DIY Wheel Alignment - Tenhulzen 4-Wheel Alignment System

Covering the Tenhulzen Professional 4-Wheel Alignment System and my own personal at-home alignment setup in the garage using my Lexus SC400 as an example.
To summarize, I use box cribbing to support the car with suspension loaded. I made platforms for the alignment system string frames. These simply slot into the box cribbing. I recommend using clamps to hold the string frame in place. One bump of the string frame and you're going to be spending a while realigning/squaring up the frames and strings. I HIGHLY recommend using turnplates or making your own using plastic and grease. I bought polycarbonate sheets from Lowes and cut them to size.
You need to set the width of the string frames to be wider than the car. This value does not necessarily matter AS LONG AS it is wide enough to mount the gauges to the wheels. I use 81 inches width from frame edge to frame edge. After putting spacers on my car, I should have upped it to maybe 84 or 85 inches, but it still worked out in the end.
Once you set the width of the frame, place the frame and first try attempting to square up the frame/strings by eyeballing it. Then, take a ruler and measure the distance between a fixed point on the car (rotor surface or wheel hub/center cap, etc.) and the string. Make the string-reference point distance equal from left front to right front or vice versa. For example, if the distance between the string and hub on the left front is 138 mm and the distance between the string and hub on the right front is 140 mm.... you need to make them even by pushing the string frame until both sides read 139 mm. You DO NOT adjust the width of the frame. You simply push the frame around to square it up. AFTER THAT, you make sure the rear is squared up using the same method. HOWEVER, the rear does NOT need to match the front. This will still work even if you have different track width front and rear. EVEN THEN AFTER THAT, you will likely need to go back up front and redo the front. Continue this back and forth until everything is squared up and even. Congratulations, you now have strings that run parallel to the true centerline of the car. When doing the rear toe, you can be confident that you will have a (nearly) perfectly zero thrust angle (no crabwalking/dogwalking).
After you ensure the strings run true to the centerline of the car, you can begin by measuring caster. Mount the gauges in the vertical orientation. Turn the wheel inwards (front of the tire in towards centerline of the car) until the bevel on the gauge (as shown in the video) is parallel to the string. Mount the camber gauge on the alignment gauge and zero it. Now turn the steering wheel the opposite direction so the opposing bevel is parallel to the string. Read the gauge. Whatever that value is, double it. That is your caster angle. Adjust as necessary.
Camber is straightforward. Make the wheels point forwards and mount the alignment gauge in the horizontal orientation. Turn on the digital camber gauge and zero it on a wide and flat surface on the ground. The wider, the better. Not all garages are perfectly flat and level. The wider the object/surface, the more accurate the reference will be. After zeroing the digital camber gauge, mount it to the alignment gauge. There is your camber. The arrows will indicate positive or negative values. Adjust as necessary.
Toe is last. Ensure strings are still running true to the centerline of the car. Set the steering wheel straight ahead. Lock it in place. I like the seatbelt method. Mount the alignment gauges in the horizontal position. Adjust the ruler sliders. Swing out the rulers. If the forward ruler value is higher than the rearward ruler value, you are toed-in. If the forward ruler value is lower than the rearward ruler value, you are toed-out. You do NOT compare right front wheel to left front wheel (or the same in the rear). This is all wheel-specific since this is relative to the true centerline of the car. Adjust toe as necessary.
And that's it. You have done your own alignment using the Tenhulzen Automotive 4-Wheel Alignment System. It will take a while. It will take trial and error. But eventually, you will do it. Trust me, if I can do it, then so can you.
Side note: most will recommend doing rear alignment settings first. If desired, you can do this. Obviously, you will have to make sure the strings are squared up first. Set your camber in the rear, then set your toe in the rear. As long as toe settings match, you will have zero thrust angle. Now move to the front of the car and start with caster, then camber, then toe.
Please let me know if there is absolutely any questions or comments.
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