Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have a couple ideas for a "home made" alignment rig, one of which includes photoelectric distance sensors and extruded aluminum stock.... $$$.
Years back, I saw how one old-school shop tech did the toe alignment.
Tape measure.
The lift had the turntables, but that was it for the tools. End result ... tracking was spot on. Certainly did a better job than what the tire shop did with their computerized alignment ... which as I found out, was only as good as its calibration and the monkey doing the adjustments.
A friend of my uncle's has a SL55 AMG and has taken it to the dealer for service, left it there for the weekend, and had it come back with 200 miles put on it.
I had the same thing happen to my car when I dropped it off at my former trusted (I thought) mechanic. He had also left his cell phone on the floor on the passenger side, which meant somebody else was probably driving with him. I didn't say anything, but I never used him again, and when he called asking if I found his cell phone I just threw it in the trash.
Amen. The only thing I have to go to a shop for is inspections and alignments. Even in that small sliver of time out of my hands stupid mistakes happen. I have a couple ideas for a "home made" alignment rig, one of which includes photoelectric distance sensors and extruded aluminum stock.... $$$.
Look in Eastwood's catalog, they have a toe-in gauge available, I have one, if you use it carefully it's slow compared to an alignment rack, but it's as accurate as you are careful with it. It's cheap, about $50.
Get that and a Smart Camber and do your own alignments like I do. Smart Camber will set you back about $200-250 IIRC.
That and you can experiment a bit within the allowed specs for your front end. For example I prefer minimum toe-in, this does not give the car as much "stable" feel "on center" going straight, but it gives a bit better turn-in response and minimizes both rolling drag and tire wear.
Years back, I saw how one old-school shop tech did the toe alignment.
Tape measure.
The lift had the turntables, but that was it for the tools. End result ... tracking was spot on. Certainly did a better job than what the tire shop did with their computerized alignment ... which as I found out, was only as good as its calibration and the monkey doing the adjustments.
Completely correct. If you work carefully enough and figure out a good reference point on the tire, you can set toe as well with a tape measure as with the most expensive rack..
You can also put a string around the rear tires, going forward to say a couple of jack stands out in front of the car, move the jack stands till the string contacts the back part of each front tire, (OK if the car is actually toed out it will contact the front rather than back) and you can measure the toe-in, actually in most cases if you will set like 1/16 or even 1/32 of toe in that's enough.
Check your work by going for a cruise on a straight level road, get out and feel of the front tire with your hand. If it's uniformly warm outside edge to inside, you are good. Outside edge hotter, means you need *LESS* toe-in, inside edge hotter calls for *MORE* toe-in.
Just realize you can make more per hour as a fry cook at Micky D's than you can setting people's alignment with "hillbilly" tools...
I never put any 200 miles on any customers cars but for one, and he invited me way north into Maine wanting me to drive his car to him for the weekend. I didn't crash his car either.
I lost things of mine in other peoples cars, mostly Zippo Lighters, from layin under the dash fixing something.
I always like new customer Saab 99's and up for the tools you could find hung up under the engine.
Ft ends? Sure I used the best of the best tooling for that, and I still prefer a string or tape. The machines beat all when it's a 4 wheel aline, and you want all 4 lined.
In a case of modified hot rods these come in very handy. When you do have to go in for a alignment or tires or whatever, you pop one of these 2,000 RPM pills in the MSD ignition box. That is more than enough to jockey the car around the parking lot and move it onto the lift. No hot rodding, burnouts, or joy riding by the techs when you leave. The adjustable ones are useless for this because they don't take pills. You adjust them with a dial and it can be done by anyone at anytime under the hood. MSD RPM Pill Module Kit 7000, 7200, 7400, 7600 & 7800 RPM
Does MSD make 2k rpm pills? I've only seen 3k chips as the smallest ones.
On turbo cars, you might be able to get by with disconnecting the waste gate. At least on my turbo Buick you can, then when someone tries to get it to build boost, the wastegate puck will just flop open.
Does MSD make 2k rpm pills? I've only seen 3k chips as the smallest ones.
On turbo cars, you might be able to get by with disconnecting the waste gate. At least on my turbo Buick you can, then when someone tries to get it to build boost, the wastegate puck will just flop open.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
