How to Make a cheap DIY alignment tool

I found a better way to preform a front end alignment at home. In this video we will go over how to make a cheap DIY alignment tool and how to set it up, so you can get the best alignment possible. This method will save you money, time, and really allow you to dial in your front end alignment.

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#howto #alignment #Diy

[rsab]

Never had confidence with scribing tire and measuring. Never wanted to spend money on tools sold by manufacturers. So this is going to to be my new method for sure. Thanks.

[mwyson]

Thank you. I have been using a straight edge to make marks on the driveway but I like your way better, I will try it next time. Wish Harbor Freight made a cheap setup. Would be nice to gauge off the rim instead because the tires aren't always perfect and the raised letters get in the way.

[MrSeebobski]

For those who are interested to 4 wheel for I.F.S. front end use a string at centerline of front and rear wheels to check. With string tight around both tires you can see if they are out if one side of your front tires are not touching the string

[stanleytolle]

I used fishing line going front to back equal distance from center of wheel tided to jack stands. I measured from rim to line with caliper and figured amount of toe in by figuring difference between center to center of the tire to rim to rim. Your toe-in measurement will be proportionally smaller by the center tire mesurement is to the rim. Make sure your rims are straight by lifting the tire and spin the tire using something like a rod attached to a jack stand. Now simply subtract the front meaurement from the back. Three other things. Level ground, steering wheel tied straight ahead and I used two plactic place mats from the dollar store to allow the the front wheels to move. Wiggle the wheels after each adjustment to make sure of proper measurment. If you have independent rear suspension do the same for rear. Tools, fishing line, tape measure, four dollar store place mats, claiper or fine scale measuring ruler, calculator or smart phone. If your front and rear wheels are different width set your string equal distance from the center line of the car. The distance between the line has to be the same front and rear and equal from center of the wheels front and rear. Idea is to get to parallel lines to the center of the vehicle. Most cases toe is all you need or can set on most cars.

[richardbertrand]

First things First, as I Am a Licensed Automotive Technician, Your Way is Good, but You Still Need to Align Your Steering Wheel Straight First and Lock it in Place. Then, you need to bring Your Front Wheel to ( 0 ) to Match the Rear Wheels. If You Don't Do That Your Vehicle will still pull to either side as You Drive down the road because the steering will not be centered the way You're Doing It. That is why we use a four-head alignment system to ensure proper alignment. In the Older Days Before all these New Tools, the Alignments were done this way but with a rope coming from the rear wheel axle to the front axle on the outside of the tires making sure that the tires were touching all sides and also using a Level to align the Camber and Caster. The toe was always done with a tape measure Making a Mark in the Center of the tire and measuring from that Point in Front and Rear of the Tire.

[smiller]

Here’s my comment….while I like the idea overall, some considerations….first of all tires and wheels almost always have runout….so my preference would be to determine where the runout is….using a dial indicator….or something as simple as spinning the wheel and marking the high spot (wobble) on both tires and clock your placement of the cross bar in the middle of runout (splitting the difference on both sides.) Also on your jeep, and my Honda crv (had a wreck and bent front end parts, which I fixed…hence my need for a cheap alignment), you could also of utilized the slot in your wheels, and used one of your bungee or ratchet straps, through that slot in the wheel just to grab your slotted angle at the mid point and held it that way. Also, toe adjustments are usually given in degrees of angle, and 1 degree of angle, is 1” at 57.3 (or 57 1/4” works too) inches from the pivot point of your wheel, so if your car calls for 1/8” toed in, (2) 6ft pieces of rigid angle held on like your slotted angle, you could measure out front @ 24” and out at 57.25” and get a pretty precise toe adjustment. Not sure your really short angle is all that precise, since if you extrapolated your measurements out even 57” out front, your adjustment would be within spec. Also I would go drive your Jeep, and pull it in, again and set up your toe alignment setup again and see if it was truly repeatable, meaning did your adjustments still match what you set on the video….I’m thinking since if there is any tire/wheel runout, it might be off perhaps a decent amount, but again I like the easy idea for attaching the bar to the wheel, and that it measure toe with the suspension loaded. Nice video.

[davidreynolds]

You should have measured the distance between the two tape measures and make sure that it was the same on both sides so it would be square. Because if a 1/16 of an inch makes a difference, then your tapes having different gaps would definitely affect your outcome

[veerod]

When 16ths matter the sidewall of a tire is a poor reference point due to lateral runout. Scribing the tires and measuring from the scribe mark is an absolute must if you’re going down this path. Also you need slip-plates if you want consistency in your measurements. Your front end came from the factory with close to an inch in end play between the wheel bearings and all of the articulated points in the steering and suspension. Proper repeatable alignment is worth doing and worth paying for and could save you hundreds of $ in parts and labour and perhaps your life particularly in a vehicle that is prone to death wobble.

[trustme]

Another problem is that tires are far from perfect. I have tried this and found that as the tire is rotated, the dimension changes because of variations in the sidewall rubber. To be accurate it must be done from the wheels, as a shop would do it.
Yet another problem is that as you extend outward where you measure, at the tire tread, the toe dimension will be far different from what it would be measuring from the wheel.

[thetroll]

String tied around the back fender run across the center to the front. across the front and anchor to front fender. align till it touches. Measure Center to center front and back of tire. Then i run it to the pro shop. Never been off more than couple degrees.

[reekorichh]

I would make sure to put even tire pressure in both tires to make this method more accurate .. but I would try this method in the future 👍🏾

[donschlegel]

Do I have to take my x3 BMW to Bmw for a wheel alignment? I have done them myself on other cars unless there’s something special with the BMW some computer things are resetting it’s a 2015 X3.

[Phantom-mkkp]

Whe using bungy cords wear eye protection. I know someone who lost an eye stretching a cord over a roof rack. It's a fairly common injury

[Lonewolf]

My suggestion would be to have some sort of slip plate under each wheel to get a more accurate measurement because without one you are working against the tire grabbing the floor and the tire will flex giving you a false measurement. As soon as the vehicle moves your toe measurement will change.

[MrsBuddevil]

Has anyone ever told you.. you look like Volodymyr Zelenskyy!!

[timpage]

Wouldn't it work putting the bungy cords around the inside of the tire and use the hooks through the holes in the angle iron?

[carlodonnell]

would it still be an accurate reading if its so low on the wheel thinking that it should be at the center of the wheel understand that its not possible to go higher because of the suspension parts or sometimes its the sump pan or it still has to be accurate..another thing did you adjust the amount on only one believe that the difference should be split in have and half of it adjusted on each wheel ..if not the steering wheel will be off center...plus you dont want too the threads on the tie rod to be too short on one side

[crazyhorseracing]

How long was the angle pieces?? Thanks for the videos!!

[stephenbaker]

Might be a good point to remember to equate tyre pressure

[davemurphy]

Only just started to watch and straight away my thought is it Needs to be off the wheel not the tyre wall. Wheel is fixed solid point tyres can flex/bulge