Camber, do my own 'alignment'?

[bgilbert]

I just installed the Moog 7226S coil springs, front shocks and new lower balljoints in the crew cab. Me as usual, always in a hurry, didn't take a before measurement . It sits higher from memory lol, but how much, we'll never know.

Anyways, now both wheels are out of alignment. The camber on both of them is bad. I believe camber is the tilting in or out from center, if I remember right from reading the book. Not toed in like a Dmax pulling the sled. IIRC, the book says the adjustment is in the eccentric bolts in the upper control arms. Is this something I can do myself to get the wheels in the ball park or at least visually straight up and down. I mean right now the driverside is angled in towards the body. The passenger side is angled out away from the body.

Now before you say take it to an alignment shop, keep in mind I'm cheap. But mostly our spring and alignment shop doesn't like to just do an alignment. They want to rebuild the whole TRUCK. Not just a couple new parts here and there. Even then if it was a few new parts, we're talking high dollar. I just want my tires to sit straight up and down.

The way the book puts it, makes it look like its not a big deal. If I can make an adjustment or two, then set it to my liking, that would be great.

[burnt_servo]

what i've done on my vw a couple times is this ,

find perfectly flat / level place to work the vehicle ... i mean level , even a slight variation and this is not going to work .
i used one of the frame machines from my dads body shop and spent a afternoon making it perfectly level .
( it was off by 1/2 of a degree , corner to corner , not a big deal for frame work as all it needs to be is true to it's self )

i got several small rare earth magnets , about 3/4 of a inch around , 1/4 inch thick .

2 pieces of straight angle iron that fits inside the lip of the rim , aross the rims diameter . ( the lip is the bit of curved steel next to the tire )

2 small magnetic levels .
2 magnetic drive shaft angle dial indicators .

i used the magnets to hold the angle iron onto the rims .

used the levels on the angle iron to make sure it was straight up and down

used the dial idicators to measure how far the top of the wheel was in or out .

NOTE

your toe in has to be spot on , if your toe is off , or any worn parts , ( ie ball joints , tie rod ends , your just wasting your time ) .

btw with this method , being close isn't not good enough , it has to be exact or you will wear out your tires and it will handle like sthi .

[dpuckett]

Keep in mind, Bill, that when you turn the cammed bolts to adjust your camber, your caster will also be affected, possibly making it pull to one side or another.

Is there only one alignement shop in Terre Haute? I'd think even a tire shop could get it in the ballpark.

Daniel

[Richie O]

2 wheel align here is 45 bucks. Thats better then eating up 100 dollor tires.

[RumbleFish]

call around, a 2wheel alignment is $40 here, but when you mention things like "1 ton" and "dually" its $68.

[dpuckett]

$60 here, and I finally found a shop that can do a decent alignment around here. Ironically, it's the one that my g/f works at.

RF- your one front tire is the result of the yeah-hoo that did the first alignment on the truck. I could still kick him in the sack

DP

[RumbleFish]

I could still kick him in the sack

give him one for me too!

[bgilbert]

Well I got it aligned at one of the best shops in town. I got a deal, it's good being the gas guy... Where's that shsssh smiley? lol .

[PToombs]

We didn't think so at SOP!

Stinky bastard!

[Ace]

I use a big carpenter's level for caster and camber on the old-style a-arm suspensions. It's darn near impossible to get it right on, but like servo said, as long as it's on a good level surface and you're real careful you can get it close enough to not wear the tires or pull.