DIY wheel alignment

[123hotchef]

just changed the ball joints and inner and outer track rods on my 4x4 and I don't want to be shelling out another 350 for wheel alignment,

I was going to use the string method unless any of you guys have a cheaper and easier way of DIY ing it at home on my driveway.

It is only toe in toe out that I need to check I have done the camber already with a gauge I borrowed

 

[colnerov]

Hi, Try checking it with Mk1 eyeball first. Park it on level ground with the wheels straight ahead, then go and stand about a vehicles length behind it, then look down each side. You should be able to compare it with the rear ones. It's not an exact science but should give an indication.

Colin

 

[doubleboost]

A straight edge down the side of both wheels (n/s & o/s) and a tape measure front and rear of each wheel
You also need to make sure you adjust both sides even

 

[rikrobson]

you can make a gauge. it needs to be long enough for the track and have two perpendicular pieces to touch up to the wheel rims under the car, ideally the middle of the wheel fromt and back.

I've got one. I'll post a picture this weekend

 

[123hotchef]

 

[rikrobson]

Kwik fit are only £25 as far as i know.

 

[BrokenBiker]

i used a bit of taught string on axle stands, made it parallel to the rear wheel then adjusted the front so it too was parallel, then adjusted the front so it was toe in by a 1/16", repeat on other side and it was spot on. have put new tyres on since then and they are nearly down to the limit and seem to be wearing evenly on both sides.

i did mine with the car on the floor, have seena mate do it with font wheels off the floor and he made a hash of it, every time he dropped the car again the wheels were pointing different ways

 

[BrokenBiker]

also, where do you go that charges £350 for wheel allignment?

 

[123hotchef]

I was liking this method too

 

[123hotchef]

also, where do you go that charges £350 for wheel allignment?

doh £50

 

[123hotchef]

i used a bit of taught string on axle stands, made it parallel to the rear wheel then adjusted the front so it too was parallel, then adjusted the front so it was toe in by a 1/16", repeat on other side and it was spot on. have put new tyres on since then and they are nearly down to the limit and seem to be wearing evenly on both sides.

i did mine with the car on the floor, have seena mate do it with font wheels off the floor and he made a hash of it, every time he dropped the car again the wheels were pointing different ways

should be adjusted on the floor as the weight of the vechile moves the balljoints to where they need to be, you don't drive with the weight of the wheels

 

[GW8IZR]

When I did the chassis swap I did a four wheel alignment with nothing more than string and some bits of ally tubing, when it was MOT'd at a well known tyre place I asked them to check and adjust if necessary.. they checked it with their laser machine and declined to touch it as they would only make it worse - so its not that hard.

 

[123hotchef]

lol I took it to be allinged a year and a half ago they got it spot on but the steering wheel was on the **** big time took it back they tried a few more times and made it worse I got my money back and left it like it was, I cant make it much worse than that I think/hope

 

[123hotchef]

Kwik fit are only £25 as far as i know.

I wont go there!

 

[MoreWellie]

I use the extending handle from a paint roller

extend it until it fits between the wheel rims at the back, lock it and then check see how it fits at the front. Most vehicles quote degrees and mm toe in/out. If you adjust anything then reset it at the back and try again at the front

On a land rover you can't get it halfway up the wheel but it goes high enough to give you a pretty good idea of how things are

 

[123hotchef]

how can you be sure it is at the same point though?

 

[500e]

What is the first thing to do ??
Put the steering box \ rack in the middle of its travel & lock it so it cant move (the key lock is not usually the middle)
Then measure the length of steering arms they should be the same if not the Ackermann angle will be wrong on turns, adjust them so they are the same, then check the track & adjust BOTH the same amount to set tow in\out.
You can usually measure arm length from the last thread on the arm to the center of the TRE pin.
The number of vehicles we used to find with huge discrepancy's was in the hundreds as was non centered steering

 

[123hotchef]

sometimes the track rods are different from left to right and have more or less threads that the other like mine ;-) but for sure lock the wheel in the center

 

[MoreWellie]

how can you be sure it is at the same point though?

If that was to me I don't understand. Same point of what?

 

[123hotchef]

If that was to me I don't understand. Same point of what?

the pole being at the same location on the wheel or rim