AndrewMcG

All materials only cost me about $35 total to allow me to check toe on front and rear. I learned how to do my own alignments from a buddy, with another buddie's equipment. The equipment we used is pretty expensive though for a string setup. About $400 so at less than 10% the cost, Im pretty happy. This is not my idea, I saw an idea similar on the internet but many of the changes and ideas are mine.

4 suction cups
6 6" 8-32 threaded rods
14 8-32 nuts
8 size 8 washers
18" aluminum 1/16" L rod
4 8-32 knurled nuts
1 high visibility fishing string (i got 6lb test)

I started off by taking apart the suction cups so I could drill a hole in them to attach the 6" rod into them like so.





Secured by a nut underneath.





After building 4 of these(one for each corner) I realized that there was not a place on the rear of my car to suction the cup properly at the right height due to the shape of the bumper. I had to apply the cup about 6" higher than needed. So I used 9" piece of aluminum and made a bracket that will allow me to slide the height of the rod for the fishing string to the middle of the wheel or axle height. Here's what they look like.





Then you need 4 knurled nuts that will go up and down the rods to adjust the strings distance from the wheel in extremely small and accurate adjustments. Here is what they look like up close.





Here is what they look like on the apparatus.





Here is the front strung up. You must line the string up level with the height of the axle or the middle of the rim for most accuracy.





Same with the rear. Make sure to get the height correct.





Then use the knurled nuts with the string wrapped around them and adjust them until the distance of the string is the same on the front and the rear wheel so the string is exactly parallel with the wheels.




Then you use the the pocket ruler(measures 1/32" increments) to measure from the string to the front part of the rim and then the rear part of the rim. You can then now how much toe'd in or toe'd out you are. You can jack your car up, make adjustments, set car back down and check again. Repeat until you get the toe where you want it.







This portion is done, I am soon going to be working on my own camber gauge that should cost about $50 to make. I will be in this project well under $100(cost of one alignment) and I'll be able to set camber and toe whenever I want. Kind of excited!

ndogg

Great writeup! Does this work with staggered wheel sizes?

AndrewMcG

Yes, but you'll have to do the math on how much wider the rear track width is over the front and adjust accordingly. So, say the rear is 1" wider than front, each side will be 1/2" closer the the rear wheel than the front wheel. This way the string will stay parallel with the chassis, regardless of wheel stagger. So there is math involved, even with the stock rims this is the case.

AndrewMcG

I just went and measured the best I could from outside of rim to outside of rim on stock ap2 wheels and got:

69.25" rear
66.50" front

2.75" difference
1.375" each side

So if you make the rear wheel 1 and 3/8" closer to the string than the front, it should be the accurate setup.

mLeach

You really want to use the hub centers.

s2000ellier

nice, i love projects like this. here is my DIY camber gauge that cost me about $50 to make

https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/917...-camber-gauge/

AndrewMcG

Except on the s2000, the hub centers are very different. In the rear there is the axle stub. In the front there is just a concave dome. They are not the same, therefore the next best thing is an inch off to the side of the wheel. All of this of course because I dont have center caps. If you have center caps, just use the center of the center caps obviously.

I just realized maybe you're talking about using the hub centers to measure the difference in track width? In that case, yes thats a great idea. However, I was just trying to get a quick measurement without having to jack the car up and take the wheels off, etc... I will do that before I do my next alignment though to get the most accurate track width difference.

AndrewMcG

Yes, thats exactly the idea I have to make the camber gauge. I'll be using a slightly different gauge but its the exact same idea. I cant wait!

mLeach

Except that the hub centers are always the same.

AndrewMcG

So now that you've made two vague posts, would you mind expanding on what you're getting at using the hub centers for? Or are half sentence responses all we're getting out of you?