I am NOW going to do my Own Alignment! Found a Neat Tool!
 

I have seen all of the tools made by everyone on this board to do their own alignment, but none of them made me just want to get into doing my own alignment! Plus, I have 4 "TOTALLY" different Vehicles to deal with! (2003 Mini Cooper "S", 1982 BMW 320I, 1998 Chevy Astro Van and of course the 1982 Porsche 911sc)

I was wearing out the "Outsides" of the front tires on the BMW (Washington has a LOT of Circles and 4 leaf clovers) and finally realized that I needed to add camber to the 320I. Just about the same problem for the Mini Cooper. So I have installed Adjustable Camber Plates in the BMW but did not want to pay more money to get it aligned. I found this company and this tool for $275 and with some Square tubing Bungied to the wheels I can measure Toe

Camber Gauge and Castor Tools

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1301592992.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1301593036.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1301593054.jpg

Cool, very nice tool. But if I an correct, this tool only for camber, not for toe?

The tool is only For Camber and Castor

I am "Simply" making my TOE tool out of 2 pieces of Square tubing about 2 to 3 feet long that I will attach to the wheel on each side of the car and simply measure the difference between the front and back of the tire for total Toe.

That should work fine. It is similar to a unit I have used for about 15 years called Smart camber, smart gauge or something like that. The principle difference is this one has 3 point contact.
Be sure your floor is level. I found a water level (just clear tubing) works best.

nice that it comes with a case, wish my Smart camber gage did

If you see the video, You set the gauge on the floor and after a few adjustments, it compares the tire to the floor surface so you do the same on both sides and get the measurements as if you were on a perfectly level floor.

My other choice was the FasTrack sold by Eastwood that used a Bubble. It cost less, but just did not excite me the way this one does (Not to mention the Case!)

Watch the Video, it is a Little Complicated to set up, but "I" do not think after using it a few times that it will be anything but fun to use.

Now I am trying to find a set of Cheap turn Plates to put the wheels on so I do not have to leave my chair to adjust :):D

Why make it that difficult? Spin the tires and mark the centerline with chalk. Lower the car, move it the length of the car and measure the distance at the front and rear of the tires at each axle.

On a 911, the bodywork gets in the way of straight edges. You have to make standoffs. And the track is not the same, so your standoffs have to be sized accordingly.

Too much friggin' work.

You see a lot more than me!! I understand Spin the tires. I know how to mark the centerline with Chalk (But why? since it is the edges in front and rear I need to know?) Lower the car OK, Move it the length of the car? Why?

Measure the distance at the front & Rear of the tires at each Axle is what I was going to do to start with the 2 -2 feet long square tubes I had attached to the outside of each tire to begin with. All I plan to do is cut a slot in the tubes ao that the tape will easily stay in place while I measure and I have not raised or lowered the car or rolled it anywhere:confused:

Cool as that tool is, the home wrencher can get away with a lot less. Like string, a bubble level and a precise ruler or tape measure. Here's an example of many people's home grown solutions

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/459183-home-built-camber-gauge.html

edit...... But I completely understand why someone would want the quick digital method. Like when you're at the track and making adjustments "on the fly" as you try to dial in the car's handling

Thanks for trying to clean this up and make it a total Necessary expense! I already got my wife's approval! It was the case that did it for her. She knows that the only things I can find by myself are in a box somewhere. Better yet, she also likes neat gadgets and this is neat and even I can look cool using it on a friends car. You know I cannot tell them how much I spent and let them think I paid a HUGE amount of money for it.

What I really want now are 2 wheel Turn tables, but how can I justify spending another $200 plus for something I can do with a piece of paper taped to the Ground and turning the steering wheel myself? Harbor Freight "Used" to sell them for about $145 and a guy in New York has something close for about $85, but I want 2 professional turn tables with the degrees marked on them and locking pins so that when I drive on it will not move and I can sit in my chair and turn the wheels like the guy with the Hunter alignment machine. :D

BTW, I Still need to use the String to get the front tires Straight after I have the Camber and Caster and all of the Lazers are beyond my skill level to trust myself!

Vincent, give yourself a break.. If you can align your car with the 'string, straight edge, protractor method', it would take me about an hour or so to teach you how use "all of the lazers" to do alignments.. :D

The most important and hardest to find alignment tool? A level surface...

Amen! My entire back yard is Concrete and there is about 1 spot where it is "Fairly" Level (In other words with a level the Bubble will stay between the 2 marks left to right and front to rear)

as a contractor I am embarrassed by that .... but just to save my self from ridicule we intentionally don't as a practice place outdoor concrete LEVEL it is generally angled at 1 to 2 percent minimum to allow water to drain and not pool up .... even your garage floor should have a slight slope(1%or so) going down towards the door so that water that finds its way inside can find its way out .....

you can get self leveling top coat and damn the front of your garage to the same level as the back and just as on the can pour until just at level then wait till cured and you have a level floor ....

Its not easy and its not cheap .... but ???

Steve

Just use a 6' or 8' level, and a stack of washers to compensate for waves in the concrete. Place a digital level in the center to calibrate the slope.

YOu want easy, get a pair of toe plates from Longacre.... no jacking, no chalk....

Looks exactly like the tool I'm going to make when I'm ready for an alignment. I think I got the digital level for like $15

thats what i was thinking.
you could "calibrate" a spot in the garage.

instead of chalking the tires, i have seen a very neat home made jig that mounts to the front and the rear of the car for "stringing" it to do toe.

the rear is going to be a bit of a bear to do. you would almost have to string the car to do it.


never done it, just based on watching my car get done, with strings, scales and camber gauge.

A perfectly level surface isn't a must for alignment. Corner balancing is a different story, but alignment you make do just fine without the car being dead perfectly level.

Do not be embarassed! I did the concrete myself and on the left side of the yard I made it flat just so I could raise and lower the Porsche and the right side has a slope and at the Back it has a slope to the alley. I also removed all of the steps and have ramps into the basement where I work on the Motorcycles. SO nothing to do with "Professional" people.