Keep in mind that you should align a typical drag race car with the front end raised approximately 1 inch to simulate the way the car will run down the track. Some teams use one edge of the bubble so that reading the angle is more accurate than trying to estimate the center of the bubble. There are several methods to adjust camber, depending on the vehicle and its suspension. Replace the damper pinch bolts with the adjusting bolts (A), and adjust the camber angle. Plus, you'll have another bitchin' tool to upgrade your toolbox. If you don't have a set of turn plates you can use the angles machined on the corners of the gauge as a reference. The 20-degree figure is popular because the more degrees the wheel moves, the more accurate the measurement. Turn the wheels until the angle is parallel to the side of … Camber is measured from looking at the front of the vehicle and drawing a 90 degree to horizontal vertical line through the edge of the tire. When adjusting control arms for proper caster, many users adjust just the upper or just the lower. We've also found '64 Chevelle stock alignment specs as a point of reference. It is this same torque that requires more effort to turn the wheel. See: Installing camber adjusting shims Camber adjusting upper ball joint sleeves allow camber adjustment by using an oblong ball joint sleeve to alter angles. If you are lucky enough to own several cars, you could easily recoup the typical $50.00 alignment charge in only three jobs. Since this is Car Craft, where do-it-yourself rules, we just know you secretly harbor an intense desire to get familiar with the basics of alignment and at least know what all those obscure terms mean. Once you've done your first alignment, you'll realize how easy it is and that you've now climbed another rung on the gearhead master mechanic's ladder. This will be especially important the next time you're stranded on a lost Pacific island and the cannibals offer to crown you king if you can dial in the right caster and camber on their Pro Bamboo car. We'll cover the basics and get into how to set your own alignment at home with a few simple tools that any good car crafter should have in his toolbox. It's not surprising that this is called toe-in. The screw can be adjusted to move the wheel forwards or backwards adjusting the caster angle. Positive caster creates an aligning torque by positioning a portion of vehicle weight behind the tire, which helps position the tire straight ahead. Check and adjust toe after adjusting the camber or caster angle. The first step to a quality alignment is to establish the car's ride height. Next. If the pinion is pointed towards the ground, and you don't have enough caster then you will have to break the knuckles loose and redo the caster. This allows you to perform the 20-degree turn-in and turn-out for measuring caster. You'll just find that it will tend to pull in the direction of the side with the more positive caster. No - caster is not adjustable on a stock set-up. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to the  Terms of Use. We also used a set of aluminum toe plates from Intercomp to measure toe. A safe starting point for caster is 2 to 3 degrees of positive caster. The opposite, toe-out, is where the leading edges of the front tires are angled outward. Now turn the tire 20 degrees out and the gauge will read … First of all you have to measure the caster of your vehicle.Several caster gage are available in market. Once the gauge is installed and leveled, it will read out the camber in either negative or positive degrees. What is important is moving the tire the same number of degrees in and out. If the pinion angle reads 4*, we KNOW the caster is at 2*. Look down at your feet and point your toes inward with your heels angled outward. You can add or remove shims from the rear bolt or where the upper control arm attaches to the hub. There are plenty of sources that claim you need a set of turn plates to do an alignment correctly, but while handy, they are not essential. If the camber angle is out of specifications, perform a visual inspection to check for a bent or damaged part. Now turn the tire 20 degrees out and the gauge will read the amount of positive or negative caster. In the case of a MacPherson strut system this can be in the form of an adjustable tension rod that holds the lower arm forwards or backwards in the wheel arch. Caster, which is also referred to as caster angle, is the top to bottom angle of the steering axis and suspension components as they meet the wheel. They run a large amount of positive caster to make the cart track straight without wandering. 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