DIY Alignment

Hi. I'm tired of paying semi-competent shop techs to maybe do an good front end alignment on my old Mopars.
A friend recommended the tool from SPC Fastrax.
Has anyone used this or can recommend something else?
Thanks

Before you buy the tool, try this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZoL1gaWedA

I bought and use a longacre digital gauge with rim clamp. I didn't have a good level and wanted the rim clamp to do various cars with rims that might cover the hub. About $242 vs $140 for a fast trax.

The digital gauge is an Acculevel that's magnetically held in the tool so you can easily keep it in your toolbox as a level to do pinion angle, carpentery, etc.. So I treated as a alignment tool + common digital level that sells for around $50.

I went out and purchased a $149 caster/camber gauge 2 years ago, already used it four times.

Check toe with a tape measure.

I usually do alignments on my four post lift. I have a large 8 foot level I used when building the garage that I utilize to make sure the lift is level before proceeding.

Easy to adjust the cables to make sure everything is perfect.

Link

i've used the fastrack tool many times with good results, plus a magnetic caster/camber gage that attaches to the spindle/hub. i got tired of paying a shop $50-100 a clip just to have the steering wheel come back crooked, plus having the car track funny going down the road. i'm just as qualified to be able to accomplish that...... i recently acquired a set of turn plates. previously, a pair of greased sheetmetal plates worked well for turning the wheels while doing the work.

Even if you have nothing but a carpenters level and a tape measure you can do a crude alignment on most cars.

Hard to go wrong with zero camber (level vertical on wheel) and zero toe with a tape measure. Not going to chew up any tires and the car will drive in an acceptable manner. Even if you don't get it exactly at zero/zero it will still be in most car manufactures specified acceptable range.

Caster is a different story but on most late model cars (80's and up) not even adjustable.

pull up some prior threads on here about this. #1 first get all 4 corners level. stacks of floor tiles and string it or getting fluid in a burette level (that one is on you tube). I've use a 2 ft carpenters level on the sidewalls for camber and a tape for toe in & first started with the cams all the way back (most positive caster) then bring the rear one out. rode flawless/no tire wear problem. use the offsett bushings & let the caster fall where it may (however much positive you end up with). your weight in barbells on dr seat/half tank of gas/tires aired up/drive for a day & recheck. once its level the #2 is ride height to your preference (tires look right)

I'm another one that votes for getting a caster/camber gauge from Longacre as well as their toe plates. I made my turn plates out of a few pieces of 14 ga. steel from the local metal place. I have aligned at least 30 cars and even had a few of them double checked on the alignment rack with no issues. Someday I'll have a drive on lift and it will be even easier!

If you want links to the tools let me know and I'll look up the part numbers. One important thing to consider is that some stock spindles will need a little grinding to let the caster/camber gauge sit flush on the drum or disc. You might be more comfortable with one of the units that mounts on the wheel.

I recently purchased a fastrax with toe attachment from summit, only used it once but am very happy with it. Used two floor tiles for turning plates and just took my time. I followed an older post on here for my settings and adjustments (also there are some good youtube videos out there).Good luck on your decision!

I bought the Longacre alignment tool because I cannot trust the local shops to understand 40yr old technology..or lack thereof. I spent night and day for 2 weeks asking questions. I was between the Fasttrax and the Longacre. Reason I didn't go with the Fast Trax is because its a bubble gauge. I need actual degrees. A bubble will give you an approximation of +/- 2º. The Longacre gives a dead on degree point. Its a simple calibration that you do every so often with a flat level surface and as already mentioned, it has carpentry uses.

The negative side of the Longacre is the mounting feet. My Charger has 17x8 Magnum 500s. I do not have a curled wheel lip where the feet can "grab" on to. I instead had to secure it firmly in place with a cargo strap wrapped around the tire from rear to front. But doing it this way gave me peace of mind anyways that it wasn't going to get jostled loose and that sensitive calibration level wasn't going to strike my concrete hard. When you are in there working behind the tire and adjusting the UCA bols and your knee whacks the alignment tool assembly, you have to start all over again.

All in all, I am happy I made the purchase. I have done two cars with it so far and it pretty much sits in its case waiting for the next job. Does Caster and Camber...Toe I did it another way....4 jack stands and a long piece of twine. Tie one end of the twine to the jack stand at the Front Driver and run the twine to the jack stand at the rear driver tire...Set the twine here with one loop around the jack stand lift and that it makes contact with the tire so the twine touches both fore and aft of the rear drivers tire. Send the twine to the Passenger side tire, tie it off as above and make contact with the fore and aft of the Passenger side tire. send it forward to the Passenger side front tire. This is where the eyesight and a measuring tape take over. The twine needs to make contact with the aft portion of BOTH front tires, so adjust the jack stands accordingly. Adjust the tie rod end so you achieve 1/16" toe IN on both sides. 1/8" total toe IN.

Hope that helps

Thank you so much for the links! Very helpful.

Now if there were some easy ways to access and move the cams without doing it up on a roll on lift......does that fasttrax unit do both caster and camber, or just camber? I have a magnetic unit that goes on the center hub of the rotor that does both caster and camber.

fasttrax unit does both and toe to, with the adapter.

Anybody ever use the phone apps to do this?

Yes. I've alignment my '73 Dart with my iPhone.

I used 'iAlign' at first and 'CamberMeas' later on.