Doing your own wheel alignment?

[Langanobob]

You can buy accurate caster/camber gauges for $200 or so. Whether you can do your own alignment mostly depends on how serious of a hobbyist you are and how much patience you have. You can get the same results as the shops get and likely better since you care more than many of them do.

Someone mentioned earlier about shops having machines that can measure toe to within 0.001 inch. That may be true but that level of precision isn't necessary or even useful. Sort of like your doctor saying his scale can weigh you to within 0.01 of an ounce.

 

[Bgallagher]

I have seen youtube videos of DIY alignments and they never seem to be 100% accurate. If it can get you to a shop for a proper alignment I saw a need (after doing major suspension repairs for example) but ultimately it is worth coughing up the cash when you notice an issue with the alignment

 

[maverickfhs]

Originally Posted By: Langanobob
You can buy accurate caster/camber gauges for $200 or so. Whether you can do your own alignment mostly depends on how serious of a hobbyist you are and how much patience you have. You can get the same results as the shops get and likely better since you care more than many of them do.

Someone mentioned earlier about shops having machines that can measure toe to within 0.001 inch. That may be true but that level of precision isn't necessary or even useful. Sort of like your doctor saying his scale can weigh you to within 0.01 of an ounce.


I am ready to bite the bullet if it's $200 investment since each alignment can easily cost $90-$100. Have a link for gauges?

 

[Bgallagher]

Originally Posted By: maverickfhs
Originally Posted By: Langanobob
You can buy accurate caster/camber gauges for $200 or so. Whether you can do your own alignment mostly depends on how serious of a hobbyist you are and how much patience you have. You can get the same results as the shops get and likely better since you care more than many of them do.

Someone mentioned earlier about shops having machines that can measure toe to within 0.001 inch. That may be true but that level of precision isn't necessary or even useful. Sort of like your doctor saying his scale can weigh you to within 0.01 of an ounce.


I am ready to bite the bullet if it's $200 investment since each alignment can easily cost $90-$100. Have a link for gauges?


how often are you getting alignments? I usually get 1 or maybe two whenever I get new tires or notice a difference in my highway driving. Do you live on bumpy roads or something?

 

[Olas]

Used Dunlop gauges are cheap on eBay - if you DIY maintenance.& repair then your own alignment tools are essential.

 

[maverickfhs]

Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
Originally Posted By: maverickfhs
Originally Posted By: Langanobob
You can buy accurate caster/camber gauges for $200 or so. Whether you can do your own alignment mostly depends on how serious of a hobbyist you are and how much patience you have. You can get the same results as the shops get and likely better since you care more than many of them do.

Someone mentioned earlier about shops having machines that can measure toe to within 0.001 inch. That may be true but that level of precision isn't necessary or even useful. Sort of like your doctor saying his scale can weigh you to within 0.01 of an ounce.


I am ready to bite the bullet if it's $200 investment since each alignment can easily cost $90-$100. Have a link for gauges?


how often are you getting alignments? I usually get 1 or maybe two whenever I get new tires or notice a difference in my highway driving. Do you live on bumpy roads or something?


I always buy 'used' cars and always do an alignment once tires( or any suspension parts) are put on. Area is good and not many bumpy roads though.

 

[WobblyElvis]

For Camber adjustments I use a 2 foot level and hold it vertically against the tire, avoiding the bottom of tire where it bulges. For Toe in/out, I set the steering wheel straight and look across the outer edges of the tire toward the rear wheels and see how they line up with the rears. You have to know the specs of the vehicle, things like, track front vs rear and toe specs. You have to do some math to determine how much of the rear tires you should see or not. A level and flat place to park is necessary as it good suspension joints. Examining existing tire well will help guide you. This has worked for me.

 

[CrAlt]

Ya all the time. I have an old toe gauge and use strait edges and levels for everything else.

 

[Rock_Hudstone]

Originally Posted By: CrAlt
Ya all the time. I have an old toe gauge and use strait edges and levels for everything else.


Whats the basic procedure here?

So far I've heard about tools: tape measures, levels, squares yard sticks, duct tape, etc, but not much on the specific how to?

 

[Rock_Hudstone]

How about this magnetic camber level and toe plate tool?

https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Camber-Castor-Automobile-Alignment/dp/B00PB7V3SU

https://www.amazon.com/Tenhulzen-Plates-...=toe+plate+tool

I'm thinking something like these could pay for themselves in short order as Firestone is up to $90 + tax for alignments these days, not to mention it shoots most of the afternoon and they may, or may not, do it right anyway.

And then theres always the possibility they damage something else in the process. Those monkeys still don't understand the pinch welds are not proper lifting points on a Dodge Caravan!

 

[maverickfhs]

Thanks, are both needed to do an alignment on a Car like Civic or an Accord(Camry)?

Can they be rented at a local parts shop?

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted By: Rock_Hudstone


Whats the basic procedure here?

So far I've heard about tools: tape measures, levels, squares yard sticks, duct tape, etc, but not much on the specific how to?


Make sure the tires are near as possible to vertical when weight is on the ground, and toed in a little if RWD and toed out a little if FWD..

The comment about a doctor's scale not needing to weigh to the nearest .01 ounce also applies here. If you get very close it will likely be close enough. If after you drive it you aren't happy with how it feels, tweak it a little more.

 

[Ducked]

Just back from the UK with a used Gunson Trakrite gizmo. Dunno if it works, or if its better than a piece of string when it works, or if its available in the US, but it wasn't expensive.

http://www.gunson.co.uk/product/G4008

There's a vid with some other gadgets on the same site.

Havn't tried it yet, but from a quick look at the vid, "wheels straight ahead" seems potentially an uncontrolled variable, especially if your steering centring is off.

 

[deanm11]

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
I had an alignment tech tell me to bring it in with half a tank of gas. So yes, pretty precise.


That is an indication that this tech is attempting to be precise. But it also indicates that if the alignment is materially different depending on how much fuel is on board, then there must be an acceptable variance.

I can see and at least identify camber issues with my eyes. For example, I can easily see the factory -1 to -1.5 rear camber on my 2012 Impreza and want to fix it- but not adjustable from factory.

I've done front toe with super straight several foot boards off the front tires and tape measure across the car on both the front and rear of the front tires (two people job) with great success (tire wear at least) about 4-5 times. The next time I feel like one of my cars needs an adjustment, I plan to use a similar method but instead with four jack stands and mason line (one off each corner of the car.)

Over the years, every time I've paid for an alignment as a preventative measure (new tires), the alignment was never off materially. (maybe small sample size) This, combined with a lack of faith that the tech will take the care that I would leads me to not pay for any alignments. (well one I paid for and would do again- I paid about $125 to have a good performance shop do an alignment on my '08 Vette. They were clearly competent and spent plenty of time getting it exactly right)

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
I had an alignment tech tell me to bring it in with half a tank of gas. So yes, pretty precise.


Still worthless, unless you sit in the driver's seat the whole time!

what.... adding threee passengers throws the alignment all off? No!

Alignments are NOT that precise

 

[andyd]

I ate up a pair of front tires messing with the 528e's toe in. As Linctex said Toe isn't that precise. It is the happy medium between tire wear and handling. Wear wise , zero toe is best. But the handling is squirrelly

 

[wander2039]

Tried it a few times.. best to just pony up the bucks and have it done. Just got the Focus realigned for the first time since it rolled out of the factory. Long overdue and drives like a new car. Got the lifetime since I have a feeling will need new tie rods etc eventually. Also by the time you prematurely wear down a few tires could of paid for the alignment.

 

[Traction]

Just replaced 4 tires on someone's vehicle with alignment issues. 80kmi Cooper CS5's worn out in 20kmiles! Alignments are much cheaper that a set of tires. I have the tools at home to set everything fairly close, but there is no fn way I could beat a good op on a 4 wheel alignment machine. Plus it takes forever doing it the hard way.