Steering/Alignment Question

[mamllc]

how did you check to make sure the car is level and it's the front wheels that cannot be rolling at all when you are changing the direction of the front wheels. When you are doing caster and camber don't expect one to stay in place if you are making changes to the other and both of those affect the toe

These are the instructions for the tool I was using, I used it just as shown in the video.

Hand-Held Camber Gauge Instructions - Tenhulzen Automotive | WheelAlignmentTools.com

Instructions for our 2-Wheel Alignment System

www.wheelalignmenttools.com

I also reset the camber and toe after messing with the caster.

 

[mamllc]

Did you mess with the adjustment bolt on the top of the box? Over tightening it can cause the non-centering road walking feeling that you described. Back the adjustment off 1/4 turn and see if it improves.

Didn't touch the steering box (have done that before), and it didn't drive like it does now with the old parts.

 

[mamllc]

i haven't used these parts but are they marked left and right? is it possible they were put on the wrong sides? factory caster is about 3 degrees. is it possible they come equipped with off-set shafts and are able to rotate them?

I don't think it's possible to get them on backwards, something sure doesn't seem right though. Wouldn't be the dumbest thing I've ever done.....

 

[fleming442]

I was only able to achieve about 3 degrees as well. There are no shims in the front, and you start running out of threads on the rear. Factory caster might have been 1* if you're lucky.
I don't understand why it wouldn't drive right. Mine is great with the same measurements. Do you have a bump steer issue (tie rods not parallel to control arms)? Is it lowered? If so, how was it done?

 

[pontiacgp]

These are the instructions for the tool I was using, I used it just as shown in the video.

Hand-Held Camber Gauge Instructions - Tenhulzen Automotive | WheelAlignmentTools.com

Instructions for our 2-Wheel Alignment System

www.wheelalignmenttools.com

I also reset the camber and toe after messing with the caster.

I'm not impressed with the instructions or the tool. After we measured to make sure the car is on a flat surface we used the Lonacre gauge to set the caster and camber and then the toe plates ...we used those on our circle track cars. For my street car I bring the GP in to set the alignment to the specs I want since it's not something I newd to do often.

 

[1980s]

Just a suggestion on setting the caster that I use on my cars. I made a double side, 20 degree template that I place on the floor at the center of the left front wheel. I turn the steering wheel to 20 degrees left and level and zero the gauge. I then go full right, level and read the caster. When I add or remove shims, I roll the vehicle back and forth a few feet to allow the wheel to set. I then do the right side. I used this method when I use to race a Camaro in SCCA. BTW, my gauge fits on the hub with a magnet.

 

[500/600]

Levels, tape measures, straight edges, and angle gauges, and test drives are your friends. I don’t know where you are all from but around here there isn’t an alignment shop that does more than half-a$$ it............with expensive equipment.

And OP, bump the toe-in inward a bit and see if it changes. It’s free and might work.

 

[Wagonman100]

I don’t know where you are all from but around here there isn’t an alignment shop that does more than half-a$$ it............with expensive equipment.

I agree. Set the toe and go is a popular saying in shops. You won’t know the camber is off until you are wearing the tires a long time after the alignment and you won’t know caster is off unless the car is hard to steer. I have even seen techs do what I call an “aleanment”. They will push on the head attached to the wheel that is out of spec or have someone else push on it to get the reading in the green and hit print while it is still in the green so it looks on paper like it is aligned correctly. So stupid on modern cars where things are much easier to get into spec than our old cars, unless something is bent. Front caster is usually not adjustable and camber requires special bolts in the strut. The rears are the same for caster and may have factory cam bolts for camber and toe. All usually pretty easily adjustable. People are getting lazier and lazier. I usually will make sure all 4 corners are in spec even if we are only getting paid for a 2 wheel alignment. But I only do about a dozen alignments a year when filling in for our mechanic.

 

[mccormack944]

I don’t know if I would say newer cars are easier to align. Nearly every Chrysler made in the last 10-15 years requires loosening the front subframe and using pry bars or come along to twist the subframe in the car which limits how perfect camber and caster can both be on both front wheels seeing as you’re affecting both wheels at once. That being said I will admit too many people lean on targets for the wrong reason. Sometimes if you have “that” customer that needs to see all green, you have let’s say all the measurements perfect but the RF caster, not a tire wear angle, is at the edge of spec it will bounce from red to green but the number stay the same. I don’t see what’s wrong with giving that sensor a slight tap just to make it green, the hacks that abuse that trick are the issue. I would also have to agree with Pontiacgp that I’m not impressed with that tool, the slightest inconsistency in the bead of the wheel, or quick bump to you’re reference will throw off your measurement, we use the same long acre caster camber gauge on all the stock cars and now Modifieds I work on

 

[500/600]

I don’t know if I would say newer cars are easier to align. Nearly every Chrysler made in the last 10-15 years requires loosening the front subframe and using pry bars or come along to twist the subframe in the car which limits how perfect camber and caster can both be on both front wheels seeing as you’re affecting both wheels at once. That being said I will admit too many people lean on targets for the wrong reason. Sometimes if you have “that” customer that needs to see all green, you have let’s say all the measurements perfect but the RF caster, not a tire wear angle, is at the edge of spec it will bounce from red to green but the number stay the same. I don’t see what’s wrong with giving that sensor a slight tap just to make it green, the hacks that abuse that trick are the issue. I would also have to agree with Pontiacgp that I’m not impressed with that tool, the slightest inconsistency in the bead of the wheel, or quick bump to you’re reference will throw off your measurement, we use the same long acre caster camber gauge on all the stock cars and now Modifieds I work on

I just bought rear camber bushings and front arms to get my 2007 SRT8 Dodge back in spec. 111,000 miles had the springs lower than stock. It was that or new springs and I like the current stance, so $370 later and she’s back in line. Loosening and prying not required.