Please critique my home front-end alignment method

shep76 said

I know this is an older thread. I have a cheap harbor freight angle finder I was going to use to measure camber/caster using the 20 degree method. My question is, what do the real caster/camber gauges do that is different than my angle finder? Does it just eliminate the need for doing calculations? Are they more accurate? I just rebuilt my whole suspension and have the offset bushings so getting ready to tackle the alignment.

Second question since "stops" were mentioned. I notice my brake hoses are pulled pretty tight when I go full right or left. Is my "stop" missing something? Or is that bolt head really the only thing that limits it?

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What lower ball joint is that? It doesn't have a steering stop at all. The "nub" circled in this picture is the steering stop. They vary a bit from one manufacturer to the next, but it should have one.

ir3333 said

I always adjust the upper A arm cams to get as much caster as possible...you don't need to know the number.
With weighted thread restrict the camber to 1/4" off vertical at the top for each tire in the direction + or - that your manual suggests, and this will get you about a degree of camber.
Using a 28" piece of flatbar along each wheel set toe in to 1/8"
Now drive to a straight stretch on a quiet highway, check self centering on a slow turn. Run the car up to speed and let go of the steering wheel. If it tracks straight you're golden.
...i can hear the murmurs!

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You do need to know the number, because there's no way to tell by just looking at the UCA cams if the caster is actually the same side to side. Just because you set the cams the same does not mean the caster is the same, there's too much tolerance on these cars even in the suspension points. Some might get away with it, but others will definitely not be the same or even "close enough"

And even if it tracks straight it doesn't necessarily mean the caster is the same side to side, your cross caster can be canceled out by other alignment discrepancies. Between the cross-caster, cross-camber, toe and some road crown you could drive straight and still eat tires.

I'm all for setting alignments at home, I do. But I'd consider an actual caster/camber gauge and a set of toe plates to be the minimum if you intend to do more than just drive it a short distance to an alignment shop. While technically an angle finder and a level with some math can get you to the right answer you're not going to get a particularly repeatable set up that way. Having even some basic alignment equipment makes a huge difference in the repeatability of the measurements, which improves the accuracy dramatically.