When I first started out, I worked in tire shops for a number of years as a mechanic. I've aligned more cars than I care to remember.

Most of what I'm reading here is pretty good advice for a DIY alignment. I must admit, I was a little confused by the string method of toe adjustment, but it looks like an ok method. I've used the scribed line in paint method a lot on big trucks, and it works like a champ for measuring toe.

Camber is the easiest to measure. Caster is almost impossible to measure accurately without turntables. (you take several camber measurements with the tires turned in different directions and calculate). As the OP stated though, really the important part is not having a huge difference from one side to the other.

Out of spec toe wears tires fastest, followed by incorrect camber. Caster affects tracking and uneven caster will cause the vehicle to pull. I may be having a brainfart hear, but I think it will pull to the side with the least positive caster.

For the guys having a hard time explaining to the alignment tech about the cams: Go somewhere else! Cams are the absolute easiest adjusters known to the alignment world. I came up when there were still a lot of cars using shims on the upper control arms to adjust camber and caster, and I gotta say....cams are the shiznit.

 

Isaac (AxleIke) Just did this last night on Ron (~tc's~ rig) in fact! It was a great lesson....

Extra Bump for this thread.

 

Thank you! I appreciate it.

 

Hey Dale (MtnGoat), thanks for posting the pic. You may also want to mark up the image to show the part that is the bracket lift. Most people won't have one. Some may be a little confused by that. Just a thought...

 

Could someone explain this one in terms of moving the front and rear of the A arm inwards and outwards?


Here's how I understand the need for alignment after BJ spacer:

• LCA is at a steeper angle tha UCA thus you have to re-establish negative camber by turning the front and rear cam bolts equal amounts
• This slightly increases front track width, so you need to lessen the amount of toe-in by adjusting the tie rod ends equal amounts.
• This is all done with weight on the tires, right?

 

You need to do the adjustments with the weight off the tires (unless you have a rack with sliding plates) But you do the checking and measuring with the weight on the tires and after settling to normal position (it sometimes helps to drive around the block to settle everything back into position).

I thought ewong did a great job of explaining the caster adjustment (except I think he got it backwards, moving the rear out and the front in would make a positive caster angle) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caster_angle

Maybe you are missing the fact that the LCA cam adjusters move the LCA in and out in 2 slots, one in the front and one in the back? If you remove the big cam washers you'll see the slots, it helps me to visualize the slots when making adjustments and just ignore the markings on the cam washers.

 

If both front and rear LCA cam adjusters are turned equal distances, the caster angle remains the same doesn't it?

 

Correct

 

Good. This means I'm actually starting to understand this alignment thing I think.

So only the camber then toe-in need adjusting after the BJ spacer install?