• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

Nifty trick to help with DIY alignment!


scotts90ranger

Well-Known Member
RBV's on Boost
Joined
Feb 28, 2001
Messages
7,925
Reaction score
4,227
Points
113
Location
Dayton Oregon
Vehicle Year
1990, 1997
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
2.3 (4 Cylinder)
Engine Size
2.3 Turbo
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6
Tire Size
35"
A couple years ago I bought a pair of THESE cheap on craigslist with this in mind but hadn't tried it yet...

Anyway, I did some work on the front axle on the ol Ranger this weekend and finished it off with a tape measure and calibrated eyeball alignment... With those vehicle dollies under the front tires it lets the suspension do it's thing so you can make adjustments and measurements without constantly moving the vehicle... worked slick as snot! I know 4x4 junkie uses steel plates and a couple pipes to do the same thing, I have been planning to build a shop for several years so I knew these would come in handy when I get to that point and was hoping they would work like they did.

I had changed the passenger side beam since I thought it was bent, problem was on the drivers side beam as I had hit a large rock in a road with the center of the axle... I was chasing the symptom not the problem... put a chain to the front axle to the ball of my F350 (7300lb is a reasonable anchor) and backed up, got 3/4 there so will do at it again then weld a reinforcement plate on the bottom so it doesn't happen again...

Steering wheel is straight and drives straight again! Camber is off a touch but really close, caster isn't great but is impossible to get right until I make radius arms...

For those that might ask what a tape measure and calibrated eyeball alignment is, take a tape measure and measure the distance between the wheels as close to the front of the vehicle as you can get and as close to the rear as you can get (on a TTB under the steering arms and under the radius arms works good), you want about 1/16" less in the front so make adjustments accordingly. For measurements you can bend the tape measure at a 90* or so and just look at the measurement at which the tape hits the wheel lip and use that, should be consistent unless the tape has a kink where you are measuring. The calibrated eyeball comes in for camber, it's less critical than toe from my experience but I try to get the tires as close to vertical as possible, caster I haven't played with much, I try to add as much as I can but with stock radius arms I can't get enough with the amount of lift I have so I have to live without much self centering... Most people take everything to a shop but this method has served me VERY well over the years, I've had beater cars that ate tires and used this to get them close enough to wear very evenly. The wife's Explorer was doing some goofy stuff so I had her take it in and get an alignment and apparently it was almost within spec... that's the only car I've ever payed for an alignment on...
 
Last edited:


adsm08

Senior Master Grease Monkey
Supporting Member
Article Contributor
Ford Technician
TRS 20th Anniversary
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
34,623
Reaction score
3,613
Points
113
Location
Dillsburg PA
Vehicle Year
1987
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15
I have a few of those. My resident project sits on them so I can move it around by myself.
 

91stranger

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2010
Messages
1,806
Reaction score
512
Points
113
Location
Whats round on the sides and hi in the middle-OHIO
Vehicle Year
2003
Make / Model
Gets Mo Chicks
Engine Size
4.2 straight six powered by gremlins, goblins and mudbloods.
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
That's smart. I never thought of using those. They are pretty cheap anymore too. Definitely good for the DIYers out there. As for me.... I had an alignment done a few months back at work (GM Dealership) and only paid around $50 after taxes with my discount. So its pretty cheap for me but mine is 2wd so that makes a difference in price. I remember watching videos about "at home alignments" where people use the jack stands and string and I seen the metal plates with a thick coat of grease to help the wheel move.
 

swynx

Active Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2008
Messages
2,401
Reaction score
9
Points
38
Age
31
Location
lewiston idaho
Vehicle Year
1994
Make / Model
Mazda
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
i too use these plates when doing my alignments, i used to adjust it and roll it around and re-adjust it, blah blah. its hard to get it "dialed in" doing it that way.. with these plates, its one solid job. i also use a magnetic angle guage on the hub for camber. good thing to know how to do diy alignments, doesnt happen so much on one ton axles/steering but lighter duty setups can get knocked out of alignment pretty easily.

i have had plenty of friends take there lifted setups to a shop only to have the damn thing wear the tires super fast, or drive pretty terrible. when i worked at the dealership i saw a lot of techs, that would just tap the sensor that goes on the wheel, so it was "in the green" and send it back out.

when i first started working at the dealership i put my pickup on the rack to align it, everything it told me to do i thought was wrong, but it was in the green. thing wandered all over the road, redid it in my garage with tape measure/angle guage. put it back on the rack the next day, and the numbers were nearly identical to how i had them set before. machine said it was way out of alignment, but it still drives fine. did an alignment that same day and that car seemed to drive fine. never did figure out why i couldnt align my pickup on that rack.
 

4x4junkie

Forum Staff Member
TRS Forum Moderator
TRS 20th Anniversary
Joined
Aug 19, 2001
Messages
10,749
Reaction score
580
Points
113
Location
So. Calif (SFV)
Vehicle Year
1990
Make / Model
Bronco II
Engine Type
2.9 V6
Engine Size
2.9L V6
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
35x12.50R15
Good info. Thanks for posting.

Just make sure the truck is still level (not nose-high) by having something of similar height under the rear wheels as well. :icon_thumby:
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Staff online

Member & Vendor Upgrades

For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.

Truck of The Month


Kirby N.
March Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Top