Quote:
Originally Posted by strat61caster
If you can pull it off you'll be more accurate than just about any shop. I think you'd be beating the laser machines at that point.
1/64" is 0.015" which is the thickness of three sheets of paper. What are you shooting for two sheets of paper accuracy?
The garage solution would be massive toe plates, maybe 3ft long at each wheel could get you the accuracy you want.
Aaaaand I thought about it too much, assuming you're measuring at the edge of the (17") wheel, 1/64" is 0.05 degrees of toe, if you expand that out to 36" and you can measure 1/32" accurately you'll be just as accurate as measuring in 1/64ths at the wheel, a 5ft bar would be almost twice as accurate even if you can only measure 1/32" accurately but then you've got the straightness of the bar to keep track of, not impossible with a laser but yeah.
Just bought a second laser and tripod last night, going to nix the strings I've been using for a box. Once you get your car squared up you can use more ghetto methods to adjust (toe plates) and only square it up every few months or when you've been monkeying around a lot.
I just found out I STILL had toe out on my rear yesterday, I think that explains why I can't put power down confidently. Jacked in a bunch just to do it and will try and even it up later this week.
If that isn't painfully obvious after this post then nothing will stop the determined. |
Yes, it's that 0.05° wiggle room on 17" wheels. I was actually fudging up or down a little based on whether it was on the mark or between, but... I suppose I could do longer plates for more accuracy - hadn't considered that. Would be really tough in the (very minimal) working space I have though. I gave it up for the night at ~0.13°/0.16° toe-in on the rear (l/r) which was up from when I called "done" on it (was at ~0.04°/0.06° before I worked on the front...) - that'll be plenty good for a warm-up "settle the suspension" run. I learned I need to roll the car just a bit more than I was, even with the hacked turn plates. Also kept having the front wander and was pulling my hair out (what's left of it) till I realized I grabbed the steering wheel every time I got in the car, and the fronts were wandering *together* even though I made sure it was always centered... cross balance was only 49.7%... Final measurements saw a decrease in camber on the LF too, not sure I understand that but I was way too tired to care... 0.2° off. Not as far off as when I put the car up before I did any work though.
I'll go back in and check things after I've driven it a bit, see if the coilovers settle in a little or not.
Did I mention I'm a perfectionist? My string box is attached to the car, but I kept bumping it... not enough room. :/ At least I found an nifty website that doesn't need it to be perfectly even relative to the car.
I sure wish I could use turnbuckles for the rear toe though. Yay rules.
Between learning how everything works, getting it all set up, and actually doing the alignment it was... a LOT of time. As you say - from here on out, hopefully it will be less work because everything is now in the ballpark.
I don't mind the work, but I can't just leave the car up overnight often - not much room in the alley, and it's not fair to my wife to make her park on the street.
C