Wheel Alignment at home

[thebraketester]

Getting desperate now to find jobs to do...

I need to replace the ball joints on my car with OEM ones which will massively knock out the front wheel alignment.

Are there any systems that are useable at home, that a)work and b)don't cost 6million pounds.

Or is there any way of taking measurements as is, and getting close once I have changed the ball joints?



Thanks.
Rich

[Scrump]

Some discussion here which may help:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=13...

[Evoluzione]

Unsure why you think fitting ball joints will knock the alignment out massively, but you the man on the job.
If you mean you're replacing TREs then use measuring tools like 'rulers' and 'tape measures'.
That said wheel alignment at home is relatively easy, use the words 'string wheel alignment' with good old Uncle Google and get busy. Where most come unstuck is not knowing, or not realising that you have to hold the steering wheel dead centre and that the front track total width is likely to be different to the rear, once you understand that and how to compensate for it it'll be easy.
You can set a car up at home with string more accurately than they do with lasers if you take your time and they don't.

Here's where it gets really interesting; HPA did a free webinar a few weeks ago on the very basics, they're doing another one over the next few days: https://www.facebook.com/HPAcademy/

[E-bmw]

Evoluzione said:

Unsure why you think fitting ball joints will knock the alignment out massively,

This^^^^

It shouldn't, unless they were completely wrong/totally worn.

[thebraketester]

Because they are aftermarket camber adjust ones. Wanting to go back to OEM.

Will take a look at that thread. Thanks.

[thebraketester]

Scrump said:

Some discussion here which may help:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=13...

Just got around to looking at that thread and all the links to the information are dead