DIY Alignments?

Right now I’m dependent on finding someone who is willing to help me do an alignment or bring it to a shop, which adds. I’ve seen guys doing alignments at the track and know others do it themselves at home. When a shop does it, they use some pretty serious and expensive equipment. Is it really possible for a person to do an alignment that will be close in quality without the expensive equipment?

I’ll admit that I’m not the most technical / best mechanic; how difficult it is to do an alignment using the DIY tools? I did some searching on the web and found what looked like some very, very basic tools for the DIY individual. And they were extremely cheap ($40 total). Maybe that didn’t include everything needed. I also remember looking through one of those race catalogs (unfortunately can’t remember which one) and seeing a special camber gauge similar to level tool.

So what I’m really asking is what are you opinions about the DIY method? Not just for an emergency at the track, but as a replacement of using the expensive equipment.

How complicated of a process is it?

How expensive are the tools? What tools are needed? Where are some places that they can be bought at a reasonable price?

And any other comments about the process would be great too!

Dave,
I'm not far off from you but I've gotten most of the tools. If you want to swing by sometime we can talk more. It seems to be a pretty easy venture and I'm definitely noticing the results on the track. The hard part for the DIY'er is adjusting toe individual sides. It's easy to do overall toe but hard to break it down L to R. In other words- I've got a friend in ITS who runs 1/16" overall toe in but he has 1/32" per side. He has access to a multidollar body shop type of alignment system. Nice huh?!
Rob

The only critical part to an alignment is a perfectly level surface.

Thereafter, if you invest in a ruler, some jack stands and string, you are off to a good start.

Why? Because your toe is the real important alignment dimension, DIY or otherwise.

Camber is best tackled with looking at what you have for a suspensinon--struts or a-arms, etc--and tires. It is best tackled by testing at the track with a pyro gauge. Everything else is a guess, so fir the DIYer, put in as much negative as you can for a starting point. Adjusting your camber will change your toe.

Leave your caster alone--assuming your car is straight, uncrashed.

The best tools are scales, but they can get pricey. To do your cornerweighting you will need them, but you also need A LEVEL SURFACE! After adjusting the scales for 50-50 cross-weight (or whatever weight jacking you may want to experiment with) you will need to reset (guess what?) your toe!

There are articles on the net and in books/magazines to help with all of this.

Learn the toe.

Regards.

There is no substitute for experience, but DIY aligning is not difficult to learn.

I have only one use for a pro shop rack--and not an alignment machine. That's a frame machine at a good body shop to repair the unibody to a straight unibody.

Joe is absolutely right, but I need to add one thing to it.

PATIENCE!!!

It will take a while to do an alignment. Between getting the strings just right, checking the measurements, rolling the car, rechecking to make sure the strings are right, etc, it can be trying. But, if you just relax, take good notes, and work through it, the alignment will be perfect and you'll actually not have to fight the car down the straights.

I'm patience challenged at points, but this year I finally did what I consider a good alignment. Setting the toe took ~3 hours, but at the track, I could take my hands off the wheel down the straight and not worry about heading toward the wall! It made for a much more relaxing experience.

My winter project is a platform for alignements. Sure, they sell them, but I can't really afford $2000...

I always try to add this to any discussion of alignments because very few people know about it. And that includes the alignment shop people too. The most popular computer alignment system by Hunter is based on degrees not inches. Thus, when you tell them you want 1/32" toe out each side, they cannot directly do that. The computer has a built-in conversion program and that is what they will use. No problem, right? :023: No. Problem. The conversion is based on an assumed typical passenger car tire diameter that is bigger than 90% of the tires in IT. So your alignment will not be what you asked for. :bash_1_: It may be close enough but don't think you are getting a precise alignment.

Also, if I am not mistaken it is total toe that you are interested in as long as you do not mind your steering wheel not being perfectly aligned at 12 o'clock. On the track the wheels will straighten and the toe will be divided equally and 1/32" one side or the other you will not notice in the steering wheel alignment.

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Originally posted by gran racing@Sep 23 2005, 09:16 AM
Is it really possible for a person to do an alignment that will be close in quality without the expensive equipment?

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Yes, not only is it possible it's absolutely feasible, repeatable, and accurate.
We used the string method that I outlined in these forums (I'll try to dig that up) in the shop as well as at the track on our IMSA GTU team.

Setting toe with a string is very accurate. Camber is a tad less accurate with a hand held bubble device but it's close enough for DOT race tires like we use.

As said it's important to have a flat surface for camber measurements but if you mark your suspension and don't change components you can adjust camber at the track on any surface using those marks.

Patented, pricey and perfectly accurate:

True Laser Track

Yeah, the floor needs to be flat etc., but I've seen this thing work and it is most impressive. The circle track guys are measuring toe in thousandths, not fractions.

I've done more alignments and scaling at the track or in the garage on a FC than I care to think about. Here are some feelings on the subject that I hope will transfer over to my IT7 and should help you.

Learn how to string it correctly and as long as you have 4 jackstands and a ball of string you can do it anywhere.

Buy and learn how to use a Longacre camber gauge. The best toe gauges I have used are the optical Dunlops as they are fast and accurate. Make friends with someone who owns a set as you do not want to know how much they cost.

Level surface is the best but not as critical as one might think. Obviously, you can't scale on a hill but a reasonably flat surface will normally suffice.

Camber is an initial setting to be dialed in at the track using tire temps. Same with hot tire pressure.

It doesn't take much toe out to turn in but you have to have some.

You can play with rake to a point to tighten or loosen up the car.

Don't go nuts trying to get the corners to match perfectly. Cross weight is your friend.

Damn near every ajustment requires the car be rolled back and forth and bounced to settle out the suspension.

Record your setup, any changes, and track results of the same.

Hope this helps.

Toe: Toe can easily and quite cheaply be done at home with minimal equipment. Purchase two long square (preferred) or round rods from your local hardware store. Before purchasing, make sure when you put the two together they touch all along all sides. In other words, make sure both are straight. Bungee them to the wheels, and measure as close to the car as possible, and about 16-18" out. I like to set toe out between 1/16" to 3/16" in front, and about 1/16" to 1/8" toe in in the rear. You will find that toe is not ultra critical (you won't feel or see any difference if you are within the amounts above), at least on any car I've ever driven. But you will certainly have stability problems if the rear is toe-out, or much toe-in in the front.

Camber: This can be done with a string and protractor, but I would recommend more expensive tool (a Smart Level is great but somewhat expensive, but something around the $35-$50 range will work OK). Mostly check camber with tire temp gauges, and set accordingly.

Castor: The method I use is to check camber with the steering wheel 3/4 turn right, then left. Then use the calculation (which I don't have memorized) to determine the amount. The most critical part of castor is to get it the same on both front wheels. If not the same, you could well find a lack of stability under hard breaking. Beyond that, it's a matter of balancing your feel between centering the car and how heavy-handed the wheel feels (the more castor, the quicker it will center but the heavier the wheel feels). Many people use between 3 and 4 deg. castor. Don't be afraid to experiment some - just make both wheels the same!

Camber - I use a level, tape measure, and calculator. Put the level vertical, touching the lower sidewall of the tire. Measure horizontally to the upper sidewall. Divide by the distance between sidewalls (mine's about 20"). Calculate arctangent. I know the bulge in the lower sidewall introduces some inaccuracy, but I don't think it's much.

Speaking of temps, have you guys ever encountered a situation where the pyro keeps telling you to take negative camber out (inside edge is too hot) past the point of traditional wisdom, sense, and manufacturers' specs? Am I not doing a hot enough in-lap to get the tires over on the outside? The overall temps have also been too low. Should there perhaps be a principle that you should not set camber based on tires temps unless the tire is in the working range? What are your procedures for taking useable tire temps?

If people think the only way to get the best setup is with electronic equipment. Someone should tell all the pro Open wheel Champ Car and IRl teams. Every team that I have ever witnessed adjusting the setup at the track uses a string based system.

I think everybody covered it pretty well.
My .02:

It takes a LONG time to do it right (does for me anyway), but its worth it.
I've had my car checed twice after I did it myself (wasn't confident) and came out dead on. Since then, I always do my own. I did invest in a camber gage tho, on which you can check camber and caster.

Is there an effective way to set camber using a tire temp probe ? I mean considering the "in lap" may not always be a fast one ....I've pondered this for to long :( I've head that some top teams (read lots of money $ ) use data systems and three ir sensors per wheel $$$$ .....anyone....anyone have any good ideas ???

Bill and Michael;

I have the same problems to a point. I can't get the temps up to what's supposed to be "optimum", either (I only get to ~140 - 145 usually).

Since both of you run MiDiv tracks, too . . .. At least pit-in at all 3 of the ones I usually run is after a turn that is in the predominant turn direction at the track. My biggest problem is at Gateway where the pit road is so darn long.

Don't forget - toe can affect readings also.

Bill - springs too soft / bumpsteer??