Wheel Aligning at home - the guessing way

[gldgti]

I thought I'd share my experience gleaned from having my mk1 so long. i've paid for 2 wheel alignments on the car in: 100,000 km; 4 sets of tyres; 4 different strut configurations; more than 15 front strut removals; 2 minor accidents.

the first alignment i had was by a guy at an independant tyre shop in Taree. the owner is a vw enthusiast, and knew exactly what he was doing. alignment was perfect and i got 40,000km out of a set of 13" hankooks.

last alignment i got was from a well known tyre retailer in newcastle at hamilton. did an attrocious job, 2 new tyres ended up half worn out after only 4000km, car felt crap to drive.

I proceeded to learn how to do it myself.

I will post a kind of how to guide here. you can really only do this kind of work if you are willing to be patient, have a good eye and are good at judging your car's handling dynamics - just trying to be honest, i truely feel there are people out there that just wouldnt feel the difference.

so on with the show..

[gldgti]

small FWD cars are for most intents and purposes only adjustable on the front wheels. rear is usually fixed and will not be dealt with here.

most golfs i've ever dealt with have adjustable camber and toe.

1) camber is the angle that the plane of rotation of your wheel makes with the vertical (with respect to your car as a whole) so if your car is sitting unladen on a perfectly flat surface, camber would be measured as the angle between the plane of rotation of your wheel and 90 degrees from the ground.

you have two wheels at the front of your car.
a) NEGATIVE camber is when the distance between the tops of your front wheels is LESS that at the axle.
b) POSITIVE camber is when the distance between the tops of your front wheels is MORE than at the axle.

now, imagine looking down on your car from above, and you can see your wheels.

TOE IN is when the front of the wheels are CLOSER together than the back

TOE OUT is when the front of the wheels are FURTHER APART than the back

<<diagrams will be inserted at a later date, this is a WIP>>

Look at your tyres - where are they worn?

first, you need to be aware of what affects tyre wear. on our little, lightweight golfs, the most important factor is wheel alignment. tyre pressure is also important.

to get the pressures out of the way, a properly inflated tyre should wear fairly evenly across the tread. this is much more noticeable on wider, lower profile tyres. underinflation (common) will cause the tyres to wear at the outsides , near the sidewalls. overinflation (less common) wears tyres near the middle of the tread though this is rare, particularly with wider tyres of modern times.

if you are a good maintainer of your car, and your tyres are inflated properly (usually between 32-40 psi for our cars depending on your wheel/tyre choice and how you like to drive) then the major factor in tyre wear will be alignment.

[gldgti]

if you find your passenger side tyre is worn on the outside of the tyre more than anywhere else, and your drivers side tyre is similar but not quite as bad, you might find that you have too much TOE IN. this also makes the steering feel more responsive, but the car may understeer more easily. also, you might find that the lock/lock steering weight is uneven or heavy (doing U-turns and parking). tyre tread edges will feel sharp pointing inwards.

Generally, for road use, a mk1 golf is happiest with neutral toe - that is , the wheels pointing straight ahead. this is also true of later models. it is the most optimal situation for tyre wear and also gives the steering the best feel and weight.

too much toe out can be easily recognised - tyres will wear on the insides. feel for sharp edges on the tread edges pointing outwards. also, the car will have good front wheel grip through corners and may hold on very well, but the steering will be less responsive and you will need to turn the wheel further to get the same cornering effect.

IMPORTANT NOTE - toe changes dramatically with camber adjustment, but toe adjustment will not alter the camber!

[gldgti]

camber adjustment is very easy to feel while driving.

uneven camber adjustment is what causes your car to pull to one side. the car will always pull in the direction of the most positive camber.

a golf should be set up (from the manual) with between 0.3 to 0.5 degrees negative camber. so lets say your car pulls left, this means that you need either 1) less negative (more positive) on the drivers side wheel or 2) more negative (less positive) on the passenger side wheel to correct the problem.

once the camber is equal on both sides, on a flat road the car will drive straight.

annoyingly, most alignments include making your camber uneven so that your car pulls to the right ever so slightly, to account for the fall away in most roads for drainage. this is a little silly since its different for all the roads and from one corner to the next and it never feels right. once you drive a car with the camber just right, you'll never want to go back.

large camber angles can cause uneven tyre wear but it is not nearly as pronounced as that caused by excessive toe. providing your vehicle toe is correct, camber angles up to 2 degrees should not significantly change the wear of your tyre (on a small car like a golf anyway)

[gldgti]

once the camber is equal, there are things you can look for to feel camber change.

negative camber will have a similar effect to steering feel as toe in - quicker response, more direct feel, more accurate steering.

positive camber provides nearly the opposite effect. less response, indirect feel.

generally, negative camber will increase cornering grip. positive camber will not.

without being excessive, you would like to have a reasonable amount of negative camber on the front of a golf. this generally helps improve the overall handling balance of the car, with more grip on the front and better steering feel.

[gldgti]

im going to bed - this will be completed later.

cheers

aydan

[MattyT]

Very informative! Needs diagrams for those of us who are visual more then literary folk (or perhaps just plain dyslexic, like me) :)

[rayray086]

Great write-up Aydan! This should be of use to all of us - as car enthusiasts, I believe we should understand how our cars sit and function.

I found CarBibles (http://www.carbibles.com/) to be quite a good read. The Wheel and Tyre article (http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html) should be of some relevance in this topic!

[Oneofthegreats]

I'll say there's lots of good reading & info there, but.

In general with older model FWD cars(pre mid 80's) you set the toe, to toe out alittle. Only a couple of minutes due to the front wheels trying to pull in on themselve's on the front face when driving forward.
Newer cars have better suspension technology & don't twist up nor have the same problem.
A new Mini has +18 minute's of total toe on the front
A mk4 golf has +10 mins of total toe on the front but has 20 mins on the back.

The toe angle can change by upto 30 mins in the forward rotating direction of a none driven wheel. Imagine how much a driven wheel ,FWD or on a non-live axle car can move.

As far as camber goes, 2 degree's is way too much on a street car & will kill your tyres.

Have a look at how much negative camber is on the back of a mk1 golf (not by choice, but by VW) & that's alittle bit over -1 degree.

To put it into perspective a M3 only has -1 & 20 minutes camber on the front & -1 & 45 min's on the back.
A M3 CSL has -1 & 45 mins Front & -1 & 50mins Back & that's basically an all out race car.

[gldgti]

your right - 2 degrees is too much for street, but you can't adjust the camber on a golf to that without modifying the strut or having a special strut anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

with regard to toe - this DIY will not involve direct measurement of camber or toe, and will rely of steering feel and handling dynamics. hence, getting the toe "right" may be making it slightly positive to account for suspension twist etc.

[Peter Jones]

I made up a wheel alignment "system" today.

I purchased a Long acre camber gauge but found it difficult to adjust things with the wheels on the ground.

Here's the gadgets.

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2008/05/wa-2.jpg

The mounting plate I made from the centre of some old worn out discs.

I welded the frame to match the axle height with my usual tyres.

For 0 Toe I just get the distance between the frame ends the same. For anything else I'll have to do some geometry:).

Setting the camber is really easy with this setup.

I centred the steering wheel by eye, I'll have to figure out a better method.

Pete

[Peter Jones]

I've had a chance to put a few miles on the car now and I'm happy that I got it right.

On reflection the steering wheel can only be centred by removing and rotating the steering wheel itself, because the passenger side tie rod is a fixed length.

Pete

[gldgti]

I've had a chance to put a few miles on the car now and I'm happy that I got it right.

On reflection the steering wheel can only be centred by removing and rotating the steering wheel itself, because the passenger side tie rod is a fixed length.

Pete

only until you replace it. new mk1 tie rods are all drivers side ones, so all new tie rods are adjustable - even says so in the manual.

also, if you are running a different camber setting than stock, then you need to have both tie rods adjustable otherwise your steering rack is not centered properly.

On my LS, im running so much negative camber, and i only have the original tie rods, that i have a really bad right hand turning circle, but a really good one to the left.

nice adjustment set up, i like it very much. you gave me an idea - i shall be sending an order to the lasercutters soon i think.

[Peter Jones]

If you make up something like these the trick is to bolt both sides to each other while you're welding it up so you can make sure the legs are perfectly parrallel.

The castors face sideways to allow the steering to pivot with minimum resistance. I chose steel because they won't distort under load or twist up.

I made these ones up out of scrap steel i had lying about as a proof of concept. I'd like to re-make them as the box section I used is only 1mm and I'd prefer 3mm to keep every stiff. Also the mounting plates distorted with the heat of the arc welder. I had cut them from a couple of old discs and cleaned them up on the lathe but they're a bit thin too, might use drive flanges next time.

Pete

[Jarred]

So is it worth all this time and effort, or would it just be easier to get a wheel place to do it for 40 bucks and know that it's *perfect?


*providing your wheel place is knowledgeable and reputable?

[Peter Jones]

So is it worth all this time and effort, or would it just be easier to get a wheel place to do it for 40 bucks and know that it's *perfect?


*providing your wheel place is knowledgeable and reputable?

Goodyear charged $75 the last time I had a car done.

You can be just as accurate, even more accurate if you're patient.

I wanted to be able to do this for race setups so I can change between track and road settings myself. It's also a good idea to make sure your settings are still alright before you hit the track, epecially if you've hit any ripple strips or done some gardening.

It's more for tuning suspension than your annual wheel alignment.

I also have a lot of cars including a '59 beetle. Most alignment places won't go near a link pin beetle because it takes too long for them to set camber on these.

Pete

[roccodingo]

I also have a lot of cars including a '59 beetle. Most alignment places won't go near a link pin beetle because it takes too long for them to set camber on these.

Pete

Now thats bringing back memories,, ahh all them shims.....:mad:

best doing the alignment yourself no matter what the cost i believe, to many cowboys here that only work on local produce to know whats going on..:D

[Spyda]

Lets say you dont have time and you cbf to put in so much effort and you live in melbourne.

Who do you go to for a wheel alignment that wont be shiz?

[Preen59]

There's an easier way than how pete has done it that i know of using 2 tubes and a string line. It requires less work to make too, and you can do it with the wheels on.

I'll explain later when i've got some pics. The way i'm talking about is how most race car teams do it. Very simple and no chance of error unless you physically screw up the measurements.

Having said that pete, i like your little jigs, very nice.

[Preen59]

So is it worth all this time and effort, or would it just be easier to get a wheel place to do it for 40 bucks and know that it's *perfect?


*providing your wheel place is knowledgeable and reputable?

Yeah well... Basically it can be very hard to find someone that will do it properly. If you have the gear it takes 15 to 20 mins tops from start to finish.

Stop being lazy and learn to do it yourself!

[Spyda]

Yeah well... Basically it can be very hard to find someone that will do it properly. If you have the gear it takes 15 to 20 mins tops from start to finish.

Stop being lazy and learn to do it yourself!

Ok ill do it myself haha

Show me how.

[Peter Jones]

There's an easier way than how pete has done it that i know of using 2 tubes and a string line. It requires less work to make too, and you can do it with the wheels on.

I'll explain later when i've got some pics. The way i'm talking about is how most race car teams do it. Very simple and no chance of error unless you physically screw up the measurements.

Having said that pete, i like your little jigs, very nice.

Thanks Preen,

I made the jigs up just to get better access to everything, I found setting the camber solo pretty hard with the wheels on the ground because I couldn't watch the gauge and be 1/2 under the car with a socket on the strut bolts. Jacking it up wasn't the answer because I needed weight on the suspension. The car is 30mm lowered so there's's not much room to work around the tyre. There's a little refinment needed but this method works for me.

Pete

[Preen59]

Thanks Preen,

I made the jigs up just to get better access to everything, I found setting the camber solo pretty hard with the wheels on the ground because I couldn't watch the gauge and be 1/2 under the car with a socket on the strut bolts. Jacking it up wasn't the answer because I needed weight on the suspension. The car is 30mm lowered so there's's not much room to work around the tyre. There's a little refinment needed but this method works for me.

Pete

Very valid point. If the way i'm thinking of doing it actually turns out to be a pain, i might end up making jigs similar to yours.

[gldgti]

Very valid point. If the way i'm thinking of doing it actually turns out to be a pain, i might end up making jigs similar to yours.

im thinking of getting some sexy lasercut MS bits - maybe i should make 2 sets?

[Preen59]

im thinking of getting some sexy lasercut MS bits - maybe i should make 2 sets?

Nah don't worry about that. I'll CNC machine mine when i work out what i want to do. Shoot me your designs if you want. It might give me some ideas. :D

Thanks for the offer.

[Mrk_Mickey]

I'm just digging up an old thread here with a question...are one of you knowledgable blokes able to post up a method of doing your own alignment? I'd like to know how to do it and it may come in handy if I'm not happy with the wheel alignment I need done atm :)

[gldgti]

I'm just digging up an old thread here with a question...are one of you knowledgable blokes able to post up a method of doing your own alignment? I'd like to know how to do it and it may come in handy if I'm not happy with the wheel alignment I need done atm :)

you'll have to wait until 3rd december - until then its THESIS time for me.:-(

[gavs]

Hi all,

I have read this thread with great interest but yet am still none the wiser on exactly how to do my wheel alignment. I am planning on replacing my wishbone bushes on my Mk4 and from my readings, I need to do a proper wheel alignment after I refit the wishbones.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Preen59
Yeah well... Basically it can be very hard to find someone that will do it properly. If you have the gear it takes 15 to 20 mins tops from start to finish.

Stop being lazy and learn to do it yourself!

Ok ill do it myself haha

Show me how.

X2, How do I do it?

[gldgti]

Ok, so if you read the start of the thread, you'll understand whats going on.

now, lets say you want to adjust your wheel alignment because you have a problem, or because you've just changed a wheel bearing and tie rods and you need to get it eyed in so you can drive the car.

1) Always ajust the Toe setting LAST. when you shange camber/castor, you change the toe, so the final toe setting must be done after all other adjustments.

2) if you're changing the castor (lets say offset rear control arm bushings in a mk2 or later car) then you should change that FIRST

3) Camber, goes in the middle :-)

my method usually involves this series of events:

1) centralise the steering wheel first. so you can get the camber pretty good, you need to have the toe somewhere close to right to start off with. this means that with the wheels OFF, and the car up on stands, eye in the toe by looking down towards the floor across the face of the hub. use a visual reference such as the trim line on the front guard on each side to eye up the toe. the suspension is hanging, so the toe is probably going to be showing more positive (out) than if the suspension was compressed. get it close, then move onto the camber.

2) so long as your struts and uprights and bushings are all nice and not bent or broken, you should be able to use the union of the strut mount bolts and the wheel bearing housing (upright) to eye up the camber before putting the wheel on. in my experience, the furthest you can make the camber negative is not far from where you want it for a mk1. on the other hand, you can make the camber far more positive that you'll ever want, on the mk1. so, guess it by making it all the way negative, and then back a little bit. use visual references such as how much gap is between the top of the upright casting and the strut casing to get each side similar.

3) now, bolt a wheel on one side. leave it jacked up, and feel behind the RIM for the space between the RIM and the strut... dont use the tyre. use the RIM, OK? This is not a bad way to get each side pretty colse to the other. all you need to do is feel around the back. you can even turn the steering to one lock and try to measure it if possible. you'r aim is to get the other side the same. if its not, you'll have to remove the wheel and adjust.

Now, even if you're really good, and you get that 'strut-to-rim' gap exact on each side, this doesnt mean that the true camber setting will be the same on each side - you're car could well be a little bent. however, chances are it'll be fiarly close, unless something serious has happened to your vehicle.

4) Now, you need to check that your setting is actually what you want. this means lowering the car to the ground and eyeing up the camber on each side. its obvious to see if its negative or positive. you can use bodywork as a visula cue, or, if you know you're floow is flat, use a string with a weight hanging next to the rim to see what the camber is like. eye it up against the rear wheels. again, if the car is fairly straight, you'll be able to see if you're way off, or OK.

5) assuming your all ok, now comes the tricky part. you might want to take it for a spin and see if you can tell if you have too much of anything, ut chances are you're toe will be off and the steering wheel wont center. note which way its off, and by how much.

6) never just move the steering wheel... as long as you have the rack centered, you should keep it that way.

7) eye up the toe FROM BOTH ENDS OF THE CAR. typically, from the back of the car, you ill appear to have more toe in that you actually do. from the front of the car, you will appear to have more toe out than you actually do. you need to find a happy medium. unless you have a large adjustment to make (more than 5 full turns of a tie rod), i usually do toe adjustments with the car on the ground. if you have some space, you can turn the steering from one lock to another while moving hte car forward or backwards, in order to allow space for adjusting each side whilst lying on the floor. its not pretty, but it works.

8) more later... i gtg :-)

[Jarred]

I used a pretty similar process when setting up the alignment on my current mk 1.

Got the camber roughly similar, and then went about making adjustments to the toe. Drive a bit, change the toe a bit, and repeat till I was happy with it. not the most efficient way. but I got it decent in the end.

I think I'll go over and check everything before the road trip. :D

[gavs]

Thanks gldgti :toast:

[4ABHGE]

Bit of a thread dig, but why start a new thread? ;)

I use the tube and string method to do my alignment but i am just doing the camber by sight which is no where near accurate. So, does anyone have a cheap and effective way of measuring camber settings?

Ive toyed with the idea of hacking up a spirit level which would help even either side up, but still wouldnt be accurate...

[MGV]

Wheel Aligning at the shop - the guessing way??

I recently had some lowering springs installed at 'a specialist suspension shop'. When i picked up the car, the guy said "Ok, these springs have lowered your car by around 30mm & we have made adjustment to the camber allowing for a possible further lowering of maybe 5mm as the springs soften a bit & settle in, over around 1000km's."

Does this sound about right? Should i have the camber settings re-looked at now that i have around 1000km's on them?

Thanks in advance!

[DUBY]

you can buy (in the uk) a magnetised spirit level which you turn giving you a digital degree read out,

not the one I'm talking about but does the same job

Gunson 77066 Trakrite Camber Gauge: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gunson-77066-Trakrite-Camber-Gauge/dp/B002WMRWT6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347955916&sr=8-1)

or this

VW GTI/Golf/Beetle Audi A4/A5/A7 Magnetic Camber Gauge | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/VW-GTI-Golf-Beetle-Audi-A4-A5-A7-Magnetic-Camber-Gauge-/170901894744?pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&hash=item27ca8bf658#ht_3094wt_1271)

" SAVE GARAGE COSTS " DIY Magnetic Vehicle Wheel Alignment Camber Gauge | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SAVE-GARAGE-COSTS-DIY-Magnetic-Vehicle-Wheel-Alignment-Camber-Gauge-/360442564573?pt=UK_Measuring_Tools_Levels&hash=item53ec0d0fdd#ht_1950wt_1037)

[dylan8]

Wheel Aligning at the shop - the guessing way??

I recently had some lowering springs installed at 'a specialist suspension shop'. When i picked up the car, the guy said "Ok, these springs have lowered your car by around 30mm & we have made adjustment to the camber allowing for a possible further lowering of maybe 5mm as the springs soften a bit & settle in, over around 1000km's."

Does this sound about right? Should i have the camber settings re-looked at now that i have around 1000km's on them?

Thanks in advance!

Yeah would be right.
Is get it done again a few months down the track. Sooner if you notice odd tyre wear