So, im tired of the crap alignment shops around here, charging me 60-80$ for crappy alignments, and not even bothering to check for clearance of the strut. my car has been to 3 shops since i've installed my coilovers, and every time, i get like 3 miles down the road, make a hard turn, and find that my strut/coil assy is hittin the inside of the strut tower.

bought new C/C plates, and a 300lb x 12" spring (vs current 14" 225 spring) and once i get in there and swap them, im going to be doing my own alignment. just wondering if anyone out there has done this?

im going to be using a couple guides i found on the interweb. i have just basic tools available, jack/stands, wrenches, string, milk jugs, etc. and i also have a digital angle finder on the way.

If anyone has any tips, lemme know. I'll see if i can take some pics or something once i get it all done.

 

For camber I use this, a Wixley Digital Angle Guage. My garage is quite level and I use a framing square to set zero on the Wixley, and then use a piece of 3/4" box tubing cut to a length that sit on the edges of the wheel rim--with the gauge--to read camber. Make sure the wheels are straight ahead.

Caster is easier, because it is the fore/aft angle of the strut--use the Wixley gauge--and because it's not that critical, and I run all I can get.

Toe-in is a PITA, I have yet to find a really great tool, I have one of those awkward things that started out life 30 years ago as a J.C. Whitney $19.99 special...

I haven't been to an alignment shop in years, for the reasons you state. We had a good guy here at the GoodYear store ("Clay"), some years back, who would do what it taked to make it right. Unfortunately he retired and it's all been crap since then...

 

LOL an alignment in Alaska here is about 160 bucks

 

hahah damn

 

I think Crystal Palin lines things up for less than that...