DIY Alignment 07 Tahoe 4WD

[Matthew Jeschke]

I almost need a picture You're using the tube to get a measurement parallel to the hub beyond that, not 100% sure what it looks like.

I think I have a good idea though, just cut some plywood, then cut a section out where tire swell is. Then equal height on both sides cut a groove to fit a tape measure. Do exact same on second piece of plywood.

My caster camber gauge only has a resolution of 1/2 degree... 1/16th is pretty darn precise! Wow.

 

[exp500]

I almost need a picture You're using the tube to get a measurement parallel to the hub beyond that, not 100% sure what it looks like.

I think I have a good idea though, just cut some plywood, then cut a section out where tire swell is. Then equal height on both sides cut a groove to fit a tape measure. Do exact same on second piece of plywood.

My caster camber gauge only has a resolution of 1/2 degree... 1/16th is pretty darn precise! Wow.

I have pics on old laptop harddrive.. Just imagine a square tube Box rather than string box or floor drawn box, raised by 8x8 blocks. Stop the long tubes just short of front wheels and use shorter ones for when calculating angles. As long as I don't kick tubes,everything stays in place well. Has really helped when there was some Unwanted or undocumented damage such as twisted from collision or bent rear end. Very nice to have all 4 wheels pointing in same direction!

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

So your square tubes reach all the way back to the rear tires too? Sorry I cannot picture in my mind.

 

[lspann3525]

I almost need a picture You're using the tube to get a measurement parallel to the hub beyond that, not 100% sure what it looks like.

I think I have a good idea though, just cut some plywood, then cut a section out where tire swell is. Then equal height on both sides cut a groove to fit a tape measure. Do exact same on second piece of plywood.

My caster camber gauge only has a resolution of 1/2 degree... 1/16th is pretty darn precise! Wow.

I tried using some plywood I had laying round but realized it had a slight bow so I just stopped.

 

[exp500]

So your square tubes reach all the way back to the rear tires too? Sorry I cannot picture in my mind.

Correct, Thrust angle measurement if you will... As stated above, picture in your mind a sq tube box sitting on 8x8 blocks. long ones 20ft Can go to front wheels also, as long as you don't turn wheel. With more tubing, can close box front and rear for a redneck frame rack. A few welding clamps and magnets sky's the limit nearly
I happened to have most on hand when I got P/O'd at alignment shop lies.

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

@exp500 wow yeah that would make measuring the angle MUCH easier! Great idea!

I'm now wondering how to do an at home wheel balancing. I've always felt those machines that spin the wheel are best but have seen the bubble level tool from harbor freight. Curious if that is any good. They tire shop didn't do the best job balancing my wheels. They put those stick weights on they only fall off. Hate to pay just to have them balanced again.

 

[exp500]

@exp500 wow yeah that would make measuring the angle MUCH easier! Great idea!

I'm now wondering how to do an at home wheel balancing. I've always felt those machines that spin the wheel are best but have seen the bubble level tool from harbor freight. Curious if that is any good. They tire shop didn't do the best job balancing my wheels. They put those stick weights on they only fall off. Hate to pay just to have them balanced again.

Was well into 70's b4 mostshops used dynamic balancers. Remember the ones that used the vehicle for spin axle? I'm sure some shops still have dynamics like that as well as bubble. Gargle it?

 

[89Suburban]

@exp500 wow yeah that would make measuring the angle MUCH easier! Great idea!

I'm now wondering how to do an at home wheel balancing. I've always felt those machines that spin the wheel are best but have seen the bubble level tool from harbor freight. Curious if that is any good. They tire shop didn't do the best job balancing my wheels. They put those stick weights on they only fall off. Hate to pay just to have them balanced again.

I been trying to balance my tires myself for years, to no avail. I was doing it wrong and I finally learned the secret to using a bubble balancer. Use the "Y" method with stick on weights in the middle of the wheel. Works like a charm. I have had the clip on weights fly off my wheels over 80 MPH and it's and ugly sound so I use the stick ons on the inner/center face of the rim.

My man sixtyfiveford has a video on this. The middle of this video is particularly interesting.

 

[89Suburban]

And this is a good watch even though this guy talks too much, his old lady is cute. And good tips on getting the bubble balancer work properly. I have to turn the fan off in my garage when I balance it is so sensitive now.

 

[89Suburban]

@07Burb

 

[07Burb]

And this is a good watch even though this guy talks too much, his old lady is cute. And good tips on getting the bubble balancer work properly. I have to turn the fan off in my garage when I balance it is so sensitive now.

Nothing worse when you try to youtube a thing real quick while you're in the middle of problem solve mode and some ******* spends 7 minutes of his 8 minute video yapping about some BS unrelated to your issue

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

That's AWESOME! Watching the first video I realized my love a fair with dynamic balancing is likely unfounded. I don't think anybody's doing it right either. I only ever have weights on one side! I also realized the shop totally messed up balancing my tires (they put like probably 5 ounces of weights (almost a whole package from parts store) in one spot ALL on inside edge of my rim!

Long story short, I will have to grab one of these bubble balancers and use it. I'd like to change my own tires but last time I tried that I busted a rim with the tire iron and had to lower the truck directly onto the bead of the tire, then jump on the truck just to pop the bead. I tried another method with a floor jack and cargo straps only to break the floor jack.

Thanks for the help! I maybe able to be COMPLETELY eliminate shops from my life if I can figure this tire stuff out.

 

[89Suburban]

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

Wow that looks pretty good. You don't have much cross caster... why do you use so little? I thought that's what fought the road crown?

 

[89Suburban]

Wow that looks pretty good. You don't have much cross caster... why do you use so little? I thought that's what fought the road crown?

Somebody posted that in another thread last week. I just put it in here for future reference.

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

Forgot you shared this post! Super DUPER cool, I finally read the entire thing.

20 years ago I was on a racing team. I didn't have a chassis role on the design team but I was in on the discussions. I also refreshed my mind with HP Academy Alignment Course a couple months ago. Very high quality online alignment course. Although they teach the string method which I don't like. I like idea of toe plates better. String method is harder than HE LL to setup IMO. I digress...

You changed up your suspension geometry. Food for thought, first lowering is safer than raising IMO. However, both change suspension geometry so the factory alignment figures maybe a decent baseline but potentially changed slightly? When you change angles on the control arms for instance, the caster and camber gain change. The hub itself doesn't always move through a perfect circle up and down. Some suspensions have more of an ellipse the hub moves through. Changing the resting position of the hub (control arms) changes the point in the arc the hub moves through (caster & camber gain). Partly why there's a market for aftermarket control arms.

There's some pretty sweet breakdown's of that in the HP academy course that touch the surface on those deeper topics. Long story short though, I think learning to get repeatable measurements, tracking them, and refining over time would be AWESOME information to have for what you did. A really really good custom shop, with alignment machine might know how to do what you're doing and even have figures to give you to align to. That said, factory figures are probably close enough, not sure why a shop would turn you away. Half the trucks out there are lifted yet they align them.

When I helped design and build the racecars we also had tire weight scales to weigh the four corners of the vehicle as well as height standards. We adjusted the entire suspension with the driver in the car. It was pretty sweet but insanely tedious and time consuming. Sometimes took a handful of us all night long to configure the suspension.

 

[SpareParts]

View attachment 468660

I believe that is mine.
I don't really have any idea what it all means but it drives straight hands off and does not pull on a crowned road.

 

[89Suburban]

I believe that is mine.
I don't really have any idea what it all means but it drives straight hands off and does not pull on a crowned road.

Thank you for your contribution Freind

 

[89Suburban]

Mastering the Basics: Wheel Alignment | MOTOR

www.motor.com

 

[89Suburban]

You want more positive caster in your wheel alignment. I like a .4 degree spread between sides with the right having more. Mine was last set at 3.7 and 3.9 degrees. I liked it a little better at 3.2 and 3.6 for the spread.

You don't go to just any alignment tech and specify this as most are only trained to put it in the green and send it. You'll want to vet a couple of places, tell them exactly what you want and get before and after readings if you decide to do this. I went to my local dealer where the tech was an expert on our cars and had been on the job for over 20 years, a professional.

Thank you for your info @swathdiver , added to this thread for reference.