Rough alignment at home
 

Most of my car has been apart for a suspension overhaul. To make it to the alignment specialist I need to set it roughly correct. Just safe enough to get there.

On the front the tie-rods didn't come off, so seeing that the camber is set at the top (rather than the bottom as in the rear) by the strut I don't expect it to be off by much. Will check camber but the total adjustment range is very limited anyway.

On the rear I do need to set toe. I have a flat piece of plywood with some small blocks attached. The blocks hit the rim to have the plywood clear the center of the wheel. My plan is to use my laser distance meter to point along the plywood in forward direction. So the plywood sits horizontal on the rear wheel, laser points towards the front of the car.

Now the rear of the car is about 10cm (4") wider than the front, so I intend to point 5cm / 2" next to the center of the front wheel (accounting for thickness of plywood and blocks). That should give me about zero toe. Any thoughts?

For camber I'll take a piece of plywood, create a foot and put it at a right angle to the ground. I'll need to cut out a little bottom corner to clear the tyre, making it contact the rim. Then I can measure the distance from plywood to top of the rim and calculate the angle. I tried my mobile phone along the wheel vertically (including the earlier mentioned plywood strip with blocks), but measurements are not consistent across direction of the phone (left or right) or between phones.

Mark, I have a picture of the 'smart strings kit' and you should be able to replicate fairly easy. The settings are very simple, but you have to be accurate, specially when setting the fishing line distance between the fishing line and to the center of the axle, as you need the "exact" distance to the hub center (front and rear axles), this creates a true square of the car and then, you 'simply' meassure the distance between the front of the wheel and rear, determining toe.

For a complete alignment, you will need something to meassure the camber (can't remember what is called)

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1742524200.jpg

Check out post #54.

https://986forum.com/forums/off-topic-discussions/82454-shark-2-has-arrived.html

For your rear alignment, reverse the strings (rotate around the front tires, not rear). Your idea of using blocks to keep your front strings wider would work to ensure the sting is straight.

Camber measurements are easy. Use a 4-foot level vertically from the floor to the fender at the center of the wheel. Always touching the fender at the top, slide the bottom in or out until the level is plumb. With the level plumb, compare the measurements from the top the wheel to the level versus the bottom of the wheel to the level. If the tire sticks out too much that you can't get the level plumb, tape a block of wood to the level at fender height to stand it off a bit. The only purpose for touching the fender is to keep the top of the level firm so it doesn't move on you while you take your measurements.

I have used Husker's string alignment method many times with great success, but never on a 4-wheel alignment nor to align the back wheels. I guess it should work the same way running the string front to back for a rear alignment.

Piper, when I first bought the 'smart strings kit', I also ordered their 'smart camber' which is a digital reader that attaches into a 'tripod kind of gizmo' that touches the wheel at the 9, 12 and 3 o clock positions.

Afterwards I bought a magnetic reader from longacre racing products that also reads caster, which is pretty nice too.