tires and wheels 4 wheel alignment - use yer head - a good stretchy string

[c.d.iesel]

you don't need no stinking Happy Harry's Alignment Shop -

to get your wheels straight after all your suspension werk - just run a fine string around your 4 tires - centering the string at the center cap/axle nut

of all 4 wheels and have at it. You don't need the rig offered by

Smart Tools - but this gives you an idea as to how. Really simple and

only depends on your reading and accuracy with a tape measure, centering your steering box, and having your car on level ground, the body weighted, and all the control arms tightened ONLY AFTER WEIGHTING

THE CAR BEFORE TIGHTENING THE CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS HARDWARE.

The camber/caster guage offered by Smart Racing Products is priced right. Stop your wobbling and crabbing and get yer wheels straight.

http://www.smartracingproducts.com/

turn up the heat !

C.D.

[brad_c-ville_VA]

yep, some good kite string, a steel ruler with millimeter gradations and some steel pipes on jack stands work great. i was taught how to do this by a porsche race mechanic. he said they use this method over the laser set ups because the kite string is more accurate...harder to measure the laser beam as the beam is wider than the string.

[dubois]

it probably can be used for that too, or in our case unibody straightness.

[eastsidebimmer]

(believe it or not, cinnamon is actually less accurate than the laser.)

[Anthony]

Don't forget a calculator and some basic knowlegde of trig.

Remember:

SOH CAH TOA

[TobyB]

And those cheap laser levels that project a line can be used,

too.

You have to spend a bit of effort to get them mounted solidly,

but CD's strings can be lines of light and simple stick targets...

Probably not any more accurate, either!

t

[JohnN]

idiot. Something like this would be very useful for the FAQ

John N

[TJW]

To many assumptions in this,

You are using the tyre walls and wheel centres especially the rear as points of reference.

This would not work on a car modified to rear wheel adjustable toe and camber or on car with accident damage to the rear.

I do have 4 wheel adjustability and I use a slightly different variation, but I will let C.D. work out how to do it.

[c.d.iesel]

http://www.smartracingproducts.com/pdfdocs/011410_smartstrings_manual.pdf

John - go to the site for Smart String and read the operators manual for the toe string method - look at pages 9 and 10 - this will give you a details on the procedure.

I have the stringresting against the rear sidewall of the rear tires - and using jack stands at the front of the car - bring the front string just touching the rear sidewall of the front tires. I also have old alignment rack turntables under the front wheels so it's simple to reach under to the tie rods and make my adjustments. You really need to roll the car forword to recenter the tread to ground after adjusting and rechecking

if your not using turntables - for accuracy .

[JohnN]

adjustable also. I'm guessing that even if the string forms a trapezoid, the only important measurement is between the string and the front/rear of the rim at the center (or is that centre) line of the wheel

What do you use to hold the string at the rear of the car?

Regards,

John N

[Guest Anonymous]

I've "stringed" many many cars using the SmartString product pictured here. (mostly weird air cooled cas from Stuttgart - but a couple competition BMWS, too) A proper alignment (on a car you can actually ADJUST cool stuff on...ie: NOT street BMWS!!!) takes a couple of hours, or rushed - can be done faster - but you have to be in the correct "Zen state" and patient - or else you're wasting your time. Since the only thing realistically adjustable on my car (and 98% of pre 1995 street BMWS) are a couple of tie rod ends - I'll pay the $40 bucks to have some pit monkey do it.

...and yeah... I know adjustable / eccentric stuff is available for the rear - but I don't have the patience or cash to go THERE yet.

hint - actually use a LEVEL and garbage bags to ensure your readings are accurate. Folded garbage bag under each wheel makes them easier to adjust and avoids unweighted suspension geometry if you lift the car repeatedly for adjustment, rolling back n forth, etc. It allows the tire to "slide" to a natural position.

If you're going through the trouble (and have coil overs and adjustable camber gadgets) - corner weight first

set camber next

THEN set toe

HTH

Paul Wegweiser

[c.d.iesel]

.....great Tech Tip (trash bags) Paul !

Now , one better for suspension centering - smear

some oil or grease inside the bag for zero friction.

do you have a prefered bag brand ? and mil ??

C.D.

[TJW]

I carry two lengths of hollow, square section, aluminium about 7 ft long, cheap and easy to buy. Tape them together and hacksaw a groove at each end of both bars at an equal distance wider then your car.

Then untape them and place on axle stands each end of the car,run string down the side of the car into the hacksaw grooves in the ally bar, I then measure between axle centres front each side equal and then rear each side equal, adjust by sliding the ally bar across axle stands untill the string is equal each side on each axle, do not wory about getting the front the same as the rear axle, it may not, just get each axle equal.

You are now as near square as you can get.

Measure and adjust as necassary, if the angles are way out to start with as in, first time adjustment after a rebuild, after adjustment go back and check the string measurment from the axle centres again.

The binny bags are a good idea.