wheel alignment gauges ?

[jackal]

so often required that I am thinking that it might make sense to get my own.. they seem to start at aroudn 300 quid

does anyone have their own ? is their a cheap one that does camber as well ?


or maybe its best to avoid an drely on a proper 4 wheel alignment establishment every time ?


thoughts ?

[Sam_68]

Jackal said:

Caterham owners generally pay professionals to do it though rather than pikey-ing it themselves

Credit crunch biting then, is it Jackal? I take it you have you caravan on order...

Seriously, there's more to a decent set-up than checking your toe settings every once in a while, so unless you're willing to invest in all the proper equipment and the time to learn how to use it, you're probably better off leaving it to the experts than trying to do a half-arsed job yourself.

[tr7v8]

I've got a Longacre one from the US. Does castor & camber using spirit levels. Also have a Gunsons Trackrite to do tracking with. Total investment around £160, cost of getting a 944 aligned professionally around £200 per hit so already in pocket. Did my ARO's 944 after a shocker swap & it's now hands off at 70MPH, whereas before it was white knuckle ride at that speed before.

Edited to add, this link:-
http://www.longacreracing.com/catalog/item.asp?id=...

Edited by tr7v8 on Saturday 31st January 10:59

[leorest]

Give it a go with string and axle stands. If that works out but you find it too time consuming then think about investing.

[tr7v8]

Sam_68 said:

Jackal said:

Caterham owners generally pay professionals to do it though rather than pikey-ing it themselves

Credit crunch biting then, is it Jackal? I take it you have you caravan on order...

Seriously, there's more to a decent set-up than checking your toe settings every once in a while, so unless you're willing to invest in all the proper equipment and the time to learn how to use it, you're probably better off leaving it to the experts than trying to do a half-arsed job yourself.

That's great but when I meched for a guy sprinting a Lotus 7 we always ended up finishing the build the night before so always ended up setting it up ourselves. Also what happens when you need to make an adjustment at the circuit? Having the gear means you can do it when you want, not when you can get time & a booking.

[jackal]

Sam_68 said:

Jackal said:

Caterham owners generally pay professionals to do it though rather than pikey-ing it themselves

Credit crunch biting then, is it Jackal? I take it you have you caravan on order...

Seriously, there's more to a decent set-up than checking your toe settings every once in a while, so unless you're willing to invest in all the proper equipment and the time to learn how to use it, you're probably better off leaving it to the experts than trying to do a half-arsed job yourself.

IRTA: i'm not as good as donkey at setup

[jackal]

leorest said:

Give it a go with string and axle stands. If that works out but you find it too time consuming then think about investing.

dont fancy that really

theres a nice set of dunlop gauges on ebay so going to try and win that

[Sam_68]

jackal said:

leorest said:

Give it a go with string and axle stands. If that works out but you find it too time consuming then think about investing.

dont fancy that really

theres a nice set of dunlop gauges on ebay...

All the gear, no idea, eh, Jackal?

[leorest]

Sam_68 said:

jackal said:

leorest said:

Give it a go with string and axle stands. If that works out but you find it too time consuming then think about investing.

dont fancy that really

theres a nice set of dunlop gauges on ebay...

All the gear, no idea, eh, Jackal?

lol
At least have a go with strings.
If you can't work it out then save yourself the money!

[Avocet]

I've done the string thing in the past - it's a right pain in the backside - especially in a windy paddock! Camber is quite easy as a DIY proposition. I have a spirit level which I have drilled and tapped M6 x 1.0 at one end such that the distance from the opposite end to the screw is the same as the diameter of the wheel rim. The spirit level has two bubbles - a horizontal and a vertical one. I put the bottom of the level on the bottom of the wheel rim and the screw end on the top. One turn of the screw is 1mm and I turn it until the bubble is level (i.e. the spirit level is vertical). I know the distance from the bottom of the level to the centre of the screw, so using a calculator and simple trig, I can get the camber angle.

[dern]

Sounds complicated. I have a digital inclinometer I got off ebay. You zero it on a reference and then get an angle offset reading. I think it was about 20 quid.