another vehicle where you couldn't get one or the other in spec, or there was no adjustment for it, you can use these properties to allow the vehicle to track straight despite the angles being out of spec

 

[06Escalade]

Regarding the old school (string?) approach. From what i read, this method is not as accurate on independent suspensions. So for those of us with solid axles, this may work?

 

[05Single]

Yea um I'll take it to the shop lol. I replaced the tie rod on my sister's car and she doesn't have much money atm for an alignment. If it was my tahoe I would take it to the shop no questions asked. I just figure I might be able to do a decent job diy for her and save her a buck.

It was videos like this that had me wondering

Old school string way.

 

[Ronzxcvb]

after replacing a tie rod you need to adjust toe
so if done properly I think you would be ok doing it yourself
I would also take tire condition into consideration