Jim621
2nd July 2014, 12:20 AM
Hi All,
Have any of you done your own wheel alignments before?
If so, how have you done it and where have you taken the measurements from?
My thoughts would be: (put the car on flat ground for a start)
Camber - Have a straight edge resting vertically touching the bottom edge of the rim, use a spirit level to get the straight edge vertical and take a measurement the distance away from the top edge of the rim. Use these two measurements with trigonometry to calculate the camber setting.
Caster - you would have to use the same method as the camber but measuring against the edge of the strut housing where its closest to the front of the car. not sure it would be as easy, so im stumped on this one.
Toe - the only way I can think of doing this is using two ~3m long rods positioned in front and behind the car. put these rods and tie them onto a set of milk crates to hold them ~500mm off the ground. run a string line down each side of the car between the two rods, and make sure the strings are parallel to the car by measuring the distance between where each string is tied onto the rod - this needs to be the same for both the front and rear rod. then take a few measurements from the strings to the body work of the car (ideally to structural points). then take measurements of the front wheels from this stringline and set your toe measurements based on the stringline.
Not sure I've explained all that properly, but keen to hear how you have done it yourself.
cheers, Steve
Have any of you done your own wheel alignments before?
If so, how have you done it and where have you taken the measurements from?
My thoughts would be: (put the car on flat ground for a start)
Camber - Have a straight edge resting vertically touching the bottom edge of the rim, use a spirit level to get the straight edge vertical and take a measurement the distance away from the top edge of the rim. Use these two measurements with trigonometry to calculate the camber setting.
Caster - you would have to use the same method as the camber but measuring against the edge of the strut housing where its closest to the front of the car. not sure it would be as easy, so im stumped on this one.
Toe - the only way I can think of doing this is using two ~3m long rods positioned in front and behind the car. put these rods and tie them onto a set of milk crates to hold them ~500mm off the ground. run a string line down each side of the car between the two rods, and make sure the strings are parallel to the car by measuring the distance between where each string is tied onto the rod - this needs to be the same for both the front and rear rod. then take a few measurements from the strings to the body work of the car (ideally to structural points). then take measurements of the front wheels from this stringline and set your toe measurements based on the stringline.
Not sure I've explained all that properly, but keen to hear how you have done it yourself.
cheers, Steve