Align your own car FREE, in 10 minutes!!! (YMMV)

[jonequest]

I just did my outer ties rods tonight and a self alignment, then thought that the self alignment method was a good thing to share. First I tiestrapped two 4' long metal shelf brackets, (but any STRAIGHT sticks will do), through the rims, to the outside of the wheels pointing out ahead. then measured the distance between them close by the bumper, and then out at the ends. Then you adjust the tie rods (with the steering wheel straight) a little on each side until you get an equal distance at the two measure points, also keeping them pointing equally straight ahead to match the steering wheel. This means that the toe is straight and even since even a slight variation would have the sticks looking like this \ / or this / \

With the extended sticks you can really fine tune it since a little wheel movement makes a big movement on the extended sticks. Just remember to have the car on the ground "loaded" or the adjustment will be off since the wheels toe in when the car is raised, if you adjust it raised it will be toed out when you lower it off the jacks...... not that it happened to me or anything. :rolleyes

Anyway I thought I would share this, I have done it dozens of times to many cars when changing suspension parts. Occasionally I would get a "real" alignment afterwards and realize that I had the car just right already. I have even done a variation of this to adjust camber after adding lowering springs but I add a 2x4 to shim it out past the fender, and have the rods pointing up, and a little water level attached. With an extended stick you can easily see the slight 1-2 degrees of difference that will wear out your tires or make your car pull to the side. Many people I have "shared" this with laugh and say I am on crack but hey it works and unless you drive straight to the alignment shop you need to adjust things somewhat anyway after changing a front end part. Otherwise you will be all over the road.

Just thought I would contribute since I have been seeking help myself.

John 96 M3

[LuvMy328is]

I think I get it, but could you show some pics of the process? Thanks for the great info :)
~Phil

[niconvertible]

damn good work my friend

[dmurray14]

That's awesome, would have never thought to do that. A write up would be superb, since idiots like myself wouldn't know how to make the adjustments.

[Boondoggie]

Kind of the idea behind tools like this (http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/ItemBrowse/c-10101/s-10101/p-100000172868/mediaCode-ZX/appId-100000172868/Pr-p_CATENTRY_ID:100000172868).

[Chris318]

I've done this too for setting the toe-out, but added a carpenter's square vertically to the wheel to set the camber. Just measure the angle of the floor to the angle of the horizontal section of the square and you can calculate the camber. Hard to explain, but it works.

[jrward]

This is a sweet idea, I'm gonna try it. This is how they set up those backyard dirt racers, I saw a show on the speed channel showing the device that they use and exactly how to get the desired camber and toe that they were looking for. I really need to get an allignment but I'm not finished with all my lil suspension upgrades and such and the only places around here that offer "unlimited allignments for a year, etc." won't even touch a lowered car with 18's, which sucks. But correct me if im wrong (probably am), but aren't your wheels supposed to be slightly towed in and cambered for proper control and performance? How do you account for this, or do you just leave that to the pros.

[SQ Bimmer]

I have been looking into doing my own alignments as well. From what I've read, it doesn't seem horribly difficult for even the most basic DIYer.

[Chris318]

JRWARD you are correct about the camber being negative (top of tires in more than the bottom when looking from the front or rear). About 1.5 degrees of negative camber is really good for autocrossing or aggressive street driving and about 1 degree neg for less aggressive street. Expect a little wear on the inside tread but it's definitely worth it.

However, they need to be toed out slightly not in. Toe out will make the car turn in quicker but can make the car a little less stable on the highway. In other words, it takes a little more input from you to keep it from wandering across the lane.

[westcp]

anyone know a way to adjust the toe in and out on the rear wheels?

[SQ Bimmer]

anyone know a way to adjust the toe in and out on the rear wheels?
All I can think of is loosening the 3 bolts that hold the front of the TA and move it left or right.

I dunno what else you could do. :dunno

[Hammdy]

I was considering doing this awhile back but then I thought about this: say you're going to set the toe at 0 degrees. So you set them and the wheels are parallel. But how do you know that they are both aimed perfectly foward. You'd have to find the exact centerline of the car somehow. It's obviously not going to happen to this extent (or at all in this case since it's impossible), but the wheels could be parallel and facing 45 degrees to the right.

[SQ Bimmer]

I was considering doing this awhile back but then I thought about this: say you're going to set the toe at 0 degrees. So you set them and the wheels are parallel. But how do you know that they are both aimed perfectly foward. You'd have to find the exact centerline of the car somehow. It's obviously not going to happen to this extent (or at all in this case since it's impossible), but the wheels could be parallel and facing 45 degrees to the right.
As long as your wheels are parallel, your car will go straight. However, your steering wheel might be crooked if you do it wrong.

[Hammdy]

As long as your wheels are parallel, your car will go straight. However, your steering wheel might be crooked if you do it wrong.
yes, now that i think about it I suppose you're right.

[BimmerDude18]

Yeah, you might even go as far as dropping some sand bags into the drivers seat to simulate yourself.

You want some slight toe in on your rear wheels to help with high speed stability. It makes the cars turning radius slightly larger and makes the car puch a hair more but keeps the car going in a striaght line on the highway and from spinning as easily (ie easier to drive).

The only problem with these methods of alignment is that you need a tool to actually measure the castor, which is the third important elemant of the alignment.

[Steve530]

I thought the front wheels had to be set with a small amount of toe-in. This is supposed to make the wheels parallel at speed and remove any slack in the steering.

FWIW, you should be able to assure the wheels are pointed straight ahead by counting the revolutions of the steering wheel from lock to lock. Then turn half that number of revolutions to center the steering.

[enda320]

IT ALL WORKS!!
not that i done it, but the math is there..the question about rear wheel alignment is valid though, if the wheels are parallel, it will drive straight, but it might do in a crab like style... sort of a permanent slight drift look.
this can be set up with regular laser alignment, as they use two targets on the front wheels, and lasers on the back, to align the rear to the front. once this is done, you can adjust the backs for a little toe in if you want.
then move to the front, and they will use the lasers to shine back to set the toe.
the BMW way of adjusting the rears was with an eccentric cam-like socket, and you slaken all three bolts, put the socket on the front bolt (you'll see two ridges in the carrier) and as you turn the socket, it cams the carrier from side to side..

caster, although interesting, can't be changing without topmount swaps.
whether you put toe in or toe out on the fronts is up to you.
Steve and Chris are both right, just pick what you want. BMW originaly said about '40 of a degree toe in (check to be sure though)