Psych0matt Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 Anyone have any tips or tricks? I've done a little google searching, but most say you have to have like 18 different tools, a friend, etc. I have no friends, so that's out. I don't need it perfect, just something close so I can drive it until I get the rear sway bar and poly control arm bushings in. I won't be driving it much at all, except to dayton and back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 just shell out the $60 and get one done.....or better yet, get the lifetime alignment at firestone (~$120) that way you can take it back as often as you need or like.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psych0matt Posted June 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 I don't have the money to spare at the moment, and I said I'd get it done, but for now I'd like to mess with it myself and was looking for tips. I didn't know about the lifetime alignment, I wonder what the stipulations might be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 no one at all to help measure? i can explain measuring and adjusting toe with two people, but i can't imagine doing it with just one... as far as tools, vice-grips and a crescent wrench work pretty quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 I don't have the money to spare at the moment, and I said I'd get it done, but for now I'd like to mess with it myself and was looking for tips. I didn't know about the lifetime alignment, I wonder what the stipulations might be I did the rear alignment pretty easily with regard to camber. Can't say I'd know how to measure toe though. I just put a level on the wheel, figure out how much I need to change, raise the car, take the wheel off, loosen the bolts and wiggle the strut a tiny bit, tighten them, lower the car again, drive forward and backward a bit, put a level on the wheel again, and keep doing that till I get a relatively flat camber. The front struts won't be as big a deal because you can't really adjust camber without adjustable strut mounts or moving the subframe around, so chances are your camber up front won't have changed at all. If you didn't mess with the tie rods, your toe should also have stayed the same. I guess the only thing you need to worry about is adjusting toe on the rear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virtuetovice Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 Assuming you know enough to adjust the front tie rods, all you need is a tape measure is some duct tape. Follow this Youtube vid [video=youtube;wBrzXeJnYiQ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BXX Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Matt, judging by your front end, you have mad positive camber. Your gonna need to slot the strut towers and/or the mounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psych0matt Posted June 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Matt, judging by your front end, you have mad positive camber. Your gonna need to slot the strut towers and/or the mounts. In the pics? Also, that's fine, I might get to that tomorrow, but probably not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 How did you manage that? I'm lowered just as low as you are, and I don't remember having to have my strut towers slotted. IIRC they're still bone stock and my alignment is really close to perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BXX Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 How did you manage that? I'm lowered just as low as you are, and I don't remember having to have my strut towers slotted. IIRC they're still bone stock and my alignment is really close to perfect. Im sure him having wicked incorrect toe is making things worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alec_b Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Yea really really bad toe, near 1-1.5 degrees either positive or negative and above, will make camber look absolutely whacky. I do most of the alignments at work, and we have 2 body shops within 2 blocks that send all alignments to us. I've seen some cars come outta that place and the suspension angles are just nuts. The body shop guys don't even ATTEMPT to get things close when they do suspension work, they just put it on and send it down. That youtube video is about what I'd do in a pinch. Pretty simple actually, once the center-on-center distance is that same both front and rear of the tire, you're at 0* total toe. Straight ahead. Most FWD cars will track better with about .2* of total positive toe, .1* per side. Most of the german cars call for even more, usually .15-.22 per side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carkhz316 Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 .or better yet, get the lifetime alignment at firestone (~$120) that way you can take it back as often as you need or like.... WHAAAAAAAAA???? I wish there was one nearby where I live. I think that would be totally worth it vs. ~$50 for 2-wheel and ~$80 for 4-wheel that pretty much every shop in my area charge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BXX Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 WHAAAAAAAAA???? I wish there was one nearby where I live. I think that would be totally worth it vs. ~$50 for 2-wheel and ~$80 for 4-wheel that pretty much every shop in my area charge. Its normally 179.99 yet sometimes theres 20 and 30 off coupons out there. Most people come and have their alignment rechecked and adjusted if needed every tire rotation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schurkey Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 You think the guy doing the "free" alignments is looking real hard at the gauges? There's a phrase that comes to mind; used to hear it alot from the front-end guys working commission: SET THE TOE, AND LET 'ER GO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 You think the guy doing the "free" alignments is looking real hard at the gauges? There's a phrase that comes to mind; used to hear it alot from the front-end guys working commission: SET THE TOE, AND LET 'ER GO! .....each alignment comes with the before and after computerized read outs.....so you can see the results Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 (edited) .....each alignment comes with the before and after computerized read outs.....so you can see the results The white 95 had two "full computeriezed" alignments from the same shop. It has been proven that they set the toe and let her go. That car is wicked bad now.... Firestone LIFETIME Alignment, here I come! P.S. I was also told during my last visit there that I needed a transmission flush... exactly 300 miles after doing a full pan drop.... Edited June 5, 2011 by Crazy K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BXX Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 You think the guy doing the "free" alignments is looking real hard at the gauges? There's a phrase that comes to mind; used to hear it alot from the front-end guys working commission: SET THE TOE, AND LET 'ER GO! That's odd. Ive spent plenty of time correcting camber and caster on cars that its adjustable on even with cars coming back in for the lifetime recheck. I still get paid .8hrs to do so. Do yourself a favor, dont talk:thumbsup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BXX Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 The white 95 had two "full computeriezed" alignments from the same shop. It has been proven that they set the toe and let her go. That car is wicked bad now.... Firestone LIFETIME Alignment, here I come! P.S. I was also told during my last visit there that I needed a transmission flush... exactly 300 miles after doing a full pan drop.... Cause stock on our cars, there is no camber or caster adjustment. Aside from slotting struts or the strut tower, cradle shift, and/or using cam bolts, all of which is extra that 99.999999% of people wont pay for anymore. And from experience, fluid maintenance is done off of mileage, rarely by looks. All manufuactures even say that never base a fluids condition for replacement by the way it looks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schurkey Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 .....each alignment comes with the before and after computerized read outs.....so you can see the results There's ways to beat that system. You're at the mercy of the technician's integrity. Of course; it can't be any other way. That's odd. Ive spent plenty of time correcting camber and caster on cars that its adjustable on even with cars coming back in for the lifetime recheck. I still get paid .8hrs to do so. Not all shops pay the techs for return services; and not all that pay, pay enough to do the job properly. The customer is at the mercy of the shop's integrity. Of course; it can't be any other way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psych0matt Posted June 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 Talked to BXX on the phone tonight. Gonna do some minor adjusting tomorrow to try to get it decent, and gonna most likely meet up with him before heading to dayton, and have him align it at his firestone shop, since he knows what he's doing, and all the little things with this car specifically already Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 Seriously, what did you do that needs such a serious alignment. Usually, if you don't replace the inner tie rods, you can just replace the outers and your alignment will be dead on as long as you don't move the adjustment nut. Camber then isn't an issue, nor is toe for the front, and camber also isn't an issue for the rear, so your only concern is rear toe unless your front control arm bushings are so shot that its affecting your camber even when you're sitting still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbex Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 If you're looking for temporary, I'd still see if Mott can do it. For $10... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psych0matt Posted June 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 Mostly my rear toe. I measured it really quickly (and I mean really quickly), and it's at least about an inch and a half off in the rear. Gonna adjust the lateral arms and get it close, and see how she drives Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 1 1/2"? holy hell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 1 1/2"? holy hell. Well, he did replace the arms... Although I certainly wouldn't drive the car around with that amount of toe, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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