Looking for Advice: Alignment Tools

jpmarotta · Post by **jpmarotta** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 11:35 pm

Well, since I like to take apart my suspension so much, thinking of getting an alignment toolkit and doing it myself.

I know Longacre has a bunch of stuff to buy, but was wondering if anyone has experience using these or any other tools.

-Jason

brucesallen · Post by **brucesallen** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 1:35 pm

With merely a carpenter's level, 6 foot tape measure, ball of string and a 6-8 foot straight edge (1 inch square aluminum tubing is cheap) you can make sure all four tires are resting in the same plane and adjust camber, toe and bump steer. Next tool might be a digital camber gage. Then you can look at caster too. Corner weighting is necessary if you have adjustable ride height spring perches and requires 4 scales- for street-based cars inexpensive Ruggles scales will do; next level is $1,000 Longacre.

jlwhorf · Post by **jlwhorf** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 3:27 pm

I have been doing my own alignments for years with only a few inexpensive tools. I use longacre tow plates, and a magnetic mount caster camber cage with some old turn plates. I use jack stands, string, tape measures and plumb balls to square the chassis. The tow plates cost about $60 and a new caster/camber gage cost about $150. These are available a stock car parts dealer or online.

Jonathan
900 PA

Post by **dinoracer** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 9:56 am

I've been doing mine for a while too, with basically the same stuff Jon mentioned.

Picked up the same type caster/camber guage new on ebay for $ 80, works great.

Tom C
'65 Mustang 801

brucesallen · Post by **brucesallen** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 11:11 am

Oh yeah, I use toe plates. Just use two 1/4" aluminum plates the width and half the height of the tire.

brucesallen · Post by **brucesallen** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 11:14 am

... and of course, you must test. In addition to car feel on track, a 12 point memory tire pyrometer is important. Must poke into the rubber, infrared surface temp gage won't be useful for tire temp tests.

kfoote · Post by **kfoote** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 12:44 pm

A probe-type pyrometer is better, but in tests an IR pyrometer will come up with the same temperature spread across the tire, generally reading about 20 deg. cooler, and will work fine if you don't have access to a probe pyrometer. The only time that an IR pyrometer will be thrown greatly off is if the car is driven through a puddle, off road, or over track debris just before being measured.

offcamber09 · Post by **offcamber09** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:33 pm

I've been doing my own alignment for the last 15 years. Currently using a Hunter p411 pc based alignment machine and a Hunter rack...what everyone doesn't have a set up like this at their disposal ?

If anyone has a need- I do have a set of ruggles scales with a bunch of extra scales-very cheap.

jpmarotta · Post by **jpmarotta** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:09 pm

offcamber09 wrote:I've been doing my own alignment for the last 15 years. Currently using a Hunter p411 pc based alignment machine and a Hunter rack...what everyone doesn't have a set up like this at their disposal ?
If anyone has a need- I do have a set of ruggles scales with a bunch of extra scales-very cheap.

Scott-

Sent you a PM

-Jason

offcamber09 · Post by **offcamber09** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 9:27 am

Jason, check your mail.

-Scott

JackFFR1846 · Post by **JackFFR1846** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:48 am

JP, I've got an RD Motorsport caster/camber gauge that I like better than anything else out there. Let me know if you need it at the track and I'll bring it up.

jack

COM Sports Car Club

Looking for Advice: Alignment Tools

Looking for Advice: Alignment Tools

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