Doing Your Own Front End Alignment

[dougelam]

In just three weeks this thread has been viewed over 2700 times by people who are genuinely interested in aligning their own front ends.

Another assumption, I could not find anywhere in this post where if said that all 2700 people were "genuinely interested"
I didn't see any likes either!

An "alignment machine" doesn't do the alignment as it only measures the caster, camber, and toe in values then the technician attempts to bring it into specs by adding/removing shims. So it's the technician who actually does the work and therefore the quality of the alignment rests on the technician's shoulders.

It's amazing the first thing that I learned when I was a child was "you are only as good as your tools"
A woodsmith is nothing without his saw
A blacksmith is nothing without his fire
A fireman is nothing without his hose
An electrician is nothing without his voltmeter
And so on



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[Antz81]

In just three weeks this thread has been viewed over 2700 times by people who are genuinely interested in aligning their own front ends.

Everytime someone (including yourself) opens the thread an extra view is added. It may have over 2700 views but how may different people have viewed it? And how many are going to start relying on your method to align their wheels? Probably very few if any.

That being said, assuming that the tool has been made accurately it probably does get the caster close to spec, you probably do get the camber close to spec. As for your toe measurements I think you're not doing much better than taking a guess. This doesn't mean that your way of doing it couldn't be used after replacing suspension components as a basic guide to it close before taking it to a shop to have it checked properly.

I still don't like the idea of resting the car on blocks of timber at the rotors however.

As for test roads, we have plenty here. I can be on one within a couple of minutes of leaving home.

 

[toobroketoretire]

Aligning Your Own Front End

For those of you who are viewing this thread for the first time I'll give you a recap of my method to align G.M front ends all by yourself using a simple tool and a magnetic base digital angle finder:

1. Measure the distance from the ground to the center of your hub cap (picture #1). You'll find it's about 11-3/4" to 12".

2. Remove the wheels/tires and block/shim until the center of your dust cap is the same height in step 1 (picture #2).

3. Make a simple tool using 1/8" X 1" X 24' flat steel with a 2-1/2" long shelf for the digital angle finder to set on (picture #3 and #4). The tool stands 10-1/2" high X 5-1/2" wide plus the 2-1/2" long shelf and has two 1/4" holes drilled 5" from the angle finder side.

4. Hang the tool (and angle finder) onto the upper and lower ball joint grease zerks (straight zerks) and read the caster angle (picture #5).

5. Add or remove shims at the rear of the control arm to change the caster angle. Note the camber angle will change slightly (picture #6).

6. Place digital angle finder onto the rotor's hub to measure the camber angle (picture #7).

7. Add or remove shims at the front of the control arm to change the camber angle. Note the caster angle will change slightly (also picture #6).

8. Reinstall the wheels/tires and roll the car 10 feet backward and then 10 feet foreword to "normalize" the front end. Then by adjusting the lengths of the tie rods in 1/4 turn increments set the toe in to 1/8" to 1/4" (picture #8).



If you start with ZERO shims you can have your front end aligned in a couple of hours and you'll have a blast doing it. You'll not only save $100 to $125 but you'll learn something too!

 

[toobroketoretire]

Aligning Your Own Front End

And i suggest ignoring the several members who are determined to disrupt this informative thread and attack me personally. They seem to think people admire them when they bash other people when in fact all they do is make total fools out of themselves.

 

[dougelam]

I suggest that unless you are very competent with your mechanical abilities AND have good health insurance you take your vehicle to a repair facility for undercar repairs!

As his post covers rear wheel drive G.M. cars and trucks from around 1970 thru the mid 80's no one and I mean NO ONE should try this on vehicles where one would need to make any adjustments from underneath!

You also need to have a good understanding of what you are doing AND a back up plan in case you're vehicle doesn't stay on your blocks of wood.

If, and that's a big if anyone trys this please post your results

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[LLC5]

And i suggest ignoring the several members who are determined to disrupt this informative thread and attack me personally. They seem to think people admire them when they bash other people when in fact all they do is make total fools out of themselves.

Glad you interpreted that correctly, the only reason people disagree with you is for the fame and fortune.

It has absolutely nothing to do with saving people from wasting their time, and more importantly not getting injured. It's all just about getting admired.

 

[kpic]

And i suggest ignoring the several members who are determined to disrupt this informative thread and attack me personally. They seem to think people admire them when they bash other people when in fact all they do is make total fools out of themselves.

Here comes toobroke... playing the victim card as usual... It seems to be an endless circle.

You call Master Techs fools? Don't trip on your ego, sport.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Guys-

It's possibly time to stop feeding the troll. It appears that he's been playing the same silly games over at the SmokinVette site for years. They've now got him figured out and have stopped taking the bait

SmokinVette.com Forums - View Profile: toobroketoretire

If you read the posts, it's the same trolling-for-a-reaction crap by posting controversial topics under the guise of teaching people something then playing the 'poor me' card when he's told to get stuffed. Perfect example-

Are headers really worth it?

Are Headers REALLY Worth It? - SmokinVette.com Forums

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Late breaking news!

Corvette Forum has had a gut full too!

He is at it again - CorvetteForum - Chevrolet Corvette Forum Discussion

 

[kpic]

I liked Vettex2's post:

Did you get banned again at the other forum?

As usual, Toobroke kept rolling and Vettex2 responded:

Clueless

Vettex2 summed it up quite well...

TB has lost it

I disagree, how can TB lose what he never had.

It seems we have the well known troll of the Corvette forums in our presence...

.

 

[dougelam]

Are you trying you say he is a mechanical exhibitionist?

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[kpic]

Toobroke....

You are famous on every Corvette forum...

The bad news is; in the way no one would want to be well known..

 

[toobroketoretire]

Thank you for your compliments. Now if you would like to learn how to align your own front end follow my instructions and you'll end up with a quality alignment for free (assuming you already have the simple tool and angle finder).

 

[Antz81]

Thank you for your compliments. Now if you would like to learn how to align your own front end follow my instructions and you'll end up with a quality alignment for free (assuming you already have the simple tool and angle finder).

Or for the same amount of time I could go to work, and earn the money it would take to get it done at a shop. The bonus being it would be done correctly and safely, this comes from having it done on a proper machine rather than some cheap homemade tool.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Me no feed troll.

 

[toobroketoretire]

Aligning Your Own Front End

This thread is still being viewed over 100 times per day as a LOT of people want to learn how to align their own front ends. This morning I watched a number of You Tube videos and almost all of them showed guys using strings to uh "align" their front ends when in fact using strings accomplishes virtually nothing. The important caster and camber angles cannot be measured using strings which makes the use of strings worthless. By using my simple home made tool and angle finder anyone with hardly any mechanical experience can achieve a quality alignment and learn something new at the same time. Truly a WIN WIN situation.

 

[dougelam]

This thread is still being viewed over 100 times per day as a LOT of people want to learn how to align their own front ends. This morning I watched a number of You Tube videos and almost all of them showed guys using strings to uh "align" their front ends when in fact using strings accomplishes virtually nothing. The important caster and camber angles cannot be measured using strings which makes the use of strings worthless. By using my simple home made tool and angle finder anyone with hardly any mechanical experience can achieve a quality alignment and learn something new at the same time. Truly a WIN WIN situation.

Post some links from you tube with someone using string please

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[toobroketoretire]

Aligning Your Own Front End

I have always been amused over how people with no knowledge of a subject will argue tooth-and-nail about that subject. In this case we have several people who have never aligned their own front ends but yet they know more about front end alignments than the technicians know.

My '71 handles like a new car, it's steering wheel never shimmies under high speed cornering, my front tires last over 50,000 miles, but yet I'm told I don't know what I'm doing. Hmm.

 

[kpic]

Toobroke...
True, you have kept us amused also.. By what Vettehead Mikey posted, have you worn out your welcome at the other forums?? Just curious..

Almost as curious to read what college you graduated from...

PS: Don't play the I'm a victim card again as usual. .

 

[dougelam]

I have always been amused over how people with no knowledge of a subject will argue tooth-and-nail about that subject. In this case we have several people who have never aligned their own front ends but yet they know more about front end alignments than the technicians know.

My '71 handles like a new car, it's steering wheel never shimmies under high speed cornering, my front tires last over 50,000 miles, but yet I'm told I don't know what I'm doing. Hmm.

I'm assuming he is including himself as "PEOPLE"

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