Raysorenson brought these DIY alignment kits to my attention so I tried to find some more information but haven't really gotten the answers I'm looking for. I see references here to doing alignments at home, but I can't find anything approaching a guide, so I thought I'd ask

1. There are supposed to be instructional videos by Tenhulzen but they seem to have been deleted or hidden. Are there any good videos out there? Their written instructions are super-basic.
2. The plate kits like Vevor and Tenhulzen appear to only be capable of total toe (not by wheel). Is that really good enough?
3. Seems like making any adjustments on flat ground would be tough, if not impossible, because a) how do you reach anything and b) turning the wheels with the tires pasted to the ground. I saw a video where a guy made individual, waist-high wheel stands out of plywood, which seemed like a good way to get killed. So what do you do? Fight with the tires and lack of room on flat ground? Set on cinder blocks and fight the tires? Pony up $300 for slip plates? Pull the wheels and set on jack stands on the rotors or control arms?
4. What about vehicle-specific tips, like in what order to do toe/caster/camber, how to keep to on-center if you can only measure total toe, in what order to adjust the tie rod ends, etc.?

 

COStruck nothing substitutes the accuracy of the alignment shop. However I manage to get it close enough and then get the shop to finalize everything.

Maybe my 97 4x4 sits higher, but I have plenty of room to work on the front end with the truck on the ground.

I leave the truck on the ground, jack up each front wheel and place (two plastic tiles with grease in between them) under each front wheel. This allows each wheel to move and spin without being stuck in the ground. Setting Caster, I can only position it where the old setting was (each upper control arm bolt) as I do not have the means to measure it. Setting the Chamber, I shoot for Plum, wheel perpendicular to the ground. I just use my level on the rim. I have to use two blocks on each end to stand off the tire. Then last for the toe in. I start by setting the driver tire in line with the back tire so the total toe would be 0. I just pull a string from the back to the front so the two are in line with each other. After that (hopefully the steering wheel is correct) I clamp a 3 foot piece of angle iron on both front tires equal distance from the ground and parallel with the ground. This is what I'm using to measure between the tires on the front and back side and adjust the passenger side for as close to equal measurements as I can. I always shoot for 1/16 toe in.

Now for the disclaimer, My 97 is my hunting truck and I spent half of the time on dirt, and I maybe put 2000 miles on it a year. I haven't made to the shop yet for that truck yet not sure if I will. It drives straight and handles fine, for what I use it for. The 2011 I drove it to the shop after 30 miles.
Not sure if any of this make sense.

Aubrey

 

I expect that's true except the wild card is the tech - I had Ford redo my Mustang's alignment after the first try fell short, and per their own printout, they made it even worse!
All great tips, thanks, Aubrey. I especially like the greased plastic tiles - where do you get such a tile?

 

Had the same problem with one shop, they made it worse after they fixed it. Took it to another shop and they got it straight.
They tiles can be really anything. The vinyl tiles from an old flooring job. The last time I just cut two side from an coolant jug.

Aubrey

 

So those toe plates were popularized at race tracks. They're good for accuracy IMO.

1) there are probably tons of toe plate alignment videos. What gets complicated is measuring caster, which I haven't bothered to do yet, TBH. I don't consider it critical to get dead on and don't have any symptoms of a caster problem. Here's a .pdf for measuring caster with the tenhulzen plates. Also has camber.
https://static.summitracing.com/glob...nh-3300_us.pdf

2) I'm wily enough to get away with just total toe. My wife is waiting on me to get off the innarwebz but I can touch on this after labor day.
3) totally this, lol. It's not a problem on a pickup but you have to a patient, patient person to do it on a low car.
4) First off my frame is straight so I don't have any complicated caster issues. So I just make camber adjustments and keep caster in "the middle". Camber/caster at the same time, toe last. Best to check toe first for the purpose of keeping the steering wheel centered but I'll get to that next week. HTH!

 

On toe and centering the steering wheel: This only works if the steering wheel is already centered. 1) Measure toe; 2) work on only 1 side, let's use the right side for an example; 3) measure toe again. Toe on the left should be the same so subtract half of total toe in 1st measurement from this measurement. This will leave the toe for the right side; 4) service the left side; 5) adjust toe to be double the number you ended up with in step 3. If these instructions are unclear, LMK, I was trying to keep them as short as possible.
I haven't used any type of slip plate at this point, I just roll the truck back and forth between adjustments and make sure to end with a forward roll.