Fix a mans alignment, and he’ll he driving straight for a year. Teach a man to align, and he’ll be driving straight forever. Thanks for the vid, you got a new subscriber.
For anyone attempting this one thing to point out is when you make these measurements and adjustments. make sure the car is 100% on the ground with something under the wheels that will allow them to pivot. Also when you set the car on the ground make sure to give the car a few good shakes on each corner to make sure the suspension has settled. There's a reason alignments are done on a 4 post alignment lift that you drive up onto and not a 2 post lift where the tires leave the ground. The reason for this is the cars suspension geometry is totally different from when it's sitting on the ground compared to when it's lifted off the ground and all the suspension components are stretched out. Aligning the vehicle with the wheels off the ground can and more than likely will throw off your alignment. Im not saying the method in this video can't be used because it definitely can, it won't be as 100 percent accurate as an alignment system but it will work to get you by, you just have to make sure that all four wheels are touching the ground and the cars suspension is settled 100%. The reason I know this is im a ASE Certified Auto Technician. Good luck to anyone doing this method and take your time recording measurements and making adjustments, don't rush along.
good looking out mr smith your wisdom is greatly appreciated. im pretty sure this young man has learned his lesson at this point and make some good cash in the process :)
He says in the video if you place a jack under the suspension it compensates for it being in the air. Is the true? Just want to make sure before I begin
The way I’m thinking of it is you can do it in the air like this for easier adjustments, not having to raise and lower it so many times. Once it’s in spec in the air drop it have it settled then do the same process again but on the ground and it should only take a few adjustments to be “spot on” no?
Cool method being used, 100% for sure you need to keep that on the ground while adjusting, so the weight of the car doesn't offset toe once you put it back on the ground.
It's a good thing I was sitting down while watching this video, because I nearly fainted when I saw how easy it is. The more videos I watch on auto repair, the dumber I feel for having spent so much money with mechanics. Thanks (6 years later) for this video, sir!
Atleast I'm not by myself. My son & myself changed rods, sleeves, headers, cam.... everything! On a Silverado 5.3 LS swap... 700hp gang. All by watching UA-cam.
went to three shops and no one would fix my alignment. "We are just to busy." Went to a fourth and they made me an appointment. Showed up for the appointment and they said they couldn't do it, could they give me another appointment two days later. Walked out and searched for a DIY and found this one. Went home and did it myself. Thanks a lot. Subbed and liked.
So you lied and then lied and lied more. Idk where u live but if you took to a shop that couldn't do for this or that aka lack of experience they would have told you a place that could more than likely. Plus if you went home and did this you did have an alignment. This dude doesn't know shit about alignments. First get the rear inspects you can't use a string to set front toe if rear toe and camber is out
A quick note... if you need to turn the tie rod more than about 1/4-turn, it's a good idea to loosen the clamp on the boot so the tie rod can spin without twisting the boot. Just remember to re-tighten it when you're done.
Great tutorial. Just performed my own alignment after replacing tie rods, runs smooth and straight as an arrow. I recently had a professional alignment, so what I did was to measure the distance before I removed my old tie rods and then aligned the new tie rods/wheels to my original distance. Also, I used folding chairs and tied the string on the same height on each of the chairs to ensure the string crossing the same part of the wheel on front and back. Worked perfectly! You saved me $100 from having to go in again.
just logged in to say this was the best video about getting your wheels aligned at home. I'm changing my tie rods, so need to get this right, no need to pay $50 for an alignment.
Steve Vento The tie rods cost me $30 and it took me 10 minutes to install them. To align the car it took me 20 minutes. And the car is just fine (passed inspection).) So for $30 and half an hour of work I got the job done. The mechanic wanted $150 for everything. Now do the math.
Nathan Oliver True. This is for diyers or people that need to do an alignment at home, or even for "emergencies" for instance if you changed your inner tie rods, or struts at home. Then, if you want, you can take the car to the mechanic.
Not shown in the video. Use a second wrench (spanner) to hold the tie rod (track rod) end when tightening the lock nut. Tightening against the tie rod ball joint may damage the joint, plus the lock nut may remain insufficiently tightened. The tie rod end normally has flats provided for this purpose, as can be seen in the video. This method also allows the ball joint to be held level when tightening the lock nut. Hope this helps.
petcatznz I was thinking the exact same thing. You'll turn everything if you don't hold the inner tie rod with a wrench. If you noticed, he never took his hands off the wheel when test driving afterwards...
thanks for the video. that tip about turning the wheels in 1/8" was perfect. I had them both straight and took it for a drive and just as you said, the wheels wandered. Went back and fixed it right up.
A few things here that I need to mention.Do not adjust your toe-in with the front of the vehicle off the ground like R&W did in this demonstration.Your vehicle may be susceptible to "bump steer".This is a change of toe-in/toe-out as the suspension moves from full droop to full compression,due to differences in the arcs of the tie rod and the lower control arm. When you adjust the toe with the vehicle on the ground,use turn plates under the tire or something to break the friction between the tire and the ground,as you may get a false toe reading due to a slight tire slip angle through the tread.That is,the rubber is twisting. When centering the steering wheel,if the vehicle has power steering,start it up,center the steering wheel,then switch it off.This equalizes the pressure in the steering rack/box.
jimmy mushman I was watching this video and fully understand steering as I have been a car mechanic for 50 years, I looked down the comments to find what you said, otherwise I was going to say exactly the same thing ! also a lot of cars do have adjustable rear tracking.
why can't one just do what's done in the video then lower the car and remeasure? If it's off jack up the car once again and adjust. Keep doing this till measurement is correct when car is on the ground? Also how does one adjust camber?
***** I always try to put my foot down when the light turns yellow. If it's too far, then I don't even bother. Sometimes I know when a light is about to turn yellow and put my foot down before.
Hey man I just wanted to say that's probably one of the easiest explained videos I've seen in a long time I've had a lot of problems with my alignment just want to let you know I appreciate it thank you
Thank you so much for sharing this great video. I replaced the rack and pinion on a GMC Yukon, and in spite of all efforts, the alignment was affected badly. Since it was the weekend, I resorted to try to find a temporary solution here, and found your video. Followed step-by-step and I was able to align it. That was fantastic.
In the video, after he was done adjusting the tie rods, he locked them with only one wrench on the lock nut. This resulted in movement of the tie rod, which throws off the adjustment. So, when both unlocking and locking the tie rod, two wrenches are required. One wrench to hold the tie rod in place without twisting it out of adjustment, and the second wrench to turn the lock-nut. Flare-nut wrenches, commonly used for plumbing, are best suited for the job of holding the lock-nut, because these hold the nut on five of the six sides of the lock-nut. and next are the Camber and the Caster adjustments. Waiting for that video. Thanks. ( could your next video also explain concepts such as Ackerman Steering and the correction of front wheel drift during cornering. Thanks)
I had no idea it was that easy I love it when people like you make videos like this it helps people learn to fix their vehicles themselves and save a ton of money thanks for posting this video
Dude thank you for this video. So helpful. I woulda never thought you could do this. In the back of my mind I always think alignments are something you will have to have a shop do no matter what. Thanks again brotha 👊
I've seen in the comments a lot about how the wheels need to be loaded (aka on the ground) in order for this to be a more accurate alignment method. My question is; can't you just drive the front end, in this case, up on ramps to make this method more accurate? You would have room to work under the car while also keeping the tires under load so it seems like a win win. It might be a little harder to get the strings aligned with the center of each tire that way but tying the string to jack stands set to different heights could be a solution there. I'm no professional mechanic so maybe there's a reason no one seems to have mentioned this but I'd still appreciate a response to the question of whether or not driving it up on ramps would be a more accurate alignment method than using jack stands. Regardless thanks for an awesome and informative video and comments section everybody. Definitely one of the more useful and productive post I've seen on UA-cam. Think this comment ran on too long? " It's ok because we're doing a very important video" 😂
I like the video. My only tips would be to: 1. Put front wheels on the ground--use something like baking tins, leafs, dirt, to reduce friction, when measuring for toe. 2. When you get the steering wheel centered, but books between the steering wheel and the seat. You don't want it to move. I am going to use a rope, and lash the steering wheel to the rear view mirror. 3. A shop manual helps too. If you have the time/patience, and know caster/camber/toe you can get a pretty good alignment. If insure about caster/camber leave those adjustments alone, and just concentrate on Toe.
lol,finally someone mentioned this alot of videos don't mention the boot ,the boot twist with the rod happened to me had to keep turning it back to shape
Thank you for sharing this video, man. I agree that letting a pro do this job would give you the best alignment, but if you do it carefully, I believe you can get it roughly perfect as well. I would not have to pay $100 alignment if I had seen this video 2 weeks sooner.
Thanks for this video !! I saved a lot of money just watching your videos. I started following you a couple weeks ago and it was the best thing I have done . Great job and very clear explanations . Continue please . Cheers !!!
Thanks for this. I just redid basically my whole suspension, but completely messed up the Tie-rods, I didn't even make it down the driveway before realizing something was very wrong. I got them adjusted now thanks to this vid, and am on my way to get a pro alignment. Thank goodness this nightmare is almost over. C/V's, struts, upper and lower tie-rods, lower ball joints, and sway bar links. My suspension was so bad, and so seized I had to actually cut off the sway bars and tie rods.
Thanks sir for a wonderful presentation with no unnecessary gimmicks and silly jokes only straight to the point. I have seen a lot of presentations on wheel alignments all of them were not very clear but the moment I checked your presentation I have now thoroughly understood the process. Thanks a lot 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
@@niteblaster1 The rears are on a solid axle. There is no way for them to be misaligned barring major damage to your rear axle. Only some trucks have rear wheels that can be aligned.
This is something I have never had a mechanic do for me properly, but I’ve sent vehicles to the mechanic for this many times. This is simple, basic common sense.
people seem to really be over-reacting about this... yes, it's not the most perfect solution. But it is better than nothing and if you're on a budget I see no problem with this. Professional alignments aren't exactly cheap.
+Peter Schmidt Oh thats usually those people that drive a 70 thousand dollar car and pay someone to check their oil level when its low that usually put videos down like this not realizing that back in the day when we had no machines this is how it was done,its simple math and checks,i have a brother thats a engineer and he would have a coronary if he saw a video like this ,lol, i have done this before but i do like to take it to the tire shop just so they can recheck my work but if i was broke at that time i wouldn't have a issue driving it as is
+Dan dd Actually, lots of machines need calibration done routinely. Anybody who has used industrial shipping scales for freight know they need calibration.
It appears the jack stands are on the pinch welds not underneath the lower control arm. You could place a jack underneath the lower control arms and jack the arm up to load the suspension.
I did this a couple of times and put 12 x12 vinyl tiles under the wheels ,but either way it's only meant to get temporary drivability until you can get it done at a shop
I have a fleet of 25 vehicles that all wear the inner wheel. Getting them aligned where I live is a slow process to say the least. I burn through tires like underwear. Sir you are an angel.
Assuming your rims are not bent at all. Next time do the measurement to the tire instead, The rubber should give way to any small inconsistencies in the rim's shape. Or just spin the wheel and see if the distance remains unchanged as it spins.
This is really cool! It does beat having to spend 60 bucks getting an alignment after changing a 20 dollar tie rod. But Im still a bit wary of the possibility of whipping a 300 dollar set of tires. You use this method regularly on your cars and have had no issues with tire wear?
yeah definitely make sure your tires are aligned properly. I learned this the hard way today. I knew your tires had to be aligned and balanced, but I had no idea that the rear tires of my car weren't. I have to buy two new rear tires a little sooner than expected along with a new rim. I hit a pothole pretty hard and it bent my rim causing a leak. I think the previous owners had their son rotate the tires himself and probably didn't bother aligning it or their mechanic didn't bother to do it. Either way, I still had to spend about $260 :/
Jesse Hooton Yeah. no one aligns their car after a tire rotation, only when buying new tires and hell only if the tires are already wearing significantly on the outside or inside of the tread due to too much toe in/toe out/camber +/- . A pot hole ate your rim dude, and the reason why you bent your rim is probably because your tire isn't properly sized to allow for proper clearance from the face of the rim and the sidewall of the tire. So if you have a wider tire, you offer your rim more protection when it comes to hitting pot holes and parallel parking. Also my sister and my mother can properly rotate tires, and I'm sure you could teach a chimp to rotate tires too.
Great video! My uncle just paid over $100 to have his front end laser aligned at a garage. I just replaced the front struts on my car, so I'm hoping this free and easy trick will do it.
Toes measurements have to within a couple of mm's measured at the tread so when you set the rims 1 mm toe at tyre tread will be larger so accuracy is vital and the weight has to be on the wheels or it wont be accurate. You cant align the rope along the car or rear wheels as it simply will be out as the rears are always slightly out. To do this i use thin fishing line so i can see each mm on the ruler- 6 pound line is ok I set the steering wheel as straight as possible driving the car forward then lock of the steering wheel with a steel pole through the doors windows clamped to steering wheel- It must not move at all! Then some jack stands beyond the front and rear of car along sides and tension line with some weights at rear so line is taught. Now the critical step. You need to align one side line first and use that as your master line. Use ruler on RHF rim and move line till front and back of front rim is exactly the same to a mm! dont touch that line or stands anymore. Now get the left hand line close to car side and use measuring stiff rod to measure between the L & R lines at the stands front and rear till the line are exactly the same distance apart front and rear. now the 2 lines are precisely parallel. Try to get this as accurate as possible and make very small movements in the left side ONLY stands till it zero diff if possible. Now you will have already loosened off the left tie rod and now for eg ZERO toe, you measure same as right side get the left rim same front and back really accurately to same distance from left line eg 41mm and 41 mm- now 2 front wheels are exactly parallel with each other if not with car direction , but does not matter as they both turn sightly together when you move forward and stay aligned to each other. Accuracy- any small error in say 2mm 16 feet between front and rear stands between lines will be 1mm half the length and only less than 1/2 a mm for the metre width of tyre which means that you only be out that much if adjust to zero diff on ruler. Allowance is upwards of 1-2 mm on toe usually so set up is critical to success and thin line for accuracy of reading- dont use fat string or do when windy or line will bend. Rear wheels only have to be out of alignment a mm or 2 and that angle will be multiplied if you run lines to wards front and do you alignment off that so you toe could be out my 5-10mm! You can align rear wheel to each other using lines but CANT align to body direction as they stay fixed when car moves forward unlike front wheels. So rear wheel alignment is impossible without shop alignment machine that read the wheels turn as car is pushed forwards and backwards and can see if they roll same direction precisely as car body using mirrors or laser/cams ect strapped to each 4 wheels . So lines only possible to do on fronts accurately , rears cannot be done accurately using lines or used to align front wheels using rears. My rears are ok and camber out a little but effect is not noticeable and my car drives dead straight with dead still steering wheel. For an old car it not matter but out of alignment rears will affect the thrust line crooked to body line and in some case throw everything out making front alignment waste of time.Shop work will be necessary.
Just measure the distance between the jack stands at the front and the back where the string is attached example 67 in vs 67 in and make sure the number is exactly the same! Then the lines will be perfectly parallel
Very informative. Thank you. Only one thing I never got good at was measurements. While i do okay for simple ones like, ¼ or ½ or ¾. No one's ever been able to teach me majority of what you were saying. Not knocking your video. I just figured maybe someone will read and be able to send me a site or PM so that I could comprehend. Awesome though. I hope this fixes my crooked steering wheel and pull to the right.
I knew all this already except the string method of measuring.. Wich is an awesome idea and really simplifies things. I will say on a 4x4 its easier because your inner and outer tie rods are connected with a threaded rod that basically adjusts them twice as fast : D and I think the twin lock nuts are easier than the single big nut on a 2 wheel drive. PLUS its high off the ground so no jacks required for 4x4 vehicles.
"An we're running a red light, but it's ok cause we're making very important videos." I'm subscribing just for that, youtube gold. 😂😂👏👏 An also thanks for the video, it helped me alot.
The only issue I have is what makes you think that rope is plumb or completely straight. If it’s off 1/16” there goes the whole procedure. A much better way to do it is with a tape measure and a mark on each steer tire. Usually making the mark in the center of each tire. Then you put each mark facing forward and measure the distance between them then rotate wheels 180 degrees so marks are painted to the back and do the same this way you have a constant reference and don’t have to rely on your eye and a string. Set your tow between a 1/16-1/8 in and you’ll be good unless you’re rear end is out of whack but then you have bigger issues to deal with than a front end alignment
I didn't know that guideline about wanting a slight toe-in of 1/16" on each side. Do you find that having wheels off the ground doesn't affect the numbers very much?
Most people recommend doing it on the ground, I personally havent had much problem raising the car and adjusting the tie rods then. Thanks for your comment.
Slight toe-in makes the car want to go straight, like when you snowplow when skiing. Otherwise the car wanders and does not return to "straight" after a turn or when you let go of the steering wheel. Stay gold
Every road has a crown which is why you don't put the alignment perfectly dead on straight. The degree of the crown depends on the state you live in, here in Florida we have a 5 degree crown so you'll pull to the right more often, so adjust accordingly.
Lifting the tires was the first in a string of mistakes made in this process. It can affect the tow as much as 2 degrees. That may not sound like much but what feels good on dry roads can land you on a ditch when the weather turns bad.
I replaced my damaged steering wheel with another (same OEM part number) but it seems to be keyed slightly differently as the new steering wheel is at the 1:00 position while I driving straight. It was centered perfectly with the old steering wheel. I am sure it's installed correctly - there are guide marks on the steering shaft and wheel that are aligned perfectly. So - to recenter the steering wheel, do I turn both sides clockwise - or one side clockwise and the other side counter clockwise? (on a 2017 Nissan Frontier). Thanks-
If your 2017 Frontier was going straight line on straight road. Then go underneath the steering shaft (all near brake/gas pedals) and loosen the nut & readjust. Loosen the bolt & turn the Steering Wheel CCW and make sure that bottom adjacent shaft doesn't turn.
When tightening the locking nut, hold the tie rod from turning..... you’re so usually right, I hesitate to point this out, but you undid the correction by 1/8-¼ turn
Good point, I noticed that too. C Luek! And also the whole car should be on the ground too. But everything else he did was pretty good. I can appreciate the tutorial and your catch, Thanks :D
@@mojakhaha You want the air pressure correct and lug nuts to correct torque. Plus the tires should be on the ground to show the full driving suspension as normal as possible. If the vehicle is suspended then you don't have the true normal driving conditions. Honestly, if you aren't really accurate with doing the way the tutorial is done, then have a professional do it. This is a very critical adjustment that is not to be taken lightly.
Clearanceman2 If you line them with the back wheel they should be straight. Unless : If there is much run out measured from a fixed point on either side at the front then your thrust angle is out.
The only issue I have with this procedure is taking measurements and doing adjustments with the front wheels off the ground supported with stands and leaving the front wheels hanging free, i.e., no weight on the front wheels and car not level. This can and almost certainly will change your measurements and adjustments between this position and wheels with vehicle weight on the ground. Reaching the tie rod adjusters is more difficult but not impossible, and makes for a more accurate setting.
You are right. What is shown in the video with the weight off from the front tires is totally useless. Alignments are never done this way. I would like to see these tires after he drives the car for 500 miles.
I'd like to see this addressed as well! From what I learned, when suspension jounces (de-compresses as the car is lifted), the toe naturally changes. Therefore, when the mustang is lowered back to the pavement, he will be left with toe angle in each tire. At least they should be symmetric now!
Would the toe change the same on both sides when you lower the car? If so I will probably raise my anyway, make it easier to get to the rods, then lower it and figure out how much the tow changes. I guess I'd have to raise and lower the car twice this way, but I doubt my driveway is smooth enough to put cardboard under the wheels anyway.
i never knew we could turn the inner tie rods as well, for adjustment. they were pretty stiff in my car. so i took the outer tie rods out and turned them. oh well, we learn something new everyday. i agree , you made an important video. Cheers.
+RatchetsAnd Wrenches , MAJOR problems here: Short version, the way you did it your reference (string) isn't accurate the way you set it up and you're performing your readings at the wrong point in the suspension travel. More specifically: 1- using measurements off the back wheel lips just won't work well for this, Almost no car will have perfectly straight wheels, hubs, axles... (yes a "laser" alignment measures off of them, but they are lifted off the ground and turned a few degrees to check how straight they are and double checked against a known). This won't work at all on something without a solid rear axle since the toe on many cars can be adjusted so you'll have no reason for the rear wheels to be facing straight forward. Finally, doing this using a tape measure (accurate to a 1/16", you can probably eyeball 1/32") across 2 points that are about 15" apart will have a lot of error (probably on the order of 1" or more across the length of the car. To do this right you need to extend the strings till they go past the front and back of the car, you can get it close like you did, then you have to measure the distance between the strings in front and in back of the car and make sure those distances are the same making the strings parallel to each other and then measure from one point on the suspension on the car (the center hub of a front or rear wheel will work) to the strings on both sides to make sure the strings are the same distance from the car (the second step is not absolutely necessary but could help you catch a car that has something that will prevent you from getting a proper alignment. 2- because of the suspension geometry all cars have "bump steer" which means the tire angle changes as you change ride height. Doing this with the front tires hanging is not representative of what you get with the tires on the ground rolling, as a matter of fact it will be SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT on most cars, and on many it will even be different side to side (the bump steer will be different on each side) so the car won't even track straight going down the road. They actually sell "bump steer kits" for the mustang that you did this on to try to fix that geometry so it doesn't bump steer as much as it does from the factory (it typically can't be eliminated completely) This really needs to be done with the vehicles weight on the front suspension on the ground and preferably (though rarely done) with it loaded as it's normally driven (driver's weight in the driver's seat and any cargo/passengers that are in the car most of the time). With the tires on the ground trying to turn them (through the wheel or by adjusting) will load bushings and suspension parts so it won't give you a true reading, especially on things with larger tires/shorter sidewalls so it's best to do this with something under the tires to reduce friction. An old school racer's trick is 2 use to thin flat pieces of something like linoleum tiles with grease in between them.
Wow, the tile trick is genius. I think you could get away with this method if you aligned off back wheels like in the video, THEN measured between strings like you said, then adjusted toes like in the video, then dropped the car, remeasure between strings, remeasure front readings, log numbers, and adjust with the car off the ground using the logged numbers, then do a final check with tires back on the ground. What if the rears are out though? Split the difference? Is the 16th per side toe-in the correct number? I'm about to do mine and understand the concept, but getting skeptical that this can be done properly without a LOT of time spent. We'll see...
Mark Pikas I had the exact same thought. The measurement is entirely arbitrary to the frame. A slight move of the box and presto, perfect alignment without turning a wrench! The string method works but there is a lot more to it than this
I did this on my f150 with perfect accuracy. It was so easy. I got to straighten the steering wheel too as the previous alignments i had done at garages left the steering wheel crooked. Doing it on the ground as other comments suggest seems to make more sense. I can't thank the maker of this video enough for sharing this information.
+Imran Khan Correct. Whenever I've done a home alignment versus a professional one in the shop, I put it up, make the adjustment I thought was needed when it was down, but it back down and recheck.
+keith cunningham Of course it does, which is why I was able to get my camber better than the machines at work. I took different loads into consideration so that my tirewear would be better in more than one case.
***** I've done many alignments. The norm is to adjust everything with the tires under the load of the vehicle. Sorry man. You're not correct. Some adjustments require the wheel to be off. You put it back down and recheck. That's the real procedure. Understand, this is how cars are done made for American roads. If you're from somewhere else I suppose they have cars and procedures I've never seen.
i do this with kite string , an old timer showed me this idea and bro it works great , but i have found lifting the car has a negative effect , it was best for me to leave the car on the ground
I think he lifted the car just to show what it is youre doing. Although he said "you can do it on the floor or jacked up. I do it jacked up so i can get the camera and show it to you" Paraphrasing of course but it is confusing whether or not he meant it can be done raised too.
That looks like a simple, but good, method of adjusting wheel alignment. (And here the whole time I've spent insane amounts of money, to have someone else do it for me!) And I really needed this video, today, having just replaced my outer tie rod, while I was installing a new cv axle, as well. Now I can adjust my new tie rod, simply, and at no cost (great!) Thank you, RnW.
Fix a mans alignment, and he’ll he driving straight for a year. Teach a man to align, and he’ll be driving straight forever. Thanks for the vid, you got a new subscriber.
Why not babe ?
@_____ 😭🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@ironfistarrival bc teach someone this and they will put their toe out for drifts
this is 2020, not everyone is straight anymore
Stella smith they should be, lets overpopulate epic style
For anyone attempting this one thing to point out is when you make these measurements and adjustments. make sure the car is 100% on the ground with something under the wheels that will allow them to pivot. Also when you set the car on the ground make sure to give the car a few good shakes on each corner to make sure the suspension has settled. There's a reason alignments are done on a 4 post alignment lift that you drive up onto and not a 2 post lift where the tires leave the ground. The reason for this is the cars suspension geometry is totally different from when it's sitting on the ground compared to when it's lifted off the ground and all the suspension components are stretched out. Aligning the vehicle with the wheels off the ground can and more than likely will throw off your alignment. Im not saying the method in this video can't be used because it definitely can, it won't be as 100 percent accurate as an alignment system but it will work to get you by, you just have to make sure that all four wheels are touching the ground and the cars suspension is settled 100%. The reason I know this is im a ASE Certified Auto Technician. Good luck to anyone doing this method and take your time recording measurements and making adjustments, don't rush along.
good looking out mr smith your wisdom is greatly appreciated. im pretty sure this young man has learned his lesson at this point and make some good cash in the process :)
He says in the video if you place a jack under the suspension it compensates for it being in the air. Is the true? Just want to make sure before I begin
@@derekmedina6475 yeah if you jack up the suspension on both sides
The way I’m thinking of it is you can do it in the air like this for easier adjustments, not having to raise and lower it so many times. Once it’s in spec in the air drop it have it settled then do the same process again but on the ground and it should only take a few adjustments to be “spot on” no?
Cool method being used, 100% for sure you need to keep that on the ground while adjusting, so the weight of the car doesn't offset toe once you put it back on the ground.
It's a good thing I was sitting down while watching this video, because I nearly fainted when I saw how easy it is. The more videos I watch on auto repair, the dumber I feel for having spent so much money with mechanics. Thanks (6 years later) for this video, sir!
this is not precise enough for long distance tire wear this is only for a rough estimate of alignment.
The thing of it is there's definitely a learning curve but the longer it take to start the longer it will take you to become proficient
Atleast I'm not by myself. My son & myself changed rods, sleeves, headers, cam.... everything! On a Silverado 5.3 LS swap... 700hp gang. All by watching UA-cam.
Couldn't agree more Peter
Yea... no kidding. I'm 67 yrs old now. If UA-cam existed when I was younger, I would have saved thousands of dollars and retired even earlier!
went to three shops and no one would fix my alignment. "We are just to busy." Went to a fourth and they made me an appointment. Showed up for the appointment and they said they couldn't do it, could they give me another appointment two days later. Walked out and searched for a DIY and found this one. Went home and did it myself. Thanks a lot. Subbed and liked.
Where do you live
How did your alignment turn out?
Did it work is the question?
So you lied and then lied and lied more. Idk where u live but if you took to a shop that couldn't do for this or that aka lack of experience they would have told you a place that could more than likely. Plus if you went home and did this you did have an alignment. This dude doesn't know shit about alignments. First get the rear inspects you can't use a string to set front toe if rear toe and camber is out
Death is coming
This was uploaded 8 years back and has to be solid so still here. You potentially have saved me $200! Thanks.
MEE too 👌
“And we’re running a red light... but that’s ok we are making a very important video” 🤣🤣🤣
Now I know what to say in court after running a red light. Hopefully No accidents tho
Lmao
🤦♂️
😂😂
Thanks 😊 important video so ok to run a red light 🤣🤣🤣🤣
You are cool because you use tools that WE can afford and you use techniques that WE the people can easily do.
Mechanics are people they just have nice tools
All you need a wrench set. A wrench set is less than $10 on HBF.
If you think you will be able to do this, get your head out of your ass.
Lol all good
Sugarsmaxx thnx for the encouragement
this guy comes across as a very honest man, it's becoming one of my favorite channels
A quick note... if you need to turn the tie rod more than about 1/4-turn, it's a good idea to loosen the clamp on the boot so the tie rod can spin without twisting the boot. Just remember to re-tighten it when you're done.
What is the clamp on the boot? And what’s the boot?
@@David_Michael_Perez The rubber dust boot.
They are crimp clamps you can't loosen them😂
I've been doing this for years. Works. Make sure the tie rod ends do not have any play or you wasting your time.
Great tutorial. Just performed my own alignment after replacing tie rods, runs smooth and straight as an arrow. I recently had a professional alignment, so what I did was to measure the distance before I removed my old tie rods and then aligned the new tie rods/wheels to my original distance. Also, I used folding chairs and tied the string on the same height on each of the chairs to ensure the string crossing the same part of the wheel on front and back. Worked perfectly! You saved me $100 from having to go in again.
just logged in to say this was the best video about getting your wheels aligned at home. I'm changing my tie rods, so need to get this right, no need to pay $50 for an alignment.
Why even watch a video like this if you're just gonna take it to a mechanic?
Steve Vento
The tie rods cost me $30 and it took me 10 minutes to install them. To align the car it took me 20 minutes. And the car is just fine (passed inspection).)
So for $30 and half an hour of work I got the job done. The mechanic wanted $150 for everything.
Now do the math.
Nathan Oliver
True. This is for diyers or people that need to do an alignment at home, or even for "emergencies" for instance if you changed your inner tie rods, or struts at home. Then, if you want, you can take the car to the mechanic.
@@mingosmoreira yes but if your settings are slightly off tyres are expensive.
Not shown in the video. Use a second wrench (spanner) to hold the tie rod (track rod) end when tightening the lock nut. Tightening against the tie rod ball joint may damage the joint, plus the lock nut may remain insufficiently tightened. The tie rod end normally has flats provided for this purpose, as can be seen in the video. This method also allows the ball joint to be held level when tightening the lock nut. Hope this helps.
petcatznz first bit of constuctive feedback ive seen on this vid. everyone else is just complaining that this method isnt the most accurate
petcatznz I was thinking the exact same thing. You'll turn everything if you don't hold the inner tie rod with a wrench. If you noticed, he never took his hands off the wheel when test driving afterwards...
Yeahhhh man 👍👍👍
Tienes mucha razon or as the old white yippies say: correctomundo! -Sandy
Honestly one of the most clear and simple videos I've seen for explaining it thank you
Brilliant, thank you. I am a fabricator and mason line once again has proven to be one of the most versatile/useful tools in my toolbox!!
thanks for the video. that tip about turning the wheels in 1/8" was perfect. I had them both straight and took it for a drive and just as you said, the wheels wandered. Went back and fixed it right up.
front wheel drive should toe out, rear wheel drive should toe in.
@@sidvis7235 What about all wheel drive? Hire a mechanic?
A few things here that I need to mention.Do not adjust your toe-in with the front of the vehicle off the ground like R&W did in this demonstration.Your vehicle may be susceptible to "bump steer".This is a change of toe-in/toe-out as the suspension moves from full droop to full compression,due to differences in the arcs of the tie rod and the lower control arm.
When you adjust the toe with the vehicle on the ground,use turn plates under the tire or something to break the friction between the tire and the ground,as you may get a false toe reading due to a slight tire slip angle through the tread.That is,the rubber is twisting.
When centering the steering wheel,if the vehicle has power steering,start it up,center the steering wheel,then switch it off.This equalizes the pressure in the steering rack/box.
jimmy mushman I was watching this video and fully understand steering as I have been a car mechanic for 50 years, I looked down the comments to find what you said, otherwise I was going to say exactly the same thing ! also a lot of cars do have adjustable rear tracking.
gstree iv been a mechanic for over seventy five years (im 95) and i agree.
why can't one just do what's done in the video then lower the car and remeasure? If it's off jack up the car once again and adjust. Keep doing this till measurement is correct when car is on the ground? Also how does one adjust camber?
@@raczyk bc it will never be right if you jack it up. think about it...your tires sit differently with fhe weight pushing your suspension out
I am glad everyone liked the red light comment, didn't think it was gona be that funny when I made it.. lol.
+RatchetsAnd Wrenches Red light; important video. Both true!
+maxmeranda I saw that light turn yellow and I'm my head I was like:
"RUN THE LIGHT! DO IT!!!" *runs red light* "YES!!! :D"
*****
I always try to put my foot down when the light turns yellow. If it's too far, then I don't even bother.
Sometimes I know when a light is about to turn yellow and put my foot down before.
+RatchetsAnd Wrenches it was a late amber, you're good :)
+RatchetsAnd Wrenches this is helpful, but how do you know that the line you used is level with the wheel well?
Dude we're running red lights but we're doing very important videos,I love it. I have used this method and it works very well.
That's the thinnest rope I've ever seen, I think you're just stringing me along.
How long is a piece of string?
Twice the distance it is from the middle
😎
LoL
RnW would never steer you wrong
man this vid had my hands tied!
lmao!!!
The next time I get pulled over for running a red light...
"It's okay, officer. I was filming very important videos."
lol
officier. i do aligment for you free of charge.
that made my day. thank you
Haha, loved that comment
Skrapeg0at lol
Love how he teaches you the fundamentals and detailed explanations on why he does the things he does in his video
Hey man I just wanted to say that's probably one of the easiest explained videos I've seen in a long time I've had a lot of problems with my alignment just want to let you know I appreciate it thank you
Thank you so much for sharing this great video. I replaced the rack and pinion on a GMC Yukon, and in spite of all efforts, the alignment was affected badly. Since it was the weekend, I resorted to try to find a temporary solution here, and found your video. Followed step-by-step and I was able to align it. That was fantastic.
Dude, I liked a lot of what you taught me, but the ending made me love the video. Mustang Life!!!!
In the video, after he was done adjusting the tie rods, he locked them with only one wrench on the lock nut. This resulted in movement of the tie rod, which throws off the adjustment. So, when both unlocking and locking the tie rod, two wrenches are required. One wrench to hold the tie rod in place without twisting it out of adjustment, and the second wrench to turn the lock-nut. Flare-nut wrenches, commonly used for plumbing, are best suited for the job of holding the lock-nut, because these hold the nut on five of the six sides of the lock-nut.
and next are the Camber and the Caster adjustments. Waiting for that video. Thanks.
( could your next video also explain concepts such as Ackerman Steering and the correction of front wheel drift during cornering. Thanks)
I have to give you props for some serious skill! I consider myself somewhat mechanically inclined but never considered a DIY alignment, well done!
I had no idea it was that easy I love it when people like you make videos like this it helps people learn to fix their vehicles themselves and save a ton of money thanks for posting this video
I'm impressed and you just saved everyone who watched and did this a minimum of 130$
Thank You , Thank You , Thank You , I followed your directions and was able to complete the toe alignment on my 2006 Chevy Aveo Ls....
You are the first one that wasn’t click bait to sell some alignment tool lol thanks again 😀👍🙏🏻
Dude thank you for this video. So helpful. I woulda never thought you could do this. In the back of my mind I always think alignments are something you will have to have a shop do no matter what. Thanks again brotha 👊
I just did it by eye and I'm happy with the results.
I've seen in the comments a lot about how the wheels need to be loaded (aka on the ground) in order for this to be a more accurate alignment method. My question is; can't you just drive the front end, in this case, up on ramps to make this method more accurate? You would have room to work under the car while also keeping the tires under load so it seems like a win win. It might be a little harder to get the strings aligned with the center of each tire that way but tying the string to jack stands set to different heights could be a solution there. I'm no professional mechanic so maybe there's a reason no one seems to have mentioned this but I'd still appreciate a response to the question of whether or not driving it up on ramps would be a more accurate alignment method than using jack stands. Regardless thanks for an awesome and informative video and comments section everybody. Definitely one of the more useful and productive post I've seen on UA-cam. Think this comment ran on too long? " It's ok because we're doing a very important video" 😂
🔴 thank you, you just saved me $98. i had to buy a vice grip for $21 but i always needed one
Cracked me up that there was 5 seconds of driving and he broke a law😂😂
DIdn't actually break a law, as he was in the intersection before it turned red. He was just joking, in the end.
Actually two law. Distracted driving. Electronics usage
@@craigslaunwhite579 Does it really matter?
Its not breaking the law if its for a youtube instructional video..
I like the video.
My only tips would be to:
1. Put front wheels on the ground--use something like baking tins, leafs, dirt, to reduce friction, when measuring for toe.
2. When you get the steering wheel centered, but books between the steering wheel and the seat. You don't want it to move. I am going to use a rope, and lash the steering wheel to the rear view mirror.
3. A shop manual helps too. If you have the time/patience, and know caster/camber/toe you can get a pretty good alignment. If insure about caster/camber leave those adjustments alone, and just concentrate on Toe.
i use contractor bags under the tires , leave them folded up.
Good idea on the books!
@@greggzavorotny7872 Good Idea!
Suggest you loosen your rubber boots on rack when adjusting tie rods so you don't twist boots! James
lol,finally someone mentioned this alot of videos don't mention the boot ,the boot twist with the rod happened to me had to keep turning it back to shape
+Josh Tapuro Thankyou!
James Sasse tell me..learn tge hard way😅😂
Fuck....I just did an alignment and forgot to loosen boot....
Just used this guide, worked great!. Both wheels were found to be out of alignment. After adjustment car drives straight again. cheers.
Straight, detailed, not overly wordy. Bravo! You got a new subscriber. Oh, and watch those red lights. It was yellow as you hit the line. You're good.
Awesome video! I just changed an inner and outer tie rod. I'm doing this tomorrow. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing this video, man. I agree that letting a pro do this job would give you the best alignment, but if you do it carefully, I believe you can get it roughly perfect as well. I would not have to pay $100 alignment if I had seen this video 2 weeks sooner.
Thanks for this video !! I saved a lot of money just watching your videos. I started following you a couple weeks ago and it was the best thing I have done . Great job and very clear explanations . Continue please . Cheers !!!
Richard Hornos Very happy to hear the video's have saved you money! I shall continue :) cheers
Thanks for this. I just redid basically my whole suspension, but completely messed up the Tie-rods, I didn't even make it down the driveway before realizing something was very wrong.
I got them adjusted now thanks to this vid, and am on my way to get a pro alignment. Thank goodness this nightmare is almost over. C/V's, struts, upper and lower tie-rods, lower ball joints, and sway bar links.
My suspension was so bad, and so seized I had to actually cut off the sway bars and tie rods.
Thanks sir for a wonderful presentation with no unnecessary gimmicks and silly jokes only straight to the point. I have seen a lot of presentations on wheel alignments all of them were not very clear but the moment I checked your presentation I have now thoroughly understood the process. Thanks a lot 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Cresent-wrench + vice-grips
Mind-blown
I think you were turning the inner tie rod as you tightened the locking nut which would have messed up the alignment. 5:52
The whole assembly turned until the ball joint reached the limit allowing tension to tighten the nut.....it wasn't just the inner tie rod moving.
How do you know the string line is straight without the pathagream line?
3 4 5 method.must have a right angle to start with. Then pull a tramell line.
@@woodysdrums8083 thats impossible even half an inch would make a huge difference
How does he know the rear wheels are in line to use them to measure the front
This is a rough adjustment.
Good for when your alignment is really off and you just want dial it in so it wont be as bad.
Good easy free way to do it.
@@niteblaster1 The rears are on a solid axle. There is no way for them to be misaligned barring major damage to your rear axle. Only some trucks have rear wheels that can be aligned.
Great video! Not too long, to the point, no extra jazz or shenanigans that doesn't belong. Props 👍✌️
This is something I have never had a mechanic do for me properly, but I’ve sent vehicles to the mechanic for this many times. This is simple, basic common sense.
So, if my tires aren't aligned I can''t run red lights? Dammit.
Dloweification 😂😂😂😂😂😂
No you can't.
Got it have aligment first
You probably run red lights anyways 😆
I'll just spend the 50 bucks and have someone do it. Then it is done right and if a problem, I take it back.
You also need to check your rotors they could be slightly bent enough to make your steering wheel shake.
people seem to really be over-reacting about this... yes, it's not the most perfect solution. But it is better than nothing and if you're on a budget I see no problem with this. Professional alignments aren't exactly cheap.
+Peter Schmidt Oh thats usually those people that drive a 70 thousand dollar car and pay someone to check their oil level when its low that usually put videos down like this not realizing that back in the day when we had no machines this is how it was done,its simple math and checks,i have a brother thats a engineer and he would have a coronary if he saw a video like this ,lol, i have done this before but i do like to take it to the tire shop just so they can recheck my work but if i was broke at that time i wouldn't have a issue driving it as is
alignments made for the racetrack are done with this method becuase its more accurate. machines need calibrations
+half burrito bullshit...machines don't need calibration......it's like saying gravity need calibration...
+Dan dd Actually, lots of machines need calibration done routinely. Anybody who has used industrial shipping scales for freight know they need calibration.
+Dan dd bull shit!!!!! i have my alignment machine calibrated once a year
You must have all the wheels on the ground when an alignment is done.
Toe changes with suspension movement.
Very true I was going to comment the same
Or you put the stands under the lower control arms. Like he did.
It appears the jack stands are on the pinch welds not underneath the lower control arm. You could place a jack underneath the lower control arms and jack the arm up to load the suspension.
I did this a couple of times and put 12 x12 vinyl tiles under the wheels ,but either way it's only meant to get temporary drivability until you can get it done at a shop
@r laze you measure at all 4 points on the rims
I have a fleet of 25 vehicles that all wear the inner wheel. Getting them aligned where I live is a slow process to say the least. I burn through tires like underwear.
Sir you are an angel.
Thank you for this informative upload. Your knowledge and experience is very much appreciated. Keep informing the people...
Assuming your rims are not bent at all. Next time do the measurement to the tire instead, The rubber should give way to any small inconsistencies in the rim's shape. Or just spin the wheel and see if the distance remains unchanged as it spins.
That's a good point thanks
6:11 we are running red lights it s ok because we are doing very important video... lol
he said we running red lights, but we're ok we doing very important videos LOL NICE...
That was the best part !
Sam Duran that shit made me laugh hella hard haha
+Sam Duran F-YEA
+Sam Duran best part ever...
Sam Duran 😂
I watched a few of these videos. Yours was the best!! You got to the point quickly and everything was explained well! Much appreciated!
At 3:30 we are definitely missing something? How did you find square of front and rear tires? and immediately go to adjustment of the rod underneath?
When you lift the vehicle, the toe angle changes. Toe must be adjusted with the vehicle on the ground.
Keith Bickford Exacty what I was thinking
Keith Bickford unfortunately I agree.
how about if you set the vehicle down onto cinder blocks
Truth Time TV better make sure your parking brake is on and you put blocks in rear . But yeah it should work
@@truthtimetv4575 or ramps?
I left a like just because you ran a light in the video.
Engineering Nonsense same lol
🤣🤣🤣🤣 i left a comment because this comment is also funny 🤣
This is really cool! It does beat having to spend 60 bucks getting an alignment after changing a 20 dollar tie rod. But Im still a bit wary of the possibility of whipping a 300 dollar set of tires. You use this method regularly on your cars and have had no issues with tire wear?
yeah definitely make sure your tires are aligned properly. I learned this the hard way today. I knew your tires had to be aligned and balanced, but I had no idea that the rear tires of my car weren't. I have to buy two new rear tires a little sooner than expected along with a new rim. I hit a pothole pretty hard and it bent my rim causing a leak. I think the previous owners had their son rotate the tires himself and probably didn't bother aligning it or their mechanic didn't bother to do it. Either way, I still had to spend about $260 :/
Jesse Hooton Yeah. no one aligns their car after a tire rotation, only when buying new tires and hell only if the tires are already wearing significantly on the outside or inside of the tread due to too much toe in/toe out/camber +/- . A pot hole ate your rim dude, and the reason why you bent your rim is probably because your tire isn't properly sized to allow for proper clearance from the face of the rim and the sidewall of the tire. So if you have a wider tire, you offer your rim more protection when it comes to hitting pot holes and parallel parking. Also my sister and my mother can properly rotate tires, and I'm sure you could teach a chimp to rotate tires too.
Great video! My uncle just paid over $100 to have his front end laser aligned at a garage. I just replaced the front struts on my car, so I'm hoping this free and easy trick will do it.
Your videos are some of the best. Screw those red lights there's no time for red lights.
Toes measurements have to within a couple of mm's measured at the tread so when you set the rims 1 mm toe at tyre tread will be larger so accuracy is vital and the weight has to be on the wheels or it wont be accurate.
You cant align the rope along the car or rear wheels as it simply will be out as the rears are always slightly out.
To do this i use thin fishing line so i can see each mm on the ruler- 6 pound line is ok
I set the steering wheel as straight as possible driving the car forward then lock of the steering wheel with a steel pole through the doors windows clamped to steering wheel- It must not move at all!
Then some jack stands beyond the front and rear of car along sides and tension line with some weights at rear so line is taught. Now the critical step. You need to align one side line first and use that as your master line. Use ruler on RHF rim and move line till front and back of front rim is exactly the same to a mm! dont touch that line or stands anymore. Now get the left hand line close to car side and use measuring stiff rod to measure between the L & R lines at the stands front and rear till the line are exactly the same distance apart front and rear. now the 2 lines are precisely parallel. Try to get this as accurate as possible and make very small movements in the left side ONLY stands till it zero diff if possible.
Now you will have already loosened off the left tie rod and now for eg ZERO toe, you measure same as right side get the left rim same front and back really accurately to same distance from left line eg 41mm and 41 mm- now 2 front wheels are exactly parallel with each other if not with car direction , but does not matter as they both turn sightly together when you move forward and stay aligned to each other.
Accuracy- any small error in say 2mm 16 feet between front and rear stands between lines will be 1mm half the length and only less than 1/2 a mm for the metre width of tyre which means that you only be out that much if adjust to zero diff on ruler. Allowance is upwards of 1-2 mm on toe usually so set up is critical to success and thin line for accuracy of reading- dont use fat string or do when windy or line will bend.
Rear wheels only have to be out of alignment a mm or 2 and that angle will be multiplied if you run lines to wards front and do you alignment off that so you toe could be out my 5-10mm! You can align rear wheel to each other using lines but CANT align to body direction as they stay fixed when car moves forward unlike front wheels. So rear wheel alignment is impossible without shop alignment machine that read the wheels turn as car is pushed forwards and backwards and can see if they roll same direction precisely as car body using mirrors or laser/cams ect strapped to each 4 wheels .
So lines only possible to do on fronts accurately , rears cannot be done accurately using lines or used to align front wheels using rears.
My rears are ok and camber out a little but effect is not noticeable and my car drives dead straight with dead still steering wheel. For an old car it not matter but out of alignment rears will affect the thrust line crooked to body line and in some case throw everything out making front alignment waste of time.Shop work will be necessary.
Just measure the distance between the jack stands at the front and the back where the string is attached example 67 in vs 67 in and make sure the number is exactly the same! Then the lines will be perfectly parallel
Where did u get that crescent wrench vise grip tool?!
i wondered the same
@@claponclapoff6 Walmart!! Stanley brand.
In the court, "your honor, I ran the light because I was making a important video, therefore *I'm not guilty* "
The judge: case dismissed
Me: W*TF
In the end, he didn't actually run a red. It was still yellow when he got into the intersection.
Very informative. Thank you. Only one thing I never got good at was measurements. While i do okay for simple ones like, ¼ or ½ or ¾. No one's ever been able to teach me majority of what you were saying. Not knocking your video. I just figured maybe someone will read and be able to send me a site or PM so that I could comprehend. Awesome though. I hope this fixes my crooked steering wheel and pull to the right.
I knew all this already except the string method of measuring.. Wich is an awesome idea and really simplifies things. I will say on a 4x4 its easier because your inner and outer tie rods are connected with a threaded rod that basically adjusts them twice as fast : D and I think the twin lock nuts are easier than the single big nut on a 2 wheel drive. PLUS its high off the ground so no jacks required for 4x4 vehicles.
"An we're running a red light, but it's ok cause we're making very important videos." I'm subscribing just for that, youtube gold. 😂😂👏👏
An also thanks for the video, it helped me alot.
The only issue I have is what makes you think that rope is plumb or completely straight. If it’s off 1/16” there goes the whole procedure. A much better way to do it is with a tape measure and a mark on each steer tire. Usually making the mark in the center of each tire. Then you put each mark facing forward and measure the distance between them then rotate wheels 180 degrees so marks are painted to the back and do the same this way you have a constant reference and don’t have to rely on your eye and a string. Set your tow between a 1/16-1/8 in and you’ll be good unless you’re rear end is out of whack but then you have bigger issues to deal with than a front end alignment
I didn't know that guideline about wanting a slight toe-in of 1/16" on each side. Do you find that having wheels off the ground doesn't affect the numbers very much?
Most people recommend doing it on the ground, I personally havent had much problem raising the car and adjusting the tie rods then. Thanks for your comment.
Slight toe-in makes the car want to go straight, like when you snowplow when skiing. Otherwise the car wanders and does not return to "straight" after a turn or when you let go of the steering wheel. Stay gold
*****
Sorry commented before viewing whole video. Stay gold.
Every road has a crown which is why you don't put the alignment perfectly dead on straight. The degree of the crown depends on the state you live in, here in Florida we have a 5 degree crown so you'll pull to the right more often, so adjust accordingly.
Lifting the tires was the first in a string of mistakes made in this process. It can affect the tow as much as 2 degrees. That may not sound like much but what feels good on dry roads can land you on a ditch when the weather turns bad.
u give some of the best point blank explanation walk thru's .. thanks man
I replaced my damaged steering wheel with another (same OEM part number) but it seems to be keyed slightly differently as the new steering wheel is at the 1:00 position while I driving straight. It was centered perfectly with the old steering wheel. I am sure it's installed correctly - there are guide marks on the steering shaft and wheel that are aligned perfectly. So - to recenter the steering wheel, do I turn both sides clockwise - or one side clockwise and the other side counter clockwise? (on a 2017 Nissan Frontier). Thanks-
If your 2017 Frontier was going straight line on straight road.
Then go underneath the steering shaft (all near brake/gas pedals) and loosen the nut & readjust.
Loosen the bolt & turn the Steering Wheel CCW and make sure that bottom adjacent shaft doesn't turn.
do i see cracked tyre rubber about 2.42 in?
ANNNNND we're running red lights BUT ITS OK because we're shooting videos. lmao
00700556 :-)
RatchetsAnd Wrenches That qoute just gained you a sub :D
RatchetsAnd Wrenches I think that was the funniest thing I've ever seen on a diy video. Hahaha
When tightening the locking nut, hold the tie rod from turning..... you’re so usually right, I hesitate to point this out, but you undid the correction by 1/8-¼ turn
I was thinking the same thing and you don't want to put undue pressure on the knuckle so hold the tie rod when locking.
Good point, I noticed that too. C Luek! And also the whole car should be on the ground too. But everything else he did was pretty good. I can appreciate the tutorial and your catch, Thanks :D
@@pgo301 Im not knowledgeable when it comes to this stuff, but is there any reason why it has to be on the ground?
@@mojakhaha You want the air pressure correct and lug nuts to correct torque. Plus the tires should be on the ground to show the full driving suspension as normal as possible. If the vehicle is suspended then you don't have the true normal driving conditions. Honestly, if you aren't really accurate with doing the way the tutorial is done, then have a professional do it. This is a very critical adjustment that is not to be taken lightly.
Holy crap dude.. i never thought of using the rear tires as the " anchor point" for the alignment....
nicely done.
HEY!!! I like this, beats the $69.99 that most people end up paying. Appreciate the good tutorial. Bookmarking this. Please keep this up. Thanks.
How do you know if your strings are square with the vehicle?
Clearanceman2 If you line them with the back wheel they should be straight. Unless : If there is much run out measured from a fixed point on either side at the front then your thrust angle is out.
The only issue I have with this procedure is taking measurements and doing adjustments with the front wheels off the ground supported with stands and leaving the front wheels hanging free, i.e., no weight on the front wheels and car not level. This can and almost certainly will change your measurements and adjustments between this position and wheels with vehicle weight on the ground. Reaching the tie rod adjusters is more difficult but not impossible, and makes for a more accurate setting.
You are right. What is shown in the video with the weight off from the front tires is totally useless. Alignments are never done this way. I would like to see these tires after he drives the car for 500 miles.
That too was my only issue. Good video for the most part though!
\1tv I'm saw
I'd like to see this addressed as well! From what I learned, when suspension jounces (de-compresses as the car is lifted), the toe naturally changes. Therefore, when the mustang is lowered back to the pavement, he will be left with toe angle in each tire. At least they should be symmetric now!
Would the toe change the same on both sides when you lower the car? If so I will probably raise my anyway, make it easier to get to the rods, then lower it and figure out how much the tow changes. I guess I'd have to raise and lower the car twice this way, but I doubt my driveway is smooth enough to put cardboard under the wheels anyway.
Also the steering wheel must be locked with with a special tool while adjusting toe or the steering wheel will more then likely not be straight
i never knew we could turn the inner tie rods as well, for adjustment. they were pretty stiff in my car. so i took the outer tie rods out and turned them. oh well, we learn something new everyday. i agree , you made an important video. Cheers.
Thank you for making this video. You're a life saver.
+RatchetsAnd Wrenches , MAJOR problems here: Short version, the way you did it your reference (string) isn't accurate the way you set it up and you're performing your readings at the wrong point in the suspension travel.
More specifically:
1- using measurements off the back wheel lips just won't work well for this, Almost no car will have perfectly straight wheels, hubs, axles... (yes a "laser" alignment measures off of them, but they are lifted off the ground and turned a few degrees to check how straight they are and double checked against a known). This won't work at all on something without a solid rear axle since the toe on many cars can be adjusted so you'll have no reason for the rear wheels to be facing straight forward. Finally, doing this using a tape measure (accurate to a 1/16", you can probably eyeball 1/32") across 2 points that are about 15" apart will have a lot of error (probably on the order of 1" or more across the length of the car.
To do this right you need to extend the strings till they go past the front and back of the car, you can get it close like you did, then you have to measure the distance between the strings in front and in back of the car and make sure those distances are the same making the strings parallel to each other and then measure from one point on the suspension on the car (the center hub of a front or rear wheel will work) to the strings on both sides to make sure the strings are the same distance from the car (the second step is not absolutely necessary but could help you catch a car that has something that will prevent you from getting a proper alignment.
2- because of the suspension geometry all cars have "bump steer" which means the tire angle changes as you change ride height. Doing this with the front tires hanging is not representative of what you get with the tires on the ground rolling, as a matter of fact it will be SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT on most cars, and on many it will even be different side to side (the bump steer will be different on each side) so the car won't even track straight going down the road. They actually sell "bump steer kits" for the mustang that you did this on to try to fix that geometry so it doesn't bump steer as much as it does from the factory (it typically can't be eliminated completely)
This really needs to be done with the vehicles weight on the front suspension on the ground and preferably (though rarely done) with it loaded as it's normally driven (driver's weight in the driver's seat and any cargo/passengers that are in the car most of the time).
With the tires on the ground trying to turn them (through the wheel or by adjusting) will load bushings and suspension parts so it won't give you a true reading, especially on things with larger tires/shorter sidewalls so it's best to do this with something under the tires to reduce friction. An old school racer's trick is 2 use to thin flat pieces of something like linoleum tiles with grease in between them.
Wow, the tile trick is genius.
I think you could get away with this method if you aligned off back wheels like in the video, THEN measured between strings like you said, then adjusted toes like in the video, then dropped the car, remeasure between strings, remeasure front readings, log numbers, and adjust with the car off the ground using the logged numbers, then do a final check with tires back on the ground.
What if the rears are out though? Split the difference?
Is the 16th per side toe-in the correct number?
I'm about to do mine and understand the concept, but getting skeptical that this can be done properly without a LOT of time spent. We'll see...
Mark Pikas I had the exact same thought. The measurement is entirely arbitrary to the frame. A slight move of the box and presto, perfect alignment without turning a wrench! The string method works but there is a lot more to it than this
Mark Pikas shut yo b ass up
And on next week's video "how to fix a fender after running red-lights" lmao...... great video and hilarious ending
Watching in 2019 and its a great help. Thanks for making this video!
Did my last alignment like this. It works. It actually took lot longer than I anticipated, but I tend to be grossly ana about the work I do.
I did this on my f150 with perfect accuracy. It was so easy. I got to straighten the steering wheel too as the previous alignments i had done at garages left the steering wheel crooked. Doing it on the ground as other comments suggest seems to make more sense. I can't thank the maker of this video enough for sharing this information.
lol running red lights to make important videos that made my day
+Robert Smith :)
ALIGNMENT SHOULD BE DONE WITH FULL LOAD ON THE TIRES NOT BY JACKING THEM UP
+Imran Khan Correct. Whenever I've done a home alignment versus a professional one in the shop, I put it up, make the adjustment I thought was needed when it was down, but it back down and recheck.
+keith cunningham Of course it does, which is why I was able to get my camber better than the machines at work. I took different loads into consideration so that my tirewear would be better in more than one case.
***** I've done many alignments. The norm is to adjust everything with the tires under the load of the vehicle.
Sorry man. You're not correct.
Some adjustments require the wheel to be off. You put it back down and recheck.
That's the real procedure.
Understand, this is how cars are done made for American roads. If you're from somewhere else I suppose they have cars and procedures I've never seen.
+peanutaxis And you've obviously never seen or used a Alignment rack.
+peanutaxis Also you might want to find a new tire shop.
I took a shot everytime you said "okay", I'm now drunk
😆
Been 2 years. Still drunk? That was a lot of “okay’s”
@@groove269 okay
Excellent video. It gives people the ability to get it very close. That way they won't burn their tires.
thank you sir!! you r my life saver!!
i've just finished doing my alignment by watching your video & it works! tqsm!
6:06 omg your funny bro. Thanks for the vid. I'm mechanically inclind. I just never done a front in alinement.
i do this with kite string , an old timer showed me this idea and bro it works great , but i have found lifting the car has a negative effect , it was best for me to leave the car on the ground
You'd need a steady wind to hold the kite still and the string straight... :-)
I think he lifted the car just to show what it is youre doing.
Although he said "you can do it on the floor or jacked up. I do it jacked up so i can get the camera and show it to you"
Paraphrasing of course but it is confusing whether or not he meant it can be done raised too.
Put the car on the ground, never measure and adjust unless the weight of car is down on wheels.
that was my thought too,kinda need a pit to do it
That looks like a simple, but good, method of adjusting wheel alignment. (And here the whole time I've spent insane amounts of money, to have someone else do it for me!) And I really needed this video, today, having just replaced my outer tie rod, while I was installing a new cv axle, as well. Now I can adjust my new tie rod, simply, and at no cost (great!) Thank you, RnW.
Loved the last comment about running red lights cos "we're doing something important"! Cracked me up! Cheers from Brisbane Australia