DIY Home Alignment?

[elnielsen]

Hey folks,

Does a walkthrough/video for an E body home alignement exist? Is it any different from other torsion bar suspensions? I'm seeing results for A & B body, but not here. I have a fancy alignment shop, but it's far and I need to drive it there, and I want to dial it in before anyways. I haven't bought tires yet (cooper cobra radial GTs), but just installed new torsion bars (1.09 swayaways), rebuilt steering box, all 4 new ball joints, all new tie rod ends, new pitman, idler, and graphited polyeurethane kit and new lower control bar poly too (wasn't in the kit). I did find the "Skosh" chart which looks like the modern specs for classic cars to use. I just need a writeup on how I can perform what ever I can in my driveway with tools we can build if we need to. i also dropped the rear with 2" lowering blocks, that was too low! not clearance wise, but I do not like the Miata look, I replaced em with 1" blocks. I need to set the front height adjusters and get the measurements driveable. I also didn't preload the control arms and set torque, so I hope the poly is ok and will do that first.

Thank you!

 

[rklein71]

I bought a cheapie digital level and used 1/2" square tubing held on with bungies to my wheel, or you can just hold it. You can do camber and caster with this. I took two vinyl floor tiles, greased them up between two of them, and set the car on them, tires turn easy on them for your caster adjustment. If you are only just driving it a short distance, you can practically eyeball camber good enough to get it to the alignment shop. I also bought some alignment plates to do the toe in from Tenhulzen Toe Plates – Wheel Alignment Tool - Made in USA | eBay. I have found once you make a toe in adustment, you need to roll the car back about 10 feet and drive it forward the 10 feet and take the measurement. Fairly simple. Rod

 

[Chryco Psycho]

I always start with setting the castor to max so the front adjusters all the way out & the rear all the way inward , then I correct the camber to get 1* inward at the top with a digital level , set the toe in @ 1/16 & you are good to go , this way it will be set better than a pro shop will set it .

 

[rklein71]

I always start with setting the castor to max so the front adjusters all the way out & the rear all the way inward , then I correct the camber to get 1* inward at the top with a digital level , set the toe in @ 1/16 & you are good to go , this way it will be set better than a pro shop will set it .

Which side do you adjust to bring the camber in to spec?

 

[elnielsen]

Yep, I just did exactly that "front adjusters all the way out & the rear all the way inward", having also relaxed the preload, then torqueing with the tires on the road. Now we're setting the ride height with the adjustors. I read that the camber is adjusted using the same eccentric adjustments (and I'm guessing here) that you button up, measure camber, and then "back off" the eccentric max-outs to adjust the camber? For toe, does is matter where I make adjustments to the centerlink assembly, or just overall longer/shorter to spec?

 

[Chryco Psycho]

Sorry yes the upper control arm adjusters need to be tweaked to correct the camber .
The toe is is set by increasing or decreasing the length between the tie rod ends , you have opposite threading so 1 direction will shorten the other will lengthen by rotating the adjuster

 

[Chryco Psycho]

Ok, if the top of the tire needs to come inward & the rear adjuster is already all the way inward you can only adjust the front one to get more adustment ., the reverse is true if the tire needs to come outward so to move it out you can only use the rear adjuster

 

[elnielsen]

Thanks Chryco Psycho, and for your previous advice:

We started today with these posts:
Alignment specs
Setting caster and camber
Turn of the screw: front end alignment for performance on classic Mopars
Mopar wheel alignment settings

What we did was:
1) relaxed control arm preload and torqued with wheels on the ground.
2) before torqueing those, we set the eccentrics to the correct position, which is for modern day, maxxed out with the forward eccentric outward and rear inward.
3) we set the ride height by barely screwing the adjusters in a smidge (new torsion bars), now the lower control arms are parallel to the ground (good) and bumpers about 1/2 from touching (not sure if so good).
4) Then we set the toe with the adjuster tube that spins for length control on the centerlink assembly, we got it to 1/4".
It should be good enough to get to the alignment shop, they can dial in the caster and toe-in.
I did uninstall the 2" lowering blocks in the rear (it was Miata low) and installed new 1" blocks with angled shims to better align the driveshaft.

Ok, if the top of the tire needs to come inward & the rear adjuster is already all the way inward you can only adjust the front one to get more adustment ., the reverse is true if the tire needs to come outward so to move it out you can only use the rear adjuster

 

[Chryco Psycho]

If you had finished setting it up as I suggested there will be no reason to take it to the alignment shop , you will have it set better than they will !
If you take it to the alignment shop they will set it up for bias ply tires which is bad so do not use factory specs to set too , if they will not set it the way you want with max caster & 1.2*-1* negative camber leave & do it yourself .

 

[budascuda]

If you had finished setting it up as I suggested there will be no reason to take it to the alignment shop , you will have it set better than they will !
If you take it to the alignment shop they will set it up for bias ply tires which is bad so do not use factory specs to set too , if they will not set it the way you want with max caster & 1.2*-1* negative camber leave & do it yourself .

Chryco, do you have a post here on how to do the alignment properly?

 

[budascuda]

.....

 

[elnielsen]

If you follow my links above, the first two have good explanation. A little more theory by HP2, and a little more practice by Chryco Psycho. The third link explains increased torque specs (at the end), and the last link gives alignment specs if you want to hand to a shop. It seems like there should be a sticky post with all the info in one place including instructions on what bolts to turn, and how to get by without buying fancy alignment tools. We spent a lazy afternoon tinkering, and if I can do better than the decades of alignments I've been paying for, and it seems like I can.. Those dudes don't even turn a wrench it seems...

 

[budascuda]

If you follow my links above, the first two have good explanation. A little more theory by HP2, and a little more practice by Chryco Psycho. The third link explains increased torque specs (at the end), and the last link gives alignment specs if you want to hand to a shop. It seems like there should be a sticky post with all the info in one place including instructions on what bolts to turn, and how to get by without buying fancy alignment tools. We spent a lazy afternoon tinkering, and if I can do better than the decades of alignments I've been paying for, and it seems like I can.. Those dudes don't even turn a wrench it seems...

I think this is a wait and see for me
Don't get me wrong, but I think the new generation Challenger body looks as much like a vintage Cuda as it does a Challenger.
Not sure what they have in mind but if its just emblems, grills and taillights then why bother
I have driven the new Challengers and I like them even if they are 6 inches to tall
Just my opinion

Thanks. It's actually as clear as mud now! lol
Have seen better schematics (from above), I think it was on this site too but didn't make a note at the time.
How would offset bushings have to be installed
now?
Sorry guys, I know the members have gone over this before, I will try to search the forum

 

[Chryco Psycho]

you are trying to push the front away from the chassis & the rear towards the chassis so to increase the adjustment , the front should offet more inward from center & the rear more outward

 

[budascuda]

Oh I seeeeeee,
I feel dumb now! Lol

 

[Dodgeboy]

Yes to all All of the above. I took it one step farther and made hub stands, placed on car dollies. Lets me do the whole alignment without the tire in the way. (Ignore my notes in pic)

 

[budascuda]

Hey Dodgeboy, this is the first time I see a setup like this. Looks impressive. Were you happy with the handling on the road afterward ?
Thanks

 

[Dodgeboy]

It worked on the wifes 09 jeep and on my 07 Ram. Toe in/out just needed alittle tweaking after test drive. When I did it on the challenger I had a complete brain fart and didn't notice that the driverside had positive caster (bent strut bar) and the passenger side had negitive caster. (I was just trying to center my steering wheel). As we speak I am rebuilding my front end with new poly bushings, I've tightened up my LCA's and welded on stiffing plates. I have ordered new strut bars which should have been here on monday but haven't arrived yet. This car has always pulled to one side and after I set toe-in it I developed wicked stearing wheel play at highway (which to me meant my toe-in/out was good but I had other issues, my quick fix was to add 1 full turn on pass.side tie-rod sleeve, messing up my toe-in). This year we are gonna make it right.

 

[Dodgeboy]

Hey Dodgeboy, this is the first time I see a setup like this. Looks impressive. Were you happy with the handling on the road afterward ?
Thanks

Finally drove the car yesturday, just around town and it handled ok. No real pulling to one side or wondering. I had to do the alignment twice since the passengerside suspension finally settled after i put the wheels back on. I have my ride height set fairly high so best I could do is 1° caster & 1° camber. This winter I will fix/replace my steering gearbox since i have a lot off steering wheel play and then everything should be good. Soon I'll take it on the highway and then i might need to tweek the toe in/out just a bit.

 

[budascuda]

Be careful on the Hwy. Increase you speed gradually!
And good luck....