Need to align 67 because I want to replace the stiff poly strut rod bushings w/ OEM rubber.

Gonna be a DIY this time. This is my plan.

Level surface: laser level or 3/8" plastic tube w/ H2O.

Turntable: Floor tiles or frying pans w/ glass beads or grease.

Camber: $40 Digital angle finder. Adjust w/ shims and LCA.

Caster: Calculate based on camber measurements. Adjust w/ shims and strut rod. Use angle created by turning steering wheel one revolution for quick repeatability.

Toe: Parallel strings set 10" from wheels. May also use center line string.

 

I bought the tool from Summit that does camber and caster calculations

I also used 2 plastic garbage bags under the wheel with a LITTLE oil in between them to turn the wheels on. Felt like power steering!

Here are pictures, the tool, Youtube videos and directions: http://chris66dad.tripod.com/id27.html

 

I followed his website and used garbage bags like he did and have been driving on my home alignment since April of this year.

 

Caster/camber tools
http://www.summitracing.com/search/D...s/?Ns=Rank|Asc

Toe
http://www.summitracing.com/search/D...s/?Ns=Rank|Asc

turn plates
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Front...item35ad927d70

 

Yeah. Fastrax is on my wish list.

For now I plan to use a digital angle finder for camber and caster.

http://www.harborfreight.com/digital...uge-95998.html
or
http://www.harborfreight.com/24-digi...le-finder.html

 

Caster:

1/32" shim at one UCA bolt will change caster about 1/2*.
Max difference of shim thickness at UCA is 1/16".

Camber:

1/16" shims at two UCA bolts will change camber 1/3*.
Max total shim thickness at one bolt is 9/16"; wow.

 

Your basic plan is good. Let me offer a little help.


Do you know what angle the road wheels steer for one steering wheel revolution?

You need to know that in order to apply the correct "factor" to obtain caster from the difference in the two cambers that you measured. From what you posted, the rate of caster change per unit shim thickness is known, but not the absolute static caster number itself.

Pretty closely, this factor is
1 / [2 x sin(RoadWheelSteerAngle)]

=1.00 @ 30° . . . (you may or may not not be able to get this much steering)
=1.5 @ 19.5° . . . (most of the commerciall available tools use 1.5 for 20°, close enough)
=2.00 @ 14.5° . . . (I tackwelded two steel strips together at this angle for visual reference at the tire/wheel)


You'll probably find it easier to work with the strings more like an inch or two off the wheels. Then you can use scales that are graduated in finer increments than most things that measure to a foot or more. I'm thinking 1/64" or 0.01" graduations here - you'll be able to measure small total toe settings like 1/32" total more reliably. Don't count on measurements pulled off the front and rear wheels to give you parallelism of the strings, since the front and rear tracks may be slightly different and/or the wheels not identical. Measure between the strings ahead of and behind the car using a plumb bob and steel tapes and make those measurements identical. It's OK if you end up being 2" off the left side wheel and 1.5" off the right side wheel, since it is the difference between measurements at the fronts and rears of the wheels that you're after.


Norm

 

Thanks,

I will measure turnangle obtained by turning steering wheel one revolution.
Will mark column to steering wheel 12 oclock position.

Caster calculation:

Camber degrees from digital angle finder = Cam
Wheel turn angle degrees from measurement = TA

Caster degrees = (57.30) * [(Cam1 - Cam2) / (TA1 - TA2)]

Plan put string close enough to use dial caliper and far enough to avoid turned wheel. Plan to use fishing line as it is thin.

Plan to run a center line string as another reference point. Can plumb bob off center of car to check for car drift.