I've done this on several vehicles that I've done front end work on. I always tell the customer to get it aligned (I'm a back alley mechanic) and a few never got it aligned. Thousands of miles later, these vehicles still drive fine and do not wear the tires unevenly. I use newspapers to slip the tires on the pavement.
It's to add stability. Front and rear wheel drive vehicles have opposite toe because they torque differently when accelerating etc. It's to compensate for that. Black Hawk helicopters are kind of the same way with their tail rotor. It's not straight up and down- it's tilted to help stabilize the roll of the heli. Any time something twists or turns it has angular momentum and angular procession applies as well as just vehicle torque flex.
Thanks a lot! I used this guide to align my car after viewing like 12 other guides involving either tape measure, string, or whatever. It may not be perfect to the exact degree, but it sure works. And even then, the last time I had a shop align my car, it still leaned slightly to the right. Thanks!
Thanks for the help on this vid man. I went to a well know big tire store and they told me they couldn't do an alignment unless they replaced all my bushings and dust covers etc. I watched your video (and took way to much time before I actually used it) and now my truck drives better than ever. Huge thanks and I love all your other stuff. Tons of great info.
I know this video is 8 years ago, but... you were saying how you did fantastic job of doing your job even though you didn't really know how to do that particular job. Well... you.. take heart in everything you do. That's what makes a difference.
Your videos are always worth watching. Keep them up! You speak well, exude confidence, and explain things to us novices that will inevitably attempt to do these projects at home with limited experience. For that, thank you! Hopefully you can continue to grow your viewership so these videos will pay off!
Brian, I'm looking at this video 10 years later. And the information you presented here is still 100 percent correct. You've probably saved me over $1000 for alignments. Thanks for a great video !
A GREAT & CREATIVE idea that makes perfect sense. I also took my 2000 Dodge Ram short bed 4x4 with 9 inch lift. Took it to "4 WHEEL PARTS and had the same situation. Thanks for the COMMON SENCE IDEAS. Seemed they were more concerned about where lunch was gunna be.... Thank you, I'll keep watching. Richard in NORTH TEXAS.
Thanks for the explanation of caster/camber. Never really grasped caster before. Big O tire shop in Louisville, CO has done good on my alignments. I run stock tires and automatically get an alignment when buying new tires. Have never had high speed emergencies due to failing steering parts. No low speed ones either. You're a blast to watch and real accessible as a person. Your wife is lucky to have you !
This is Awesome! I just replaced ball joints, drag link, track bars and tie rod ends today on my 2001 Dodge Ram 1500. I know it is not as beefy as the 3/4 ton but the set up is identical and now I can try your ideas on an alignment as I also put brand new BFGs on it 2 weeks ago and have no desire to ruin them anytime soon. Thanks for the tips.
I'm glad you admit to doing alignments for a living at one point but not knowing what you were really doing. That's why I'm here because the dealership did not know what they were doing at all and it's worse than when I brought it in. So thanks for learning whats going on and teaching the rest of us
This is simple and so brilliant...never thought is possible to see the missalignament by the tire's surfaces.I like you very much...you knowlege and your approach to things is very motivating.
Can't thank you enough for this video. I just used this technique on my car and she flys straight down the road without the steering wheel being all cockeyed. Took a total of 20 minutes from start to finish.
Great "How to.." video. After watching your video, i watched several others and decided to give it a try. I had attempted to use another guys measurement technique that was a fail. So i fallowed your eclipsing method. It worked out perfectly i must say that getting those connectors to turn took quite a bit of determination. In the end it all worked great It gos to show ya gotta listen when a Utahan is telling how it is. Thanks again.
44 yr master mech and engineer here. I have done this type of alignment on my vehicles and has worked well. But you forgot the front tires need to toe in one eighth inch each. And never align with rear tores due to that area does not have the same camber angle! Measure back of front tires and front and get equal in tape measure then toe in one 8th inch per side in front
Joe's correct. On a solid axle Dodge, you want zero toe in or, 0.00 - 0.05 total toe in measurement. On these Dodge solid axle rigs, one will encounter wander and darting coupled with excessive tire wear on the outer edges and decreased mileage when toed in. If memory serves me correct, the toe-in is employed in applications sporting independent suspension as a work-around for bushing movement / compliance and other factors that were unpredictable during real-world applications when set at zero toe in so, OEMs spec'd out .125 total toe in measurement as a workaround to aid in tracking to compensate for compliance.
Yeah im sure my dana 44 straight axle dodge will love camber ....gtfoh ricer boy no body want camber on their truck and if I ever took my shit to a shop and they put camber on my truck id be highly pissed camber is for so called "stance" not daily drivers an a work truck at that
String works great. Tie string to trailer ball pull around back tire to front across tires. Sometimes a pain with mudders like you said but can get damn close like that
I had a Pathfinder with wide wheels that was horrid after they did the alignment, almost too dangerous to drive. They had to get a senior out and he did it without going by the computer and it was perfect afterwards!
Keep these how to vids coming ma man, for us who don’t have access to all the technology the dealers have you rock! Ty great vid I love doing things myself
your videos are awesome, i learn something every time i watch...thx man, just got myself an 03 f150 4.6 about 7 weeks ago and i like doing diy stuff to it, keep up the vids.
Finally! A DIY video that was very informative, had really good camera angles and absolutely nothing to annoy the viewer. This was the first of your videos that I've watched and I've subscribed to your channel. - Now looking forward to watching many more. Keep up the great work!
A lot of the times the alignment rack isn't always spot on when it comes to adjusting lifted trucks like yours I as an alignment tech at time struggle to make the eclipse effect you illustrated which to me now makes so much sense. Thanks for the tutorial.
Way to get to the point! This has been so helpful for my 2001 Ram 4x4. Guy before me got it stuck, pulled it out by the steering gear after they ripped off the torsion bar.
Thanks for posting this instructional video. It was super helpful for my 5.9 96 4x4 alignment. Looks like you spent some good money on those bushwackers, rims and tires. I love your setup, I'm jealous.
Thanks. The camber adjustment on this solid axle would be a special upper ball joint replacement. Depending on your control arms you may have some excentric bolts with cam washers to accomplish that ie. Chevy.
This was in the recommended videos for me. Funny to see it as I've eye-balled MANY alignments and have had good success. Sometimes I'll measure the toe in/out with something but it all starts with eye balling it and maybe throwing a level on the rim to make sure camber is about zero if I had the ball joints, struts etc out. The Durango I have in my older videos where I did the ball joints on camera, I never took in for an alignment. I just did my magic and it never pulled and never wore the tires funny. Meanwhile just this last week my coworker had to take his work van in to the alignment shop more than two times to get it right! He'd pick it up and the thing would change lanes automatically because they trusted their alignment machine and yet it was so off!
He is an artist at low cost high reward repair, but alas it can be high risk too. That's life. The world is a better place because of his work though. I believe in options. I believe in freedom. He creates options. I respect that.
I'd never seen that adjustable drag link. Cool. I have an old E250. If the steering wheel is off you have to adjust both sides again. I did get all point perfect after about five tries... mostly for the sake of the steering wheel That eclipsing method Isn't a bad idea, but some vehicles have a wider front tracking than rear. Mine is front track, 69.4 in. Rear track, 67.0 in. Eclipsing would cause tow-out. You do not want tow-out on a rear wheel drive vehicle. I used the tape measure on the outside treads of both front tires. The tires were new so the treads were reliable. Measure behind and in front of the wheels. Adjust the collars so the same measure is front and back. Then pull in one wheel or the other about 1/32 of an inch. That gives 1/16th difference front and back with toe-in. That's just about right for most heavy duty vehicles. If the steering wheel is off to the right then put that 1/32 adjustment on the left wheel, and vice versa. Repeat if necessary. Toe-in is essential. When the rear wheels push, the weight of the vehicle flexes the steering links. Toe-in assures the wheels run true when in motion.
Great video man! Have been doing my own alignments for awhile now and love it...especially doing it quicker and not having to sit waiting bored to death and your right they never care if the sides match as long as its in the green even if thats a broad spectrum. I use the string method with jack stands since front meats stick out farther then rear meats? I like the explanation about caster it was perfect! I run 0* toe and it seems fine using a engineering rule with 64th.
Thanks for this video ! I just aligned my Hummer H2 using this method, and it works great. In fact, it now tracks better than with any alignment I've ever had at a professional shop. BTW, I found the alignment pins were missing from my left upper control arm cams. I don't know why the shops didn't fix that before attempting an alignment. They told me my H2 had a bad rack and pinion, so it would never hold an alignment.
@LinearNavigator Thick clear painter's plastic folded in half three times with baby powder between each fold works better than cookie sheets. Also you can use wood shop clamps sometimes to kind of extend.
Camber is only adjustable if you have a certain kind of independent front suspension (CV axles/torsion bars) or use a special ball joint. On a solid front axle like this DANA 60F it's not adjustable. For the top of the wheel to lean in would require the ball joint to be bad. Otherwise if you do have IFS check for excentrics on the upper control arm pivot bolts.
lol everyone you gave shoutouts to, i'm subscribed to. i like how every one of you car guys have different knowledge and a different feel to your videos. keep em coming!
I own and operate a shop and have done this method for 35 YEARS sighting off the rear tires toeing the fronts in about an eighth of an inch (centering the steering wheel of couse...using 2 bungee straps anchored to the brake pedal helps keep the steering wheel from moving) It may not be exact but I guarantee it is real close! I always recommend my customers get a front end alignment but they never do because they trust what I do.
I have to let you know that because of me using this idea for an alignment (is awesome by the way, although I don't have concrete so I didn't need the platters), but this showed me that one of my rear axle tubes on my 12 valve is bent. which is why it (even with the front set perfect) still pulled hard to the left. I figured I'd let you know that if it wasn't for your string idea I was wouldn't have any idea. THANK YOU BRIAN!!
I have a 03 Cummins turbo diesel crewcab dually. And i went through the alignment shuffle too! My truck was eating tires though. I ended up doing my own alignment. And its a little better. Im gonna try your way after I replace a few parts. Thank you!
Thanks for the video Brian! good job. Perhaps it would be beneficial to mention that Castor, the rearward tilt of the axle, is typically responsible for the "pull" of the steering. Typically, the vehicle pulls to the side with the least amount of caster. Also, I'm jealous of that gorgeous 2500 Cummins. I had an identical truck to that and the 2011 GM I'm driving now really doesn't compare. Its also important to mention that 2wd trucks, as with all rear wheel drive vehicles, are intended to have some toe in, and FWD or cars, have toe out
This works if your front and rear track width are the same. If the rear is wider, not only will it look different when you check by eye, but you're likely to end up with toe in and if the rear is narrower, you may end up with toe out. A small toe out (less than half a degree) should be fine for a permanently driven front axle. This is just my opinion. Track alignment was part of my tire fitting job, but it was a good 25+ years ago. ;¬)
I did alignments for a year and learned to hate the Lazer computer.. we had the mechanical set up and I loved it.. I ought to put one together and show you what we did.. it would even compensate for a tire or wheel that is bent or not quite strait (for toe adjustment anyway) I ought to make the camber/caster gauge but that will be a bit tricky.. loved the cookie sheet idea though. that is a good trick!
right on thank you! cheers from Wv. I have a 2000 1500 ram and the outside edges of the front tires are wearing faster than the rest. Id assume it has some mild tow in. Imma try this method out! thank you!
@DodgeMan360 That's normal. Using baby powder between layers of painting plastic under your tires. You can get the toe set pretty close. It will save your tires in the mean time before getting it aligned.
Thanks for the tip. Thinking about it, I have a bend in mine. The bar isn't adjustable like yours, but I had hit a curb, bending it. I need to replace parts.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Doing things by eye works for me and once you showed the driver's side eclipse, bingo, simple and easy . No string or other tools needed.
Just found your channel (subscribed) and two huge thumbs up and many thanks. I will have to eventually have to adjust the valves, etc.. on my crf450r (no idea since I've always been a twostroke racer) and then saw you also help with common truck problems. Your vids are down to Earth, uses common tools and will save me ALOT of money I'm sure. Wish you had a paypal account set up so I could donate a few bucks for what you will no doubt save me. Thanks Brian.
@Avinash1943 That can be pretty effective too. On this truck there's obstructions that prevent that from being possible on the back of the wheel. It also takes a bit more time to put a tack in the tread to hold and hook the tape. I'm also doing this with just me so hooking the tape can be tough. For the effort vs effectiveness I choose to do it this way. As the title says "quick and dirty."
Awesome video.. I have been wanting to do this for a long time due to crooked steering and new ball joints I put on along with tie rod ends.. Thanks for the intel.
Thanks for the video, I just got an old chevy and new tires arrive tomorrow. I didn't wanna pay anybody to align it because I figured there was a good at home way to do this, especially for me since I drive a car every day, the truck is only for occasional use.
It's tough to say without looking at it. I would say check the input shaft angle from the steering wheel to the gear box. You may be able to make the wheel and pitman be right together and then adjust the wheels. That would be ideal. Some have 20 or so teath/options at the union just before going through the firewall.
@00dodgecummins fill the tank and reset odometer. Drive in highway 300+ miles. Get off freeway. Fill up tank. Divide current trip odometer by gallons of gas pumped. 25.21 Given my mud tires are low on tread/resistance. I do have Edge Juice with Attitude and new bearings, huge exhaust, new wheel joints, and I drive kinda conservatively where I can. The Edge stuff helped the most. I was getting like 14 before on the average no matter what I did.
Hello just came across your tutorial. Nice. It's nice to see someone who enjoys their profession. A thinker. I have mechanical background and enjoy working repairing my own vehicles and anyone else's vehicles if asked. Some things I can't do on my own I seek out references.
I use a tape measure front and back of the wheel to determine that the wheels are straight. Tough with the tread pattern on your tires though, much easier if there is a center groove. Nice to see that other people are like me and not afraid to do things themselves. :-)
If the guy you went to didn't do a good job...it may be that he didn't do anything at all. I know from experience years back that many garages would claim to adjust alignment but never even touch the vehicle. Or the nuts were seized so they didn't bother. But still charged you. Things are better these days since the internet and general scrutiny on garages and their tricks, so they are doing their best to be honest.
Double check that the spring of the t-stat is toward the engine and the bubble burper is at the top. Other than that you just have to bleed the air out of the system. It may be necessary to loosen a hose clamp on the heater hose to burp some air out too.
You can use a couple of floor tiles with the smooth sides together and a bit of grease between them for slip-plates. Also, try using string attached to jack-stands to line up front-to-rear.
You need to start with centering the steering wheel first assuming it hasnt been pulled and put back on crooked, thats what centers the steering pitman arm and more importantly the worm gear inside the steering box which is tight to the pinion gear in the center and compensating as it goes to the left or right stop its imperitive the wheel / box is centered first on a backyard job or shop. once that is centered, then align the front to rear wheels as you have shown, each one separate as necessary, best for most use a carpenters string line pull tight around back of truck over center of rear wheels and then forward, tape a spacer to the rear wheel and its easier to keep the space the same than try and have the string tough tires, its fail safe. once both are done then adjust the toe in 1/4 turn on each side evenly until a tape measure shows it 1/8 of an inch narrower in front than back, do NOT go zero toe thats what inspired this response it is dangerous and to answer the question below of how you adjust the camber there are elliptical cylinder " camber / caster shims " that work with the ball joints for that. yes you can do this at home and do a better job than a new school shop that has no common sense, think it out, be safe
Thanks Briansmobile1, I've been having to go in for an alignment every 2 or 3 months. I figured it was something simple like this. with a little practice I should be alright.
This video is awesome. I recently bought an 86 F-250 4x4 and i'm trying to see how little cash I can spend getting it back in shape. Both tie rod ends need replacing and therefore an alignment must be done. I also heard you can use plastic trays from the food court to do this. Thanks for the handy video!
great video. The main idea is that you want the tire edges to eclipse right at the same time. That will get you close enough that your tires don't get shredded and it will drive predictably. How you adjust is different for every truck. Thanks.
i love the eclipsing method to align the fronts with the rears. it's a really simple, ingenious method!
I've done this on several vehicles that I've done front end work on. I always tell the customer to get it aligned (I'm a back alley mechanic) and a few never got it aligned. Thousands of miles later, these vehicles still drive fine and do not wear the tires unevenly.
I use newspapers to slip the tires on the pavement.
At least we can still use them for something besides bird cages....
Newspaper is a great idea, thanks
It's to add stability. Front and rear wheel drive vehicles have opposite toe because they torque differently when accelerating etc. It's to compensate for that. Black Hawk helicopters are kind of the same way with their tail rotor. It's not straight up and down- it's tilted to help stabilize the roll of the heli. Any time something twists or turns it has angular momentum and angular procession applies as well as just vehicle torque flex.
Thanks a lot! I used this guide to align my car after viewing like 12 other guides involving either tape measure, string, or whatever. It may not be perfect to the exact degree, but it sure works. And even then, the last time I had a shop align my car, it still leaned slightly to the right. Thanks!
Cars almost always pull to the right because roads are not perfectly centered to get rain to run off.
Thanks for the help on this vid man. I went to a well know big tire store and they told me they couldn't do an alignment unless they replaced all my bushings and dust covers etc. I watched your video (and took way to much time before I actually used it) and now my truck drives better than ever. Huge thanks and I love all your other stuff. Tons of great info.
I know this video is 8 years ago, but... you were saying how you did fantastic job of doing your job even though you didn't really know how to do that particular job. Well... you.. take heart in everything you do. That's what makes a difference.
All i have to say is THANKS! your videos have helped me a lot and saved me hundreds in mechanic fees!
Every time i look for videos on car repair i always take them with a grain of salt.When i find yours, I KNOW i got the right one. Thanks.
Your videos are always worth watching. Keep them up! You speak well, exude confidence, and explain things to us novices that will inevitably attempt to do these projects at home with limited experience. For that, thank you! Hopefully you can continue to grow your viewership so these videos will pay off!
It was a great intimate moment when you were laying on your back talking to us lol
Squid WithGear I didn't know you were a Briansmobile1 Fan too! lol
TRX450R Vlogger he has some great videos :D
That is for sure.
Squid WithGear *hahahahhahah😂😂😂*
Squid WithGea
Brian, I'm looking at this video 10 years later. And the information you presented here is still 100 percent correct. You've probably saved me over $1000 for alignments. Thanks for a great video !
A GREAT & CREATIVE idea that makes perfect sense. I also took my 2000 Dodge Ram short bed 4x4 with 9 inch lift. Took it to "4 WHEEL PARTS and had the same situation. Thanks for the COMMON SENCE IDEAS. Seemed they were more concerned about where lunch was gunna be.... Thank you, I'll keep watching. Richard in NORTH TEXAS.
Thanks for the explanation of caster/camber. Never really grasped caster before. Big O tire shop in Louisville, CO has done good on my alignments. I run stock tires and automatically get an alignment when buying new tires. Have never had high speed emergencies due to failing steering parts. No low speed ones either. You're a blast to watch and real accessible as a person. Your wife is lucky to have you !
Wow, Mr. Brian. This was the easiest video that I found on the explanation of the wheel alignment process. Thanks a TON!!!!
This is Awesome! I just replaced ball joints, drag link, track bars and tie rod ends today on my 2001 Dodge Ram 1500. I know it is not as beefy as the 3/4 ton but the set up is identical and now I can try your ideas on an alignment as I also put brand new BFGs on it 2 weeks ago and have no desire to ruin them anytime soon. Thanks for the tips.
I'm glad you admit to doing alignments for a living at one point but not knowing what you were really doing. That's why I'm here because the dealership did not know what they were doing at all and it's worse than when I brought it in. So thanks for learning whats going on and teaching the rest of us
Thanks for the compliments and the heads up.
This is simple and so brilliant...never thought is possible to see the missalignament by the tire's surfaces.I like you very much...you knowlege and your approach to things is very motivating.
Watching Brians videos is like switching to Gieco, you'll save tons of money. Thanks for all the help bud.
Thank you for being thorough Brian, I appreciate your videos.
Can't thank you enough for this video. I just used this technique on my car and she flys straight down the road without the steering wheel being all cockeyed. Took a total of 20 minutes from start to finish.
Great "How to.." video.
After watching your video, i watched several others and decided to give it a try. I had attempted to use another guys measurement technique that was a fail. So i fallowed your eclipsing method. It worked out perfectly i must say that getting those connectors to turn took quite a bit of determination. In the end it all worked great It gos to show ya gotta listen when a Utahan is telling how it is. Thanks again.
44 yr master mech and engineer here. I have done this type of alignment on my vehicles and has worked well. But you forgot the front tires need to toe in one eighth inch each. And never align with rear tores due to that area does not have the same camber angle! Measure back of front tires and front and get equal in tape measure then toe in one 8th inch per side in front
You don't set toe-in on a solid axle truck.
Joe's correct. On a solid axle Dodge, you want zero toe in or, 0.00 - 0.05 total toe in measurement. On these Dodge solid axle rigs, one will encounter wander and darting coupled with excessive tire wear on the outer edges and decreased mileage when toed in. If memory serves me correct, the toe-in is employed in applications sporting independent suspension as a work-around for bushing movement / compliance and other factors that were unpredictable during real-world applications when set at zero toe in so, OEMs spec'd out .125 total toe in measurement as a workaround to aid in tracking to compensate for compliance.
Yeah im sure my dana 44 straight axle dodge will love camber ....gtfoh ricer boy no body want camber on their truck and if I ever took my shit to a shop and they put camber on my truck id be highly pissed camber is for so called "stance" not daily drivers an a work truck at that
String works great. Tie string to trailer ball pull around back tire to front across tires. Sometimes a pain with mudders like you said but can get damn close like that
Christopher McKenna I have the problem, I had a level kit installed and I’ve went through 2 sets of mud tires in 3 years. I have to have it fixed ASAP
Thanks for the refresher. I actually certified back in the 90s for brakes and alignment. Been years since I've thought about it real hard.
I had a Pathfinder with wide wheels that was horrid after they did the alignment, almost too dangerous to drive. They had to get a senior out and he did it without going by the computer and it was perfect afterwards!
Keep these how to vids coming ma man, for us who don’t have access to all the technology the dealers have you rock! Ty great vid I love doing things myself
your videos are awesome, i learn something every time i watch...thx man, just got myself an 03 f150 4.6 about 7 weeks ago and i like doing diy stuff to it, keep up the vids.
Finally! A DIY video that was very informative, had really good camera angles and absolutely nothing to annoy the viewer. This was the first of your videos that I've watched and I've subscribed to your channel. - Now looking forward to watching many more. Keep up the great work!
A lot of the times the alignment rack isn't always spot on when it comes to adjusting lifted trucks like yours I as an alignment tech at time struggle to make the eclipse effect you illustrated which to me now makes so much sense. Thanks for the tutorial.
That's a GREAT idea- you're smart AND resourceful!
Way to get to the point! This has been so helpful for my 2001 Ram 4x4. Guy before me got it stuck, pulled it out by the steering gear after they ripped off the torsion bar.
Great Video, My 2005 Ram 2500 pulled to the right, for a while until now... Thanks Brother, You saved me a bunch !!!!!!!!
Thanks for posting this instructional video. It was super helpful for my 5.9 96 4x4 alignment. Looks like you spent some good money on those bushwackers, rims and tires. I love your setup, I'm jealous.
Thanks. The camber adjustment on this solid axle would be a special upper ball joint replacement. Depending on your control arms you may have some excentric bolts with cam washers to accomplish that ie. Chevy.
I’ve used string lines before around all four tires as a temporary solution to align and then took it to the shop and it ended up being good !
funny how this one came up brian, you can see your growth in the seven years. Keep them coming.
This was in the recommended videos for me. Funny to see it as I've eye-balled MANY alignments and have had good success.
Sometimes I'll measure the toe in/out with something but it all starts with eye balling it and maybe throwing a level on the rim to make sure camber is about zero if I had the ball joints, struts etc out.
The Durango I have in my older videos where I did the ball joints on camera, I never took in for an alignment. I just did my magic and it never pulled and never wore the tires funny.
Meanwhile just this last week my coworker had to take his work van in to the alignment shop more than two times to get it right! He'd pick it up and the thing would change lanes automatically because they trusted their alignment machine and yet it was so off!
He is an artist at low cost high reward repair, but alas it can be high risk too. That's life. The world is a better place because of his work though. I believe in options. I believe in freedom. He creates options. I respect that.
I have a 97 B2500 Dodge van....same front end mostly...and you really helped me out Great Video tks man!!!!!!
Great video brother, my alignment on my dakota was a little off, with this video I was able to correct the problem. Keep the videos coming.
You da man. This along with the string trick 👌 made my tire eating monster not so hungry 👍
I'd never seen that adjustable drag link. Cool. I have an old E250. If the steering wheel is off you have to adjust both sides again. I did get all point perfect after about five tries... mostly for the sake of the steering wheel
That eclipsing method Isn't a bad idea, but some vehicles have a wider front tracking than rear. Mine is front track, 69.4 in. Rear track, 67.0 in. Eclipsing would cause tow-out. You do not want tow-out on a rear wheel drive vehicle.
I used the tape measure on the outside treads of both front tires. The tires were new so the treads were reliable. Measure behind and in front of the wheels.
Adjust the collars so the same measure is front and back. Then pull in one wheel or the other about 1/32 of an inch. That gives 1/16th difference front and back with toe-in. That's just about right for most heavy duty vehicles.
If the steering wheel is off to the right then put that 1/32 adjustment on the left wheel, and vice versa.
Repeat if necessary.
Toe-in is essential. When the rear wheels push, the weight of the vehicle flexes the steering links. Toe-in assures the wheels run true when in motion.
Great video man! Have been doing my own alignments for awhile now and love it...especially doing it quicker and not having to sit waiting bored to death and your right they never care if the sides match as long as its in the green even if thats a broad spectrum. I use the string method with jack stands since front meats stick out farther then rear meats? I like the explanation about caster it was perfect! I run 0* toe and it seems fine using a engineering rule with 64th.
It has a computer "chip" that is piggy backed inline to help control the parameters of feedback so the truck delivers fuel and shifts better.
Thanks for this video ! I just aligned my Hummer H2 using this method, and it works great. In fact, it now tracks better than with any alignment I've ever had at a professional shop. BTW, I found the alignment pins were missing from my left upper control arm cams. I don't know why the shops didn't fix that before attempting an alignment. They told me my H2 had a bad rack and pinion, so it would never hold an alignment.
@LinearNavigator Thick clear painter's plastic folded in half three times with baby powder between each fold works better than cookie sheets. Also you can use wood shop clamps sometimes to kind of extend.
Camber is only adjustable if you have a certain kind of independent front suspension (CV axles/torsion bars) or use a special ball joint. On a solid front axle like this DANA 60F it's not adjustable. For the top of the wheel to lean in would require the ball joint to be bad. Otherwise if you do have IFS check for excentrics on the upper control arm pivot bolts.
lol everyone you gave shoutouts to, i'm subscribed to. i like how every one of you car guys have different knowledge and a different feel to your videos. keep em coming!
I own and operate a shop and have done this method for 35 YEARS sighting off the rear tires toeing the fronts in about an eighth of an inch (centering the steering wheel of couse...using 2 bungee straps anchored to the brake pedal helps keep the steering wheel from moving) It may not be exact but I guarantee it is real close! I always recommend my customers get a front end alignment but they never do because they trust what I do.
I have to let you know that because of me using this idea for an alignment (is awesome by the way, although I don't have concrete so I didn't need the platters), but this showed me that one of my rear axle tubes on my 12 valve is bent. which is why it (even with the front set perfect) still pulled hard to the left. I figured I'd let you know that if it wasn't for your string idea I was wouldn't have any idea. THANK YOU BRIAN!!
I have a 03 Cummins turbo diesel crewcab dually. And i went through the alignment shuffle too! My truck was eating tires though. I ended up doing my own alignment. And its a little better. Im gonna try your way after I replace a few parts. Thank you!
Thanks for the video Brian! good job. Perhaps it would be beneficial to mention that Castor, the rearward tilt of the axle, is typically responsible for the "pull" of the steering. Typically, the vehicle pulls to the side with the least amount of caster.
Also, I'm jealous of that gorgeous 2500 Cummins. I had an identical truck to that and the 2011 GM I'm driving now really doesn't compare. Its also important to mention that 2wd trucks, as with all rear wheel drive vehicles, are intended to have some toe in, and FWD or cars, have toe out
Thanks! This in combination with the string method did a better job than taking my truck to the shop, and it's FREE!
You're welcome- way to go man!
I like the ball cap on your dash hiding your radar detector lol
Your trick worked great on my truck. Straight down the road now. Steering was a little harder just to get it centered.
Thanks
That works great too!
Thank you for your specific feedback.
This works if your front and rear track width are the same. If the rear is wider, not only will it look different when you check by eye, but you're likely to end up with toe in and if the rear is narrower, you may end up with toe out. A small toe out (less than half a degree) should be fine for a permanently driven front axle.
This is just my opinion. Track alignment was part of my tire fitting job, but it was a good 25+ years ago. ;¬)
I did alignments for a year and learned to hate the Lazer computer.. we had the mechanical set up and I loved it.. I ought to put one together and show you what we did.. it would even compensate for a tire or wheel that is bent or not quite strait (for toe adjustment anyway) I ought to make the camber/caster gauge but that will be a bit tricky.. loved the cookie sheet idea though. that is a good trick!
right on thank you! cheers from Wv. I have a 2000 1500 ram and the outside edges of the front tires are wearing faster than the rest. Id assume it has some mild tow in. Imma try this method out! thank you!
@DodgeMan360 That's normal. Using baby powder between layers of painting plastic under your tires. You can get the toe set pretty close. It will save your tires in the mean time before getting it aligned.
Thanks for the tip. Thinking about it, I have a bend in mine. The bar isn't adjustable like yours, but I had hit a curb, bending it. I need to replace parts.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Doing things by eye works for me and once you showed the driver's side eclipse, bingo, simple and easy . No string or other tools needed.
No problem- glad to help.
I agree. I'll put him on my recommended channels.
I've been using a string down the side of the center of the tires to do alignments for years, works great.
Just found your channel (subscribed) and two huge thumbs up and many thanks. I will have to eventually have to adjust the valves, etc.. on my crf450r (no idea since I've always been a twostroke racer) and then saw you also help with common truck problems. Your vids are down to Earth, uses common tools and will save me ALOT of money I'm sure. Wish you had a paypal account set up so I could donate a few bucks for what you will no doubt save me. Thanks Brian.
@Avinash1943 That can be pretty effective too. On this truck there's obstructions that prevent that from being possible on the back of the wheel. It also takes a bit more time to put a tack in the tread to hold and hook the tape. I'm also doing this with just me so hooking the tape can be tough. For the effort vs effectiveness I choose to do it this way. As the title says "quick and dirty."
Hey Brian, Great vid! Last time I did mine I did it the same way except being a carpenter I used a string line!
Thank you Frank!
I love his zeal for what he does = D
Great job & informative. I just replaced the ball joints & saved $600 now I'm off to try this :) thanks.
Thanks man! i never thought of trhe screwdriver in the sleeve trick! I adjusted rach side and it was a bit hard then jsut all at ocne !
I actually watch Scott K usually but saw you first and you have a truck like I do. Great vid 👍
great video and nice truck and F4I!
Awesome video.. I have been wanting to do this for a long time due to crooked steering and new ball joints I put on along with tie rod ends.. Thanks for the intel.
Thanks for the video, I just got an old chevy and new tires arrive tomorrow. I didn't wanna pay anybody to align it because I figured there was a good at home way to do this, especially for me since I drive a car every day, the truck is only for occasional use.
Thanks Erwin- you should see it now- I have some videos on the winch bumper I built for it from scratch.
It's tough to say without looking at it. I would say check the input shaft angle from the steering wheel to the gear box. You may be able to make the wheel and pitman be right together and then adjust the wheels. That would be ideal. Some have 20 or so teath/options at the union just before going through the firewall.
All the time. It's a great idea.
@00dodgecummins fill the tank and reset odometer. Drive in highway 300+ miles. Get off freeway. Fill up tank. Divide current trip odometer by gallons of gas pumped. 25.21 Given my mud tires are low on tread/resistance. I do have Edge Juice with Attitude and new bearings, huge exhaust, new wheel joints, and I drive kinda conservatively where I can. The Edge stuff helped the most. I was getting like 14 before on the average no matter what I did.
Hello just came across your tutorial. Nice. It's nice to see someone who enjoys their profession. A thinker. I have mechanical background and enjoy working repairing my own vehicles and anyone else's vehicles if asked. Some things I can't do on my own I seek out references.
I use a tape measure front and back of the wheel to determine that the wheels are straight. Tough with the tread pattern on your tires though, much easier if there is a center groove. Nice to see that other people are like me and not afraid to do things themselves. :-)
If the guy you went to didn't do a good job...it may be that he didn't do anything at all. I know from experience years back that many garages would claim to adjust alignment but never even touch the vehicle. Or the nuts were seized so they didn't bother. But still charged you.
Things are better these days since the internet and general scrutiny on garages and their tricks, so they are doing their best to be honest.
Thanks for doing this. Just got my Tacoma aligned and it's better, but not great (needs more caster). Now I think I'll take a shot at it myself.
Double check that the spring of the t-stat is toward the engine and the bubble burper is at the top. Other than that you just have to bleed the air out of the system. It may be necessary to loosen a hose clamp on the heater hose to burp some air out too.
Thanks for the video, much more informative than what you'll get from Scotty. Scotty, too much click bait these days.
You can use a couple of floor tiles with the smooth sides together and a bit of grease between them for slip-plates. Also, try using string attached to jack-stands to line up front-to-rear.
Love how clean the truck is
Thanks man, made my day a lot easier...
You need to start with centering the steering wheel first assuming it hasnt been pulled and put back on crooked, thats what centers the steering pitman arm and more importantly the worm gear inside the steering box which is tight to the pinion gear in the center and compensating as it goes to the left or right stop its imperitive the wheel / box is centered first on a backyard job or shop.
once that is centered, then align the front to rear wheels as you have shown, each one separate as necessary, best for most use a carpenters string line pull tight around back of truck over center of rear wheels and then forward, tape a spacer to the rear wheel and its easier to keep the space the same than try and have the string tough tires, its fail safe. once both are done then adjust the toe in 1/4 turn on each side evenly until a tape measure shows it 1/8 of an inch narrower in front than back, do NOT go zero toe thats what inspired this response it is dangerous and to answer the question below of how you adjust the camber there are elliptical cylinder " camber / caster shims " that work with the ball joints for that. yes you can do this at home and do a better job than a new school shop that has no common sense, think it out, be safe
I need you to service my 3500 where’s your location ?
Very helpful video man, keep up the good work.
Yep - pretty good!
Thanks Briansmobile1, I've been having to go in for an alignment every 2 or 3 months. I figured it was something simple like this. with a little practice I should be alright.
Thanks alot bro, I just did my alignment on my Grand Marquis....very helpful!
This video is awesome. I recently bought an 86 F-250 4x4 and i'm trying to see how little cash I can spend getting it back in shape. Both tie rod ends need replacing and therefore an alignment must be done. I also heard you can use plastic trays from the food court to do this. Thanks for the handy video!
great video. The main idea is that you want the tire edges to eclipse right at the same time. That will get you close enough that your tires don't get shredded and it will drive predictably. How you adjust is different for every truck. Thanks.
right on bro your in the section Scotties in. excellent vids from both of ya
Make sure you have the bars for the adjusting sleeves. Some mechanics take them off and toss them.