DIY Alignment?
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Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Walnut Creek, CA
DIY Alignment?
I don't want to pay Pep Boys $50+ to do a 4-wheel alignment, and possibly screw something else up.
Can I do it myself?
I started a thread on another site, and people claim that its do-able:
http://theoildrop.server101.com/foru...&Number=579598
Can I do it myself?
I started a thread on another site, and people claim that its do-able:
Steel tape measure, masking tape, string, and a dial type level indicator.
You have to have a level surface for camber testing. Shim a wheel with floor tiles, if necessary.
You can check the toe anytime the car is on the ground.
With camber, having both sides equal is more important than being off 1/2 deg from specs.
Your susp[ension has to be in good shape, as well as good, properly inflated tires.
1 Pull in to where you are doing the work, with the steering wheel as it is when driving normally straight.
2 Check your caster on a straight part of the wheel. Use wood blocks shims on your gauge [or whatever] to get a flush and accurate spot, if needed.
3 Adjust your caster. Some have top strut mounts that are adjustable, or can be ground out to allow movement, have adjustable cam bolts on the upper cross bolt, or you can get a camber kit for $20.00 that replaces the upper cross bolt.
4 Drive the car around the block and repeat checking it. Like the shampoo bottle says, lather and repeat as necessary!
5 Now, adjust the toe. Measure at the same height in front and back of the tire. Tape your steel tape to one repeatable sipe on a tire, and simply read the other side at a repeateble line, or sipe.
The difference is your toe in/out. Adjust it by the outer tie rod ends. Guess what? Drive it and repeat to check everything.
6 Your steering wheel is probably off now, when driving straight. Simply turn one tie rod end in, and one out [the exact same amount], to center the wheel. Once again, you have to drive and settle everything. Pull back into your spot.
7 Are the rears adjustable? With the car pulled in straight, and everything good up front, tape your string to the back outside of your rear tires, and by holding it taught swing aroung until it touches the front outside of the tire. You want them to be pointing in/out the same. Use the body or front tires as a reference. Adjust the total toe as needed, and make sure they 'point' the same afterwards .
This will involve a lot of checking and rechecking, but you can get a near perfect alignment, to stock, or your special specs.
I hate long posts, but I needed to touch on a lot of points.
Google 'home auto alignment', or some such wording. You will come up with a plan that will work!
You have to have a level surface for camber testing. Shim a wheel with floor tiles, if necessary.
You can check the toe anytime the car is on the ground.
With camber, having both sides equal is more important than being off 1/2 deg from specs.
Your susp[ension has to be in good shape, as well as good, properly inflated tires.
1 Pull in to where you are doing the work, with the steering wheel as it is when driving normally straight.
2 Check your caster on a straight part of the wheel. Use wood blocks shims on your gauge [or whatever] to get a flush and accurate spot, if needed.
3 Adjust your caster. Some have top strut mounts that are adjustable, or can be ground out to allow movement, have adjustable cam bolts on the upper cross bolt, or you can get a camber kit for $20.00 that replaces the upper cross bolt.
4 Drive the car around the block and repeat checking it. Like the shampoo bottle says, lather and repeat as necessary!
5 Now, adjust the toe. Measure at the same height in front and back of the tire. Tape your steel tape to one repeatable sipe on a tire, and simply read the other side at a repeateble line, or sipe.
The difference is your toe in/out. Adjust it by the outer tie rod ends. Guess what? Drive it and repeat to check everything.
6 Your steering wheel is probably off now, when driving straight. Simply turn one tie rod end in, and one out [the exact same amount], to center the wheel. Once again, you have to drive and settle everything. Pull back into your spot.
7 Are the rears adjustable? With the car pulled in straight, and everything good up front, tape your string to the back outside of your rear tires, and by holding it taught swing aroung until it touches the front outside of the tire. You want them to be pointing in/out the same. Use the body or front tires as a reference. Adjust the total toe as needed, and make sure they 'point' the same afterwards .
This will involve a lot of checking and rechecking, but you can get a near perfect alignment, to stock, or your special specs.
I hate long posts, but I needed to touch on a lot of points.
Google 'home auto alignment', or some such wording. You will come up with a plan that will work!
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,355
Likes: 1
If you follow the instructions posted you won't get as good a result as having a professional do it. This guy is clueless. Spend the bucks and get it done right.
I'm not a fan of Pep Boys, find a good alignment shop that can do the job right. Yes, it's $50-100 but it's not something you have to do often, and if you screw it up the cost of fixing things or buying new tires is more.
I'm not a fan of Pep Boys, find a good alignment shop that can do the job right. Yes, it's $50-100 but it's not something you have to do often, and if you screw it up the cost of fixing things or buying new tires is more.
dɐɹɔ ǝɥʇ ʇɐɥʍ
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 7,522
Likes: 1
From: Lexington, KY
that was good for a laughThe ability to do an alignment properly takes years of experience and a $50k+ piece of equipment, there is NO way you can be assured any sort of accuracy with that proceedure. I can make your steering wheel straight and have the tires wear out in under 5k miles, but I've also done over 3000 alignments and know tricks for pretty much every common vehicle on the road. The equipment used for the alignment is almost as important as the person doing it, experience is the difference between a job done well and a job just done.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,340
Likes: 249
From: Tucson Az
I did the alignment on my vw once when I was 16. I didn't know you could make tires screech while going in a strait line at a steady speed. I think I got the "turn in" dynamics of the car just right though, going 40 or 50 and turning slightly would send the car into a ditch.
I think
After that I went crawling back to the guy that had done my parents cars for years. I didn't see any 50k dollar machines around his shop though. I am sure somebody would have stolen it from where he is anyway.
I think
After that I went crawling back to the guy that had done my parents cars for years. I didn't see any 50k dollar machines around his shop though. I am sure somebody would have stolen it from where he is anyway.
Senior Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 34,937
Likes: 638
From: Chicago Burbs
Originally Posted by subinf
Stop being a cheap ass with your car
No kidding, these threads are ridiculous.
Shit, $50 for a 4-wheel alignment is cheap as it is, of course i wouldnt be caught dead letting Pet Boys work on my car. But I would rather you do that than doing it on your own.
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dɐɹɔ ǝɥʇ ʇɐɥʍ
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 7,522
Likes: 1
From: Lexington, KY
Originally Posted by Doc Holiday
Heck, I'd say do it. Give it a shot, and let us know the outcome of it. Whether your car did get aligned, or it got worse. 
Unless you really fucked it up, you'd be unaware you messed it up, until your tires were wore out at 20k miles, which would probably take 10 years off poor Mikes life
Senior Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 34,937
Likes: 638
From: Chicago Burbs
Originally Posted by Tireguy
Unless you really fucked it up, you'd be unaware you messed it up, until your tires were wore out at 20k miles, which would probably take 10 years off poor Mikes life
Also if the alignment isnt right then he would be spending more in tires in the long run anyways.
Suzuka Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,438
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by Stapler
I didn't see any 50k dollar machines around his shop though. I am sure somebody would have stolen it from where he is anyway.
The new machines shine a light on reflectors on the wheels and analyze the the angle the light is reflected back or some crap like that.
Mike
dɐɹɔ ǝɥʇ ʇɐɥʍ
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 7,522
Likes: 1
From: Lexington, KY
Originally Posted by crazymjb
The Machines aren't anything massive. The ones we have at the school are a series of lenses and lights that attach to the wheels and a computer, something from the 80s...
The new machines shine a light on reflectors on the wheels and analyze the the angle the light is reflected back or some crap like that.
Mike
The new machines shine a light on reflectors on the wheels and analyze the the angle the light is reflected back or some crap like that.
Mike
and having purchased one of them I know that even though there isn't much to them they cost more then a little
One on the right for me
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,914
Likes: 272
From: Bay Area, CA
Originally Posted by crazymjb
Dunno what lifts you are talking about. The lifts we use at school are 2-3K. Electro-hydraulic. Very reliable. I think only one of them has had a problem, and it was just a hydraulic leak.
Mike
Mike
Oops, I didn't separate out the different lift costs. Shop I used to work at bought three new lifts - 24k total, not each.
dɐɹɔ ǝɥʇ ʇɐɥʍ
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 7,522
Likes: 1
From: Lexington, KY
A good quality four post or parallelorgram lift runs $7-10k not including the alignment equipment. Sure there are cheaper lifts and of course two post lifts are always less money, but not optimal for doing alignments. Schools always buy cheap equipment.
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