A few days ago, I completed the ride height adjustments and wheel alignment at home for a local Pelicanite. The tools and equipment used were typical handyman's tools available in most hardware stores. The goal of this post is to demonstrate that a DIY guy like many in this forum could perform 4-wheel alignment at your garage (home) using this simplified method. While the most popular and common method by Ray Scruggs use strings, I decided to go
stringless. I've done this wheel alignment on my cars for over 10 years now and after the recent work with Mickey356's '83SC, I felt some people could benefit from this simple but accurate method.
I would say that I have invested less than $50 for the whole set-up. And very satisfied with the results that I have obtained from the car that I have done. The pictures below illustrate the 'special tools' built and designed by the author.
TOE Measurement:
Install the aluminum bar shown below on the wheel to me tested. Centering and leveling the bar position is the key for obtaining consistent and reliable data.
Hook up the leveling tool equipped with a laser beam. Position and align with the aluminum mounting bar. Next, turn the beam 'ON' to get the initial reading. For this demo, we are measuring the TOE of the rear passenger wheel as shown in the picture.
The projected laser beam produce a straight line (laser beam) more accurate than the conventional strings. Look very closely at the picture below. I call this gizmo as my 'distance gauge'. This measures the distance of the laser from the mounting base of the hub. This distance is referred to as Xp-f (passenger-front). Subsequently all the other wheels would have the following X (passenger-rear), (driver-front), and (driver-rear). These numbers might not mean a lot now but as I go along and explain the measurement procedures, these number are the most critical measurements needed for good alignment. I will explain as we proceed.
Take a good look at the distance gauge @ 15/16 mark. In reality, this red laser beam is very intense and bright, but my photography did not pick-up the color. The 15/16 mark signifies the orientation or position of the rear wheel with respect to the front wheel. And laser makes another mark at the front rod at the yellow tape.
The front rod is positioned so that the laser beam is on the yellow tape's marking. See picture below. The measuring rod should be secured and must not be disturbed during the whole process. Otherwise inconsistencies will occur.
Change the set-up for the laser bean and set it for the rearward direction. Clamp the tool on the mounting bar and begin to measure the other end. Position the rear measuring rod's yellow tape marking on the beam's projection. At this point you have completed half-way the test for the rear passenger wheel toe.
The PS-rear wheel has produced the front & rear data points. Now continue to the other side of the car for the driver side rear wheel toe measurement. Repeat the same procedure from the above for the DS rear wheel.
Following the same procedure as we did for the passenger rear wheel, the driver side laser beam would have also a 'distance from the front hub' as X d-f (driver-front). And the beam makes a red line on the front measuring rod some where at the graduated markings. See next picture.
Ignore the numbers on the tape measure. The tape measure (pieces) were both placed equidistant fromthe end of the rod (yellow tape). Since the locations of the markings on both rods are the same, we could use the relative difference from the numbers we get. And that difference is the TOE number. Whether it is negative or positive toe will be determined but the number we obtained during the measurement.
This is how we take the reading and will use Mickey356's data points.
PS-rear:
Xp-r = 15/16
front number = 0 (the yellow tape marking on the
front rod)
rear number = 0 (the yellow tape marking on the
rear rod).
DS-rear:
Xd-r = 15.5/16
front number = 4-6/16"
rear number = 4-9/16"
Ideally, you want the values of Xp-r and Xd-r to be equal or the same. But these numbers are close enough to be considered the same for our intend and purposes. Since the rear measurement is greater than the front measurement we have a negative toe or toe-in. The front and rear numbers were taken from the laser beam projections for the driverside rear wheel meaurement.
The difference between the front/rear numbers is -3/16" (-0.1875").This is the total toe number. So toe-in is measured as:
tangent theta =-0.1875/2/204=0.00046
Theta (angle) = -0.026°.
The distance between the front & rear measuring rods is 17 feet or 204".
Doing the same procedures for the front wheels, I got the following data points.
DS-front:
Xd-f = 6.5
Front number = 0
Rear number = 0
PS-front:
Xp-f = 6.5
Front number = 2-3/16
Rear number = 3-1/16
Since the rear number is greater that the front we have toe-in (total) of -14/16 or a toe-in of -7/16" (-0.4375").
Tangent theta = 0.4375'/204" = 0.00214
Theta (angle) = -0.12° (toe-in)
Camber measurement:
Smart Racing has a very nice tool for measuring camber and caster. What I have is a McGiver camber tool that could detect as small as 1/32" deflection. A 1/16" accuracy is good enough to measure the changes in camber settings.
The biggest concern I have is how would people believe that the measurements are as good as the professional shops offer? I will get to that later. For the meantime, I would like to get some comment,suggestion, comment about this method. Thanks.
Tony