An easy how to video showing you how to do a front end alignments your self. How to was done on a ford mustng but this can be used on any style vehicle.
Its funny how many people commented you need to take it to a shop this isn't the proper way too do it blah blah. You're missing the whole point of the video lol. Its to get it good enough to drive it to the alignment shop after doing suspension work.
This is a great video and this works very well. I helped my dad do this method 40 years ago, worked then, works now. People quit being so serious over every little thing. When you grow up poor you learn different ways to do things that work. He tells you that it's temporary until you go get an alignment. Appreciate learning something new.
I agree. Not to get off of subject, but I’ve got an older K member on my 86 mustang and it pushed the front wheels forwards and my wheels rubbed my lower front spats. I used some turnbuckles and had to trim a little to get the right clearance. My front tires are 26x7x15 Micky Thompson. But I posted this too help others in this situation and I thought that I was going to get crucified! My career is precision machining, welding, and grinding. I design ASME section 8 pressure vessels. It’s just crazy how people get way to serious about building and fabrication of restoring cars. It’s a hobby! Have fun, go fast and keep it simple!
I do my own as well and never go to alignment shop. Never have had any problem with my tires wearing funny either. If it's off a hair I can adjust in small increments till it's perfect. Had aligned before and it was off from the shop. I fixed it.
Finally understand the string and the rear/front measurement relationship. Have watched several other presentations but you nailed it...kept it simple. Thanks!
Out of all the videos I have seen on do it yourself alignment you made it the most simplest easiest way ever, everyone doesn’t wrap the string all the way around like you did and that way your way is so much better and easier ‘ you be the man
Awesome video I wanted to put this to the test so I did it just how u suggested and just to be safe got it aligned anyways... He was impressed how close I got it he didn't even charge me.. Anyways because of people like u making these videos I've saved over 20k so thank u very much and keep making videos
I would just like to say Thank you. I learned this many years ago and forgot all about it. Was scratching my head trying to remember how we used to do it and I stumbled on your video. Nice work. Now my truck is aligned better than when it left the alignment shop that uses laser hunter equipment
I've done it this way before I go to the shop just to see how accurate it is and it's always on spec. The last time the car drove better this way than with an actual digital alignment. The guys left the steering wheel crooked and pulled nasty to the right. My way it went perfectly straight and the steering wheel was also straight.
That is an interesting comment. Many years ago I would take my cars to the same shop, I knew the mechanic by name. Anyway, I notice afterward that my car puled a bit to the right on a flat roadway. The next time I took my car for alignment, I stayed and watched what he was doing. He was telling me each step and then mentioned, " I like to move this a bit this way so if the driver falls asleep at the wheel then the car will go to the right instead of into oncoming traffic". It sounded like a nice thing to do, but I told him, " just adjust it so the car goes perfectly straight, I won't be sleeping at the wheel".
Just installed new outers and inner tie rods in my 240sx alignment was so bad couldn't even get the car out the drive way followed this video and it was right on the money thanks guys
I just bought an old Explorer that needed outer tie rods, ect. Replaced all but wheel bearings. Took it to a "major" place, and they wouldn't touch it cuz wheel bearings still sloppy. Dicks! So I found ur vid. Worked like a charm! Thank you!
thank you sir, I was taught a lot different way using masking tape across the front and back of the tire, that way took a lot of work, your way was easy peasy so cool right on and a big high five.
Good video man. Put it in very simplified terms with clear instruction. Simple fact is my front suspension will be getting a lot of work over the coming months and paying for an alignment each time would become costly.
Helpful video ! I'm about to do front shocks, ball joints and hub assemblies on my 2003 F-250. And will do alignment your way. Thanks for putting this out for us RUclips mechanics !
Thanks for taking the time to share this method. I replaced the inner tie rod ends on my '98 Honda CRV several days ago and as always it threw my alignment all out of whack. I had planned to get it aligned at the local shop the following week but after several days of unnerving and unstable handling I didn't feel comfortable driving it any longer so I checked out YT for DIY methods. I used your method and I'm back on the road with a vehicle which feels like it did before I did the tie rod job. Thanks.
pretty solid, ive always used 4 jack stands and two strings and measured to the center hub accounting for wheelbase in the front and rear. this seems way quicker, the only additional thing i would add is to measure to the center hub on both fronts to make sure the strings are perfect up front. great vid man!
Thanks for the feed back...your exactly right and I agree with your method. I almost cut another video explaining your process awhile back, once I had a lot of folks flaming my video. I never meant for my method to be extremely accurate just accurate enoough to allow folks to get to an alignment shop after some major suspension changes.
Great video, all I say is, once front and back measurements are equal, pull the front measurement inwards about a 1/4" to account for forward momentum that pushes them outwards. That should make them equal when actually driving. If they are equal at a stop, when you accelerate they will bow out about a 1/4" and cause more trouble. Do it this way, no shop or guages needed.
@@TyzFix thats weird. i was gonna comment to set at 1/8" toe in. I'm old, front wheel drive is new. makes sense,rear wheel drive pushes out,frontweel drive pulls in.
One extra thing to check is the distance between the 2 strings in the back of the car and make it equal to the distance between the 2 in the front making sure the strings are parallel. You need 4 jack stands for this. I have a VW Golf MK4 series and you can't just put the string up against the rear tires because the distance between the 2 rear tires is smaller than the distance between the 2 front (by almost 2 inches). Also for the final adjustment, I use a dial gauge (you can also use a ruler) to measure the distance between the rim and the string instead of using the tire's sidewall. As long as your rims are true, it's more accurate than the rubber sidewall. Thanks for the video!
Thats how i aligned my car,exept i toe in each front tire 1/16" And for camber u use plumb bob string from ceiling and measure from plumb bob string to top and bottom of tire, (make sure car is sitting perfectly level first) I never even thought about that method for drag racing,,cool to know,,,,good video
did this on my 89 coupe to get the alignment close as possible and now it pretty damn prefect just gotta get camber dialed in might have to go get an alignment at work for that. i watched another video of a guy doing toe with milk cartons and he says to set the toe in on both sides by 1/16 well that didn't work my car sterering wheel was off and pulled to right. the guy most of had it flip flopped cause it looked to me like the guy was doing toe out on both sides. thanks for the video buddy i appreciate it.Glad i watched your video and went off your video wish i did that the first time lol.
Don't know if I will be trying this myself, but you have definitely answered my questions regarding what's involved with FRONT END ALIGNMENT... which is something the mechanic could not explain to me yesterday. To me, adjusting four bolts, does not warrant such a hefty maintenance fee. Although; prior to watching your video, I thought I was getting a good deal, especially when the first quote was doubled! Thank you!
This the best easiest method I have used yet I have tried many! just make sure the string is square in the back. I had to replace a tie rod end and I used this method it's almost if I rolled out of a alignment shop!!!! THANKS
i do all my machanic work and just rebuild my front end I've watched several videos on how to do alignment and this the only one made since simple and to the point appreciate the video it helped a lot
I replaced the wheel bearings, and the tie rods on both sides of my front wheel drive grand caravan. My alignment is off so bad that it's not even safe to drive. I move the van a few feet and looks like my tires is trying to come off the rim lol. I'm going to try your method so I can make it to the shop to get it aligned. Thanks for the upload.
Car Technicians now a days rely on electronic devices and computers due why ! Because most cars are computerise and intelligent now a days.Garages invest millions for our safety on road or explain the problem which can cause by a non alignment ,camber and caster wheel and how the car will behave in a such situations ect.I 100% agree that we should not forget how to use or do it as old school time, Yes it work for cars with less electronic devices and sensors on board,those with will detect the faults and have to reset it after performing a repair or replacement..Thank you for sharing your video and time to show the technical way for doing it without electronic devices,this will work for cars with less features,but as temporary repairs obviously and after get it done by Specialist Technicians with advanced technology equipment, to do the Car model make ect specifications Toe in or Toe out ,camber and caster .Then the wheel ,tyres and car will run safely and last longer.
I hadn't seen any of your 'earlier' vids.. Talk about evolving into a style ! ... I use the exact same method, HOWEVER, I measure off the wheel bead as there can be much variation in a tire sidewall and very little if any in a wheel...Love yer stuff, Kyle !
Great video and information. Replaced tie rods at home, I was worried about driving it out to garage to get them aligned, feel it'll be a bit safer now. Thank you 😊
Oh ps... I get it better with a string and level than the shop does with their fancy lasers. That’s how I learned to do this. I paid to have it done, took it back twice and it was still crap so I figured this way out and never paid avshpp to do it since. On a straight level road I can let go of the wheel and it tracks straight as an arrow practically forever but of course not really due to bumps etc but it goes a long way
Wanna take that extra step and to in to proper spec to keep the vehicle from pulling. Toe in barely an 1/8th turn both sides . That's what I've always done this is an excellent video
+paul rogers Yep. This video is excellent, but ideally you'd adjust so that the front edges of the front tires are 1/16" further from the string than the rear edges of the front tires... 'toed in'. This compensates for the slight tire/wheel spread the car will encounter at speed.
Great video...followed this method this morning...my F150 truck is riding nice and straight now. My tires are all the same size so the string just butted up against the 4 tire edges. Saw a gap on the driver side, adjusted and I'm good to go. Thanks!
Thanks for this video. I’m planning to replace my left suspension arm (or the wishbone) of my car. Will my idea work if i use the measurements i will be getting on my right wheel as reference for alignment in adjusting tie rods? Thanks for the reply. 😊
I've been a licenced mechanic for longer than a lot of these people have been alive and have always used an alignment machine or a tape if the previous wasn't available, the trouble with the tape is it takes two people and you cant measure at the centre of the tire, this has to be the slickest and easiest way I have ever set the toe on a car and the best is you can set up race cars at the track between races with out a lot of fuss, keep coming up with the great Ideas!
Jeff what about if the rear wheels are wider, and skinnies n the front? ... Would u / i then just make sure the string is touching both edges of each rear wheel (causing spacing at front wheels... then make sure that spacing is even(??
This could still cause an insanely dangerous alignment even if you’re just driving to the shop. Make sure you specify that this is only for non staggered tire and offset all around.
Been doing this for 30 years. The only tip I would add is to level and lock the steering wheel down or have a friend to hold it while making adjustments. Put some sand under the tires so they dont have so much grip. Start the engine and turn the steering wheel from left to right [ do not go stop to stop] just an inch or two back and forth. this will equalize the pressure in the rack and pinion. the reason alignment shops tell you it is good is because they dont want to make the camber and caster adjustments. Always get a printout of before and after specs when taking your car to an alignment shop.
About to change my own tie rods here in a few weeks once I got the cash together. This will definitely get me close enough to get it down the road to get checked.
Awesome thanks, I went further and measured between the lines just in front of rear wheels and made sure it's the same measurement at the stands while making sure it's still touching the sidewalls properly. My question is if the steering wheel is still off, is there another way of centering it without pulling the wheel?
On higher mile cars it's a good idea to roll the car forward maybe 6 or 8 feet before each check to relieve the stress in the rubber from the wheel turning in place and to allow the front end to settle into its track. What I do is roll the car back, make the next adjustment, then roll it forward and check. Nice video anyway. Another thing to note is the front wheel track is often slightly wider than the rear wheel track, probably more often on front wheel drive cars. This makes the string idea harder to use, so I just use a true straight edge held against the front tire and have someone measure the distance from the sidewall of the back tires.
i was think8ing the same thjing.. i feel i wont get it righton the first try anyway, so that means i have to jack my car back up, fix and lower. this by itself would cause the wheels to not be true right? so lower the car, drive it a few feet then measure?
Cool thanks for the tips, My race car had a bunch of chassis work done and it changed my alignment . First time down the track realized that the car was towed out ( very dangerous @ 175 mph!! ) Going to jack my car up so it is against my front end limiters and adjust my toe to 1/8 inch in . Thanks for the video !!
Thanks for your concern...as stated in the video this is just a temp solution for folks to get the alignment close enough to get to the alignment shop just after making major suspension changes.
I tried it with two lasers on small tripod stands, but it is a little tricky. Do not use a reflective measuring tape, or you will blind yourself. I had better luck using your method and a strong monofilament fishing line pulled very tight. Eccellente!
Great video and something new to try to at least get it to the shop which reminds me of something funny, those people at the alignment shop are something else, you could have a car with 20 miles off the showroom floor and just to prove a point you could take it to a shop and they will find something wrong with it that they cant do the alignment,lol. They can't be happy with the 60-70 dollars they get, its always 600 or more thats needed to get the alignment.
this vid is awesome mate, had a 2011 silverado that no one in australia had any idea how to align (had to swap the steering wheel to the right hand side of the car) did your method and got it SPOT on.
I did alignments for Firestone for years, works the same as the old Hunter A1-11 machines. I would measure off the rim instead of the tire, but good job!!
Actually u dont want the front and back of the front tires to be the same measurement because that causes the car to drift side to side. You want both tires toed in abt 1/6 of an inch on each side. That will keep your car goin straight and not wander.
camaroiowaguy23 For the purpose of getting the alignment close, you want to shoot for the same measurement...then let the alignment machine dial it in the way it should be.
TheFabForums.com This is actually exactly what I needed, I had to change the inner and outer tie rod ends and upper and lower ball joints and wheel bearing hub assy on my truck, and i need to get it aligned just enough to get it to a shop to have an all wheel alignment done, It's going to be very hard to get a perfect alignment without the machine, so any at home alignment is going to be just enough to get you to the machine, thanks for the vid man, it helped alot
OK, guys, I know you're poking fun, but leave him alone. What's the purpose of having your own shop, if you have to use a dress code? He thought the procedure through and there was absolutely no danger involved during this step. Unless, he by chance, drops a jack on his toes. :)
+Jim Pizzey Most replacement struts are notched for camber adjustment, caster is not easily adjusted but it can be done. Most Trucks still have caster and camber adjustments.
Have been doing it this way for 20 years & have done it like this at the track when in a pinch. With the drag cars with fixed caster camber plates we don't even goto an alignment shop anymore. we use toe plates and just set about an 1/8" toe in & call it done.
I have been doing something similar for about 10 years on lots of different cars I have had. Works every time with no problems. Shade tree mechs can forget alignment shops and their price gouging ways! Especially when the factory specs are wrong and wreck tires within 20k miles, like in the 2014 Ford Taurus! What I do is hook a string to the rear of the car someplace behind the rear wheel and then stretch the string back to front, touching sidewalls of the rear tire and the trailing edge sidewall of the front tire. I eye ball it until the string is perfectly straight and the end in my hand only touches rubber in only 3 spots on the two tires. I then measure the gap between the string and leading edge of the front tire sidewall. Make adjustments to the toe-in until I measure a 1/8 gap per wheel. (total toe in of about 1/4 inch.) This works great for most cars. An alternative in case you dont have string is to get a friend and a tape measure. Measure the distance between the rear edge of the front tire side to side. Do the same on the leading edge of the front tires. NOTE the two front tire must have the same tread pattern for this to work well enough. You have to use the same tread groove on each tire. Adjust the tie rod ends until 1/4 inch total toe in is reached. This above methods ONLY work for toe in. For camber you need a different "tool." Lots of videos on this on youtube though.
Thanks for this video. I’ve seen the string method before, but they tried it on a vehicle with all four tires being the same size. My 68 Camaro has wider tires than the front, like your Mustang. I’m definitely going to try this. Thanks!
Very nice video showing how to get my alignment done. Just had a shop tell me I needed some offset control arm shafts at the minimum for the camber problem. Did your technique after making shim adjustments and now my Chevelle is tracking straight as a prom night dress to the floor. Thanks again and keep up the informative videos, you're definitely appreciated.
Pretty good. I like how you are using the rear tires as reference points. I may try this on one of my cars some day. I like the Mustang. I need to save money to get my 66 back on the road.
Nice idea brother.. thanks for the tip.. if u do this correct u can b just as close as the alignment shop, maybe closer if their equipment isn't calibrated... Just ie thing though.. if ur driving a rear wheel drive the correct tow in for the front wheels will be between 3 to 5mm (this is measured from wheel to wheel, front measurement is smaller on front wheels) for front wheel drive correct tow out is 3 to 5mm. Tow out is larger measurement in front of the front wheel. I use a little different measuring technique but have done my own front alignment for 30 plus years.. never had a problem.
Thank you alot for this. Just changed the rack and tie rod ends on my stang and aligned the car as you explained and the car roll straight, in fact better than with a real alignement, so i just saved 100 buck, thanks again. Mike
I like it. This is a good enough rough alignment to match the front toe to the rear toe on an intact vehicle that hasn't been in an accident. It doesn't check camber or caster which are also affected when replacing/adjusting the suspension components. In many cars adjusting the toe WILL change camber and caster. The presenter knows this and has the alignment measured (ofen this is free) after adjusting toe. This method assumes that the rear toe is 0 degrees and the front and rear tracks are the same. If not, the string will not be parallel from rear to front, the string may be pressing on tye front sidewalls, and the front toe adjustment will be off. The error won't be enough to cause an issue while driving to an alignment shop using secondary roads at low speed (
A lot of vehicles, like mine, do not have any adjustments for the castor or camber. My service manual says this has been established at the factory and will not change unless you are in an accident in which case, components need to be replace to bring it back in if the frame is not bent. I am going to try his method for the toe-in which on mine calls for 1/8".
Very well presented and easy to understand. Works for the most part but if you have a crooked tire that has a bubble or cheap manufacturing where the tire is molded uneven, could be off some. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks...glad you realized this is just a temp fix. It surprises me how many guys feel the need to get on here and blast me because this is not an exact science long term fix.
As a quickie, I just hold a straight-edge on the front tire and sight at the rear tire on same side. For FWD, the sightline should hit ~1" inward on the rear, which is about at the first tread line. Equally on both sides. Of course, drive into the driveway perfectly straight first. That gives slight toe-out, which you want for FWD since the driveline pulls the front tires when driving so they will rotate slightly to be (hopefully) perfectly parallel when driving, given the slight play in the steering and suspension. A better measurement is with a tape measure across the fwd and aft sides of the front tires, which needs a helper, or very strong duct tape to hold the ruler. You want ~1/8" toe-out (fwd - aft measurements), or 1/16" if everything is new and tight. Go as high up as you can on the tires without the tape measure hitting the undercarriage, but equal height on both sides of the tire. For RWD, you want slight toe-in (~1/8"), because the fronts will rotate back (pushed) when driving. That means your sightline at the rears should fall 1" off, out in space, so need a helper holding a ruler. Easiest to do the tape measure thing if your tires have straight channels. The sight-line method only works if your front and rear have the same track width and same tires (most vehicles, but not a Porsche 911). Camber is more a personal choice. Some rice-car tuners get carried away with tires leaning in (negative camber), and even use special tires with rounded tread for that bizarre look. For most cars, very slight leaning in at the tops is fine. My 1960's cars even spec'ed slight positive camber (tops leaning out), but with today's radial tires slight lean-in is best. Caster is hard to adjust, and not really needed on most cars, other than tuning 1960's cars for radial tires (need the most caster you can set w/ OE control arms, even install offset bushings).
Bro thanks for the tip this one is one of those simpel ones I have used years and years ago once and then forgot about untill I seen your video. I have been looking for a way to set the Alingenment on my Ramcharger and now you hooked a brother up thanks bro
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Its funny how many people commented you need to take it to a shop this isn't the proper way too do it blah blah. You're missing the whole point of the video lol. Its to get it good enough to drive it to the alignment shop after doing suspension work.
its about time someone gets it!
Justin Bowtell I wish it was that easy I know I can do the same without there fancy laszer
The Fab Forums Bro I learned the hard way , fuck qa1 Moser an maximum I can set anything with 2 blumbob a center point
agreed and I like the idea, but the description should say "front end toe adjustment made easy" not alignment. alignment includes caster and camber
If you cant get it straight enough to drive the few miles to the shop by eye you shouldn't be driving because you are blind.
This is a great video and this works very well. I helped my dad do this method 40 years ago, worked then, works now. People quit being so serious over every little thing. When you grow up poor you learn different ways to do things that work. He tells you that it's temporary until you go get an alignment. Appreciate learning something new.
very true but camber with a level he missed
I agree. Not to get off of subject, but I’ve got an older K member on my 86 mustang and it pushed the front wheels forwards and my wheels rubbed my lower front spats. I used some turnbuckles and had to trim a little to get the right clearance. My front tires are 26x7x15 Micky Thompson. But I posted this too help others in this situation and I thought that I was going to get crucified!
My career is precision machining, welding, and grinding. I design ASME section 8 pressure vessels. It’s just crazy how people get way to serious about building and fabrication of restoring cars. It’s a hobby! Have fun, go fast and keep it simple!
I do my own as well and never go to alignment shop. Never have had any problem with my tires wearing funny either. If it's off a hair I can adjust in small increments till it's perfect. Had aligned before and it was off from the shop. I fixed it.
After reading a mess of forums, and watching several videos, got to give you a 👍 for keeping it simple and clear! Thanks!
Finally understand the string and the rear/front measurement relationship. Have watched several other presentations but you nailed it...kept it simple. Thanks!
Out of all the videos I have seen on do it yourself alignment you made it the most simplest easiest way ever, everyone doesn’t wrap the string all the way around like you did and that way your way is so much better and easier ‘ you be the man
Tried other string methods that were monotonous, Nailed it first time with your string method, straight down the road!
Greatly appreciated, Thank You
no problem...gald it worked for you
This had been my go to method for years for front end alignments. Good looking mustang!
Awesome video I wanted to put this to the test so I did it just how u suggested and just to be safe got it aligned anyways... He was impressed how close I got it he didn't even charge me.. Anyways because of people like u making these videos I've saved over 20k so thank u very much and keep making videos
I would just like to say Thank you. I learned this many years ago and forgot all about it. Was scratching my head trying to remember how we used to do it and I stumbled on your video. Nice work. Now my truck is aligned better than when it left the alignment shop that uses laser hunter equipment
I've done it this way before I go to the shop just to see how accurate it is and it's always on spec. The last time the car drove better this way than with an actual digital alignment. The guys left the steering wheel crooked and pulled nasty to the right. My way it went perfectly straight and the steering wheel was also straight.
That is an interesting comment. Many years ago I would take my cars to the same shop, I knew the mechanic by name. Anyway, I notice afterward that my car puled a bit to the right on a flat roadway. The next time I took my car for alignment, I stayed and watched what he was doing. He was telling me each step and then mentioned, " I like to move this a bit this way so if the driver falls asleep at the wheel then the car will go to the right instead of into oncoming traffic". It sounded like a nice thing to do, but I told him, " just adjust it so the car goes perfectly straight, I won't be sleeping at the wheel".
Just installed new outers and inner tie rods in my 240sx alignment was so bad couldn't even get the car out the drive way followed this video and it was right on the money thanks guys
Sweet..glad I could help
I just bought an old Explorer that needed outer tie rods, ect. Replaced all but wheel bearings. Took it to a "major" place, and they wouldn't touch it cuz wheel bearings still sloppy. Dicks! So I found ur vid. Worked like a charm! Thank you!
wseeback Glad I could help...
Just got this recommended. Many, many thanks to you, The Fab Forums!!!! Will help to relight my Trailblazer after I put the oil pump back in. Tony
You are no dummy, nascar teams use this at the track for many years. Simple, fast, easy. Kudos to you.
Yeah its not perfect but it can get you close when in a pinch
thank you for the positive feed back...glad I could help
This method works perfectly. I've done both my Porsche Panamera and my 944 with no issues. Tires have never worn unevenly and for over 5 years now.
thank you sir, I was taught a lot different way using masking tape across the front and back of the tire, that way took a lot of work, your way was easy peasy so cool right on and a big high five.
Good video man. Put it in very simplified terms with clear instruction. Simple fact is my front suspension will be getting a lot of work over the coming months and paying for an alignment each time would become costly.
+elstonedoo853 glad you like it
Thanks for the practical help. Great video with easy and clear instructions.
Helpful video ! I'm about to do front shocks, ball joints and hub assemblies on my 2003 F-250. And will do alignment your way. Thanks for putting this out for us RUclips mechanics !
Thanks for taking the time to share this method. I replaced the inner tie rod ends on my '98 Honda CRV several days ago and as always it threw my alignment all out of whack. I had planned to get it aligned at the local shop the following week but after several days of unnerving and unstable handling I didn't feel comfortable driving it any longer so I checked out YT for DIY methods. I used your method and I'm back on the road with a vehicle which feels like it did before I did the tie rod job. Thanks.
no problem...glad I was able to help
Great video. Thank you for uploading!
pretty solid, ive always used 4 jack stands and two strings and measured to the center hub accounting for wheelbase in the front and rear. this seems way quicker, the only additional thing i would add is to measure to the center hub on both fronts to make sure the strings are perfect up front. great vid man!
Agree... Thanks
2 different alignment shops couldn't align my 72 Monte Carlo. Tried this and it worked like a charm. Thanks for the video.
McCall72 Thats awesome. I love to hear this kind of stuff, it negates all the haters.
Thanks for the feed back...your exactly right and I agree with your method. I almost cut another video explaining your process awhile back, once I had a lot of folks flaming my video.
I never meant for my method to be extremely accurate just accurate enoough to allow folks to get to an alignment shop after some major suspension changes.
I like the video. I do car alignments at a shop everyday. This seems accurate enough.
john argue thanks
Great video, all I say is, once front and back measurements are equal, pull the front measurement inwards about a 1/4" to account for forward momentum that pushes them outwards. That should make them equal when actually driving. If they are equal at a stop, when you accelerate they will bow out about a 1/4" and cause more trouble. Do it this way, no shop or guages needed.
Truth. Toe in cause least stress on bearings in front, reason is explained above.
it depends on front/back wheel drive: most passenger cars are front wheel driving and the wheels should be toe-out during static.
@@TyzFix thats weird. i was gonna comment to set at 1/8" toe in. I'm old, front wheel drive is new. makes sense,rear wheel drive pushes out,frontweel drive pulls in.
Toe in helps return to center after making a turn. Front wheel or rear wheel drive makes no difference. They both have the same front wheel bearing.
I am familiar with several ways to do diy alignments. This way is a new one for me. Good job bro. Thank you.
One extra thing to check is the distance between the 2 strings in the back of the car and make it equal to the distance between the 2 in the front making sure the strings are parallel. You need 4 jack stands for this. I have a VW Golf MK4 series and you can't just put the string up against the rear tires because the distance between the 2 rear tires is smaller than the distance between the 2 front (by almost 2 inches). Also for the final adjustment, I use a dial gauge (you can also use a ruler) to measure the distance between the rim and the string instead of using the tire's sidewall. As long as your rims are true, it's more accurate than the rubber sidewall. Thanks for the video!
+Scott Kolaya agreed
Thats how i aligned my car,exept i toe in each front tire 1/16"
And for camber u use plumb bob string from ceiling and measure from plumb bob string to top and bottom of tire,
(make sure car is sitting perfectly level first)
I never even thought about that method for drag racing,,cool to know,,,,good video
Manon Richer Thanks...I also used a plumb bob to get camber close.
You can get a plumb app for your smart phone to. It will read degrees.
Sweet, I have not thought about that.
awesome dude that was the way my grandpa did it have no debt for years thank you very much for sharing
This does not work think about it the rear wheels are not aligned so how can you align the front
did this on my 89 coupe to get the alignment close as possible and now it pretty damn prefect just gotta get camber dialed in might have to go get an alignment at work for that. i watched another video of a guy doing toe with milk cartons and he says to set the toe in on both sides by 1/16 well that didn't work my car sterering wheel was off and pulled to right. the guy most of had it flip flopped cause it looked to me like the guy was doing toe out on both sides. thanks for the video buddy i appreciate it.Glad i watched your video and went off your video wish i did that the first time lol.
right on glad I could help
I have used this method before on my truck went to the shop the mechanic said I was damn near spot on.
yeah you can get it close
Ive used the string method dozens of times after installing lift kits on 4 wheel drives and have never had any problems with pulling or tire wear
the only way i do my alignments and ive had them taken to an alignment shop and they literally said it was on everytime
Don't know if I will be trying this myself, but you have definitely answered my questions regarding what's involved with FRONT END ALIGNMENT... which is something the mechanic could not explain to me yesterday. To me, adjusting four bolts, does not warrant such a hefty maintenance fee. Although; prior to watching your video, I thought I was getting a good deal, especially when the first quote was doubled! Thank you!
Thanks...Im sure what you paying for the equipment. Thanks for watching
This the best easiest method I have used yet I have tried many! just make sure the string is square in the back. I had to replace a tie rod end and I used this method it's almost if I rolled out of a alignment shop!!!! THANKS
No problem...glad I was able to help. Its nice to get some good feedback.
Right on...glad I was able to help you out.
thank you best diy alignment video by far.
thanks for the feedback
i do all my machanic work and just rebuild my front end I've watched several videos on how to do alignment and this the only one made since simple and to the point appreciate the video it helped a lot
Thanks..I appreciate the positive feed back.
I replaced the wheel bearings, and the tie rods on both sides of my front wheel drive grand caravan. My alignment is off so bad that it's not even safe to drive. I move the van a few feet and looks like my tires is trying to come off the rim lol. I'm going to try your method so I can make it to the shop to get it aligned. Thanks for the upload.
no problem
Gerald
cool man, that was exactly what I was looking for. great video.
Car Technicians now a days rely on electronic devices and computers due why ! Because most cars are computerise and intelligent now a days.Garages invest millions for our safety on road or explain the problem which can cause by a non alignment ,camber and caster wheel and how the car will behave in a such situations ect.I 100% agree that we should not forget how to use or do it as old school time, Yes it work for cars with less electronic devices and sensors on board,those with will detect the faults and have to reset it after performing a repair or replacement..Thank you for sharing your video and time to show the technical way for doing it without electronic devices,this will work for cars with less features,but as temporary repairs obviously and after get it done by Specialist Technicians with advanced technology equipment, to do the Car model make ect specifications Toe in or Toe out ,camber and caster .Then the wheel ,tyres and car will run safely and last longer.
Thank you for the feed back...glad I could help
You are the freaking man! Thanks Bro.
Right on glad I was able help out
I hadn't seen any of your 'earlier' vids.. Talk about evolving into a style ! ... I use the exact same method, HOWEVER, I measure off the wheel bead as there can be much variation in a tire sidewall and very little if any in a wheel...Love yer stuff, Kyle !
yeah for sure
Great video and information. Replaced tie rods at home, I was worried about driving it out to garage to get them aligned, feel it'll be a bit safer now. Thank you 😊
Oh ps... I get it better with a string and level than the shop does with their fancy lasers. That’s how I learned to do this. I paid to have it done, took it back twice and it was still crap so I figured this way out and never paid avshpp to do it since. On a straight level road I can let go of the wheel and it tracks straight as an arrow practically forever but of course not really due to bumps etc but it goes a long way
Nice 5.0 you have up in your garage!! ;-)
Excellent! Thanks for taking the time to show us.
No problem
Great idea on a much needed topic.
Thanks for the video.
Wanna take that extra step and to in to proper spec to keep the vehicle from pulling. Toe in barely an 1/8th turn both sides . That's what I've always done this is an excellent video
Incorrect front toe does not cause a pull condition.
don't you toe in the fronts of the front tires by 1/16 of an inch to keep it from wandering?
not sure...this is just a simple temp fix so you can get the car to the shop
+paul rogers not sure in inches but in metric we toe in 1-1.5mm depending on the vehicle, unless drift car then we toe out 5-10mm
+paul rogers Yep. This video is excellent, but ideally you'd adjust so that the front edges of the front tires are 1/16" further from the string than the rear edges of the front tires... 'toed in'. This compensates for the slight tire/wheel spread the car will encounter at speed.
I thought it was 1/8th. I could be wrong though. 1/16th probably wouldn't hurt too much.
It is 1/16 inch per side or a total of 1/8.
Great video...followed this method this morning...my F150 truck is riding nice and straight now. My tires are all the same size so the string just butted up against the 4 tire edges. Saw a gap on the driver side, adjusted and I'm good to go. Thanks!
Thanks for this video. I’m planning to replace my left suspension arm (or the wishbone) of my car. Will my idea work if i use the measurements i will be getting on my right wheel as reference for alignment in adjusting tie rods? Thanks for the reply. 😊
I guess you missed the part of this where I explained this was just a temp fix to get the car to an alignment shop
I've been a licenced mechanic for longer than a lot of these people have been alive and have always used an alignment machine or a tape if the previous wasn't available, the trouble with the tape is it takes two people and you cant measure at the centre of the tire, this has to be the slickest and easiest way I have ever set the toe on a car and the best is you can set up race cars at the track between races with out a lot of fuss, keep coming up with the great Ideas!
Thanks for the feedback
Jeff what about if the rear wheels are wider, and skinnies n the front?
... Would u / i then just make sure the string is touching both edges of each rear wheel (causing spacing at front wheels... then make sure that spacing is even(??
Thank you very much! That’s the simplest way I’ve ever seen to do it. I’m going to start doing it your way
Never said it was the most accurate...actually said it was just a temp fix to get you to the alignment shop
This could still cause an insanely dangerous alignment even if you’re just driving to the shop. Make sure you specify that this is only for non staggered tire and offset all around.
Thanks for the alignment tip sir
Been doing this for 30 years. The only tip I would add is to level and lock the steering wheel down or have a friend to hold it while making adjustments. Put some sand under the tires so they dont have so much grip. Start the engine and turn the steering wheel from left to right [ do not go stop to stop] just an inch or two back and forth. this will equalize the pressure in the rack and pinion.
the reason alignment shops tell you it is good is because they dont want to make the camber and caster adjustments. Always get a printout of before and after specs when taking your car to an alignment shop.
About to change my own tie rods here in a few weeks once I got the cash together. This will definitely get me close enough to get it down the road to get checked.
u saved me some front tires and i owe u lunch all these nuts at tire shops say my wheels too fat to align dipshits this all i neeeds
what if your car needs rear alignment?
if you have a strait axle rear it can be off enough to make a difference. This method is just made to get the front close, not exact.
GOOD video nice to see that bold school techniques are still being utilized today .
Awesome thanks, I went further and measured between the lines just in front of rear wheels and made sure it's the same measurement at the stands while making sure it's still touching the sidewalls properly.
My question is if the steering wheel is still off, is there another way of centering it without pulling the wheel?
On higher mile cars it's a good idea to roll the car forward maybe 6 or 8 feet before each check to relieve the stress in the rubber from the wheel turning in place and to allow the front end to settle into its track. What I do is roll the car back, make the next adjustment, then roll it forward and check. Nice video anyway. Another thing to note is the front wheel track is often slightly wider than the rear wheel track, probably more often on front wheel drive cars. This makes the string idea harder to use, so I just use a true straight edge held against the front tire and have someone measure the distance from the sidewall of the back tires.
Thanks for the feedback
Wineman Dinem je to
i was think8ing the same thjing.. i feel i wont get it righton the first try anyway, so that means i have to jack my car back up, fix and lower. this by itself would cause the wheels to not be true right? so lower the car, drive it a few feet then measure?
Best easiest video I seen so far. You the man
Brandon Theodoris thanks...glad I can help
Cool thanks for the tips, My race car had a bunch of chassis work done and it changed my alignment . First time down the track realized that the car was towed out ( very dangerous @ 175 mph!! ) Going to jack my car up so it is against my front end limiters and adjust my toe to 1/8 inch in . Thanks for the video !!
Thanks for your concern...as stated in the video this is just a temp solution for folks to get the alignment close enough to get to the alignment shop just after making major suspension changes.
Can you do this with laser beams?
I supose
I tried it with two lasers on small tripod stands, but it is a little tricky.
Do not use a reflective measuring tape, or you will blind yourself.
I had better luck using your method and a strong monofilament fishing line pulled very tight. Eccellente!
I use light sabers and the force, generally
Great video and something new to try to at least get it to the shop which reminds me of something funny, those people at the alignment shop are something else, you could have a car with 20 miles off the showroom floor and just to prove a point you could take it to a shop and they will find something wrong with it that they cant do the alignment,lol.
They can't be happy with the 60-70 dollars they get, its always 600 or more thats needed to get the alignment.
+dntlss always...
+dntlss You're not kidding! I run into this all the time. Alignment "techs" think they're gods.
this vid is awesome mate, had a 2011 silverado that no one in australia had any idea how to align (had to swap the steering wheel to the right hand side of the car) did your method and got it SPOT on.
ari666os sweet glad I could help...I get a ton of subscribers from Australia, you guys rock
I did alignments for Firestone for years, works the same as the old Hunter A1-11 machines. I would measure off the rim instead of the tire, but good job!!
Actually u dont want the front and back of the front tires to be the same measurement because that causes the car to drift side to side. You want both tires toed in abt 1/6 of an inch on each side. That will keep your car goin straight and not wander.
camaroiowaguy23 For the purpose of getting the alignment close, you want to shoot for the same measurement...then let the alignment machine dial it in the way it should be.
if ur gona use a machine anyway why even use string? i thought this was for at home alignment.
nope...this is just to get you close enough to drive your car to the alignment shop after making major changes to your suspension.
TheFabForums.com This is actually exactly what I needed, I had to change the inner and outer tie rod ends and upper and lower ball joints and wheel bearing hub assy on my truck, and i need to get it aligned just enough to get it to a shop to have an all wheel alignment done, It's going to be very hard to get a perfect alignment without the machine, so any at home alignment is going to be just enough to get you to the machine, thanks for the vid man, it helped alot
Hey no problem...glad I could help
Are those steel toe flip-flops? Safety first.. LOL!
lol...its about doing it in comfort!
I actually went back to see if he had on steel toe flip flops... lol
OK, guys, I know you're poking fun, but leave him alone. What's the purpose of having your own shop, if you have to use a dress code? He thought the procedure through and there was absolutely no danger involved during this step. Unless, he by chance, drops a jack on his toes. :)
Im good like that
p
Thank you so much looking forward to having a go. Great work man !
Great way to align classic cars especially after front end restoration. Thank you
You are setting the toe only, you have done nothing with the caster or camber !!
grant wright yup...its just quick fix after changing suspension components to get you to the alignment shop.
grant wright How many cars do you know of that have caster and camber adjustments?
+Jim Pizzey Most replacement struts are notched for camber adjustment, caster is not easily adjusted but it can be done. Most Trucks still have caster and camber adjustments.
Yea this just shows toe adjustment
If you have to adjust camber, use two ft level. Most strut cars have NO caster adjustment.
Have been doing it this way for 20 years & have done it like this at the track when in a pinch.
With the drag cars with fixed caster camber plates we don't even goto an alignment shop anymore. we use toe plates and just set about an 1/8" toe in & call it done.
I have been doing something similar for about 10 years on lots of different cars I have had. Works every time with no problems. Shade tree mechs can forget alignment shops and their price gouging ways! Especially when the factory specs are wrong and wreck tires within 20k miles, like in the 2014 Ford Taurus!
What I do is hook a string to the rear of the car someplace behind the rear wheel and then stretch the string back to front, touching sidewalls of the rear tire and the trailing edge sidewall of the front tire. I eye ball it until the string is perfectly straight and the end in my hand only touches rubber in only 3 spots on the two tires. I then measure the gap between the string and leading edge of the front tire sidewall. Make adjustments to the toe-in until I measure a 1/8 gap per wheel. (total toe in of about 1/4 inch.) This works great for most cars.
An alternative in case you dont have string is to get a friend and a tape measure. Measure the distance between the rear edge of the front tire side to side. Do the same on the leading edge of the front tires. NOTE the two front tire must have the same tread pattern for this to work well enough. You have to use the same tread groove on each tire. Adjust the tie rod ends until 1/4 inch total toe in is reached.
This above methods ONLY work for toe in. For camber you need a different "tool." Lots of videos on this on youtube though.
I still come back to your fox videos man!
Thanks for the vid, always wondered what the "STRING METHOD" was. Simply explained! 👍👍👍
Thanks for this video. I’ve seen the string method before, but they tried it on a vehicle with all four tires being the same size. My 68 Camaro has wider tires than the front, like your Mustang. I’m definitely going to try this.
Thanks!
Good deal...Glad I was able to help you out
Great Informative video .... Always great there are people like you to help out!!!
Lee Rnt thanks...glad I could help
Sweet! I'm gonna try this on a couple vehicles this week. Thanks.
sweet glad I was able to help
Very nice video showing how to get my alignment done. Just had a shop tell me I needed some offset control arm shafts at the minimum for the camber problem. Did your technique after making shim adjustments and now my Chevelle is tracking straight as a prom night dress to the floor. Thanks again and keep up the informative videos, you're definitely appreciated.
AzMarineGhillieGhost No problem...thanks for the feedback
thank you for keeping it easy and simple ,now I know what to do ,thanks!
Pretty good. I like how you are using the rear tires as reference points. I may try this on one of my cars some day. I like the Mustang. I need to save money to get my 66 back on the road.
Nice idea brother.. thanks for the tip.. if u do this correct u can b just as close as the alignment shop, maybe closer if their equipment isn't calibrated... Just ie thing though.. if ur driving a rear wheel drive the correct tow in for the front wheels will be between 3 to 5mm (this is measured from wheel to wheel, front measurement is smaller on front wheels) for front wheel drive correct tow out is 3 to 5mm. Tow out is larger measurement in front of the front wheel. I use a little different measuring technique but have done my own front alignment for 30 plus years.. never had a problem.
Thank you alot for this. Just changed the rack and tie rod ends on my stang and aligned the car as you explained and the car roll straight, in fact better than with a real alignement, so i just saved 100 buck, thanks again. Mike
Glad I was able to help...its not perfect but can get you real close.
I like it. This is a good enough rough alignment to match the front toe to the rear toe on an intact vehicle that hasn't been in an accident. It doesn't check camber or caster which are also affected when replacing/adjusting the suspension components. In many cars adjusting the toe WILL change camber and caster.
The presenter knows this and has the alignment measured (ofen this is free) after adjusting toe.
This method assumes that the rear toe is 0 degrees and the front and rear tracks are the same. If not, the string will not be parallel from rear to front, the string may be pressing on tye front sidewalls, and the front toe adjustment will be off. The error won't be enough to cause an issue while driving to an alignment shop using secondary roads at low speed (
A lot of vehicles, like mine, do not have any adjustments for the castor or camber. My service manual says this has been established at the factory and will not change unless you are in an accident in which case, components need to be replace to bring it back in if the frame is not bent. I am going to try his method for the toe-in which on mine calls for 1/8".
Awesome comment to add to the already great video ! Thanks !
Very well presented and easy to understand. Works for the most part but if you have a crooked tire that has a bubble or cheap manufacturing where the tire is molded uneven, could be off some. Thanks for sharing.
I used string since 70s but I have now mud flaps...this helps. Wow
Thanks...glad you realized this is just a temp fix. It surprises me how many guys feel the need to get on here and blast me because this is not an exact science long term fix.
As a quickie, I just hold a straight-edge on the front tire and sight at the rear tire on same side. For FWD, the sightline should hit ~1" inward on the rear, which is about at the first tread line. Equally on both sides. Of course, drive into the driveway perfectly straight first. That gives slight toe-out, which you want for FWD since the driveline pulls the front tires when driving so they will rotate slightly to be (hopefully) perfectly parallel when driving, given the slight play in the steering and suspension. A better measurement is with a tape measure across the fwd and aft sides of the front tires, which needs a helper, or very strong duct tape to hold the ruler. You want ~1/8" toe-out (fwd - aft measurements), or 1/16" if everything is new and tight. Go as high up as you can on the tires without the tape measure hitting the undercarriage, but equal height on both sides of the tire.
For RWD, you want slight toe-in (~1/8"), because the fronts will rotate back (pushed) when driving. That means your sightline at the rears should fall 1" off, out in space, so need a helper holding a ruler. Easiest to do the tape measure thing if your tires have straight channels. The sight-line method only works if your front and rear have the same track width and same tires (most vehicles, but not a Porsche 911).
Camber is more a personal choice. Some rice-car tuners get carried away with tires leaning in (negative camber), and even use special tires with rounded tread for that bizarre look. For most cars, very slight leaning in at the tops is fine. My 1960's cars even spec'ed slight positive camber (tops leaning out), but with today's radial tires slight lean-in is best. Caster is hard to adjust, and not really needed on most cars, other than tuning 1960's cars for radial tires (need the most caster you can set w/ OE control arms, even install offset bushings).
Bro
thanks for the tip this one is one of those simpel ones I have used years and years ago once and then forgot about untill I seen your video.
I have been looking for a way to set the Alingenment on my Ramcharger and now you hooked a brother up thanks bro