toobroketoretire
Banned
Okay, here's the instructions on how to do a rear wheel alignment:
1. Fasten a steel hook to a long piece of 1/16" nylon contractor's string (picture #1).
2. If your rear tires are wider than your front tires temporarily put the opposite rear tire onto the front so the front and rear tires are the same size for the alignment procedure.
3. Attach the steel hook to the vertical spare tire tub hanger bolt about 12" above the ground (no picture).
4. Stretch the 1/16" string alongside the rear and front tires then fasten the front end of the string to something HEAVY like a battery and with the string about 12" above the ground (picture #2 and #3).
5. With the string lightly touching the front sidewall of the rear tire and stretched TIGHT it should be ALMOST parallel to the sidewalls of the front tire. When I say "almost" I mean it should be about 1/6" further from the front sidewall than the rear sidewall because of the front tire's small amount of toe in (picture #4).
6. If your frame is straight and your front and rear tire are the same size the string should be .350" away from the front tire sidewalls because of the .700" total difference in the rear/front track widths (the rear track width being .700" wider than the front track width). The idea here is to point the rear tires in the same direction as the front tires and a TIGHT string will tell you if your rear tires are even slightly off in either direction. With the string stretched TIGHT get behind the car and sight along the string to make sure it is not "bent" around the front of the rear tire (the string must be dead straight the whole distance).
7. Once you achieve the .350" clearance to the front tire's sidewall remove a 1/16" shim from the inside of your trailing arm shim pack and put it on the outside. That will turn the front of tire inward 1/16". Do this on both sides and you'll end up with a total of 1/8" toe in. Plenty accurate for street use.
My alignment method will never read as accurate as an alignment machine but you'll never detect the difference because pointing straight is uh pointing straight.
1. Fasten a steel hook to a long piece of 1/16" nylon contractor's string (picture #1).
2. If your rear tires are wider than your front tires temporarily put the opposite rear tire onto the front so the front and rear tires are the same size for the alignment procedure.
3. Attach the steel hook to the vertical spare tire tub hanger bolt about 12" above the ground (no picture).
4. Stretch the 1/16" string alongside the rear and front tires then fasten the front end of the string to something HEAVY like a battery and with the string about 12" above the ground (picture #2 and #3).
5. With the string lightly touching the front sidewall of the rear tire and stretched TIGHT it should be ALMOST parallel to the sidewalls of the front tire. When I say "almost" I mean it should be about 1/6" further from the front sidewall than the rear sidewall because of the front tire's small amount of toe in (picture #4).
6. If your frame is straight and your front and rear tire are the same size the string should be .350" away from the front tire sidewalls because of the .700" total difference in the rear/front track widths (the rear track width being .700" wider than the front track width). The idea here is to point the rear tires in the same direction as the front tires and a TIGHT string will tell you if your rear tires are even slightly off in either direction. With the string stretched TIGHT get behind the car and sight along the string to make sure it is not "bent" around the front of the rear tire (the string must be dead straight the whole distance).
7. Once you achieve the .350" clearance to the front tire's sidewall remove a 1/16" shim from the inside of your trailing arm shim pack and put it on the outside. That will turn the front of tire inward 1/16". Do this on both sides and you'll end up with a total of 1/8" toe in. Plenty accurate for street use.
My alignment method will never read as accurate as an alignment machine but you'll never detect the difference because pointing straight is uh pointing straight.
