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How to do an Alignment at Home

Discussion in 'Suspension' started by jberry813, Dec 7, 2012.

  1. Feb 2, 2016 at 10:31 AM
    #141
    alphabravo

    alphabravo Well-Known Member

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    I don't know of any pics. Once your alignment is completed then you loosen the seize nuts on the steering rack and turn the tie rod ends on both sides, the same number of times, in the same direction, until the wheel is aligned. I haven't actually done it yet, just seen it described.
     
  2. Feb 2, 2016 at 10:33 AM
    #142
    JUJtacoma2010

    JUJtacoma2010 Well-Known Member

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    ok thanks. my steering wheel is turned a little clockwise (to the right) so now I am trying to figure out which directions would I turn those tie rods?
     
  3. Feb 2, 2016 at 10:42 AM
    #143
    alphabravo

    alphabravo Well-Known Member

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    If you turn your steering wheel to the left in order to correct and get to top-dead-center, that means your wheels will then be pointing too far left.

    So you want your wheels to turn more right meaning that the driver tie rod should get longer and the passenger tie rod should get shorter by the same number of threads...I think :)
     
  4. Feb 4, 2016 at 3:49 AM
    #144
    Acerwin

    Acerwin The unNORM NORM

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    Sub'd to this good info
     
  5. Feb 21, 2016 at 9:29 AM
    #145
    stairgod

    stairgod NOOB

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    Easy to check the HF gauge for accuracy. Measure camber angle twice. Once with end "A" up, and once with it down. Like flipping a carpenters level over to check for accuracy of the bubble. Also, I had mad a trammel bar years ago to measure toe on my Jeep. a 2x4 with 2 pieces of plywood on it that were exactly half the height of the actual measured tire height.Scribe line was made with a sharp piece of soapstone. Scribe the tire, then put trammel bar against it, mark scribe line on trammel, put trammel at back of tire, mark scribe. Easy one man measuring.
     
    Calion likes this.
  6. Mar 30, 2016 at 11:25 PM
    #146
    Cog

    Cog Well-Known Member

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    Anyone know how to just move the wheel back to the left half an inch? Lift settled and it's bugging the living hell out of me.
     
  7. Mar 30, 2016 at 11:29 PM
    #147
    alphabravo

    alphabravo Well-Known Member

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    As in the steering wheel?
    Steering wheel centering is done by turning the tie rod ends one thread on each side in the same direction until you get alignment.
     
  8. Mar 31, 2016 at 12:56 AM
    #148
    Cog

    Cog Well-Known Member

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    Yes the steering wheel
     
  9. Mar 31, 2016 at 1:07 AM
    #149
    alphabravo

    alphabravo Well-Known Member

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    If you turn your steering wheel 1/2" to the left so that it is Top Dead Center then than means your tires will be pointing a bit too far to the left. To correct this you will need to make the drivers side tie rod end a little bit longer which pushes the tire back to the right. Then make the passenger side tie rod end shorter by the same amount in order not to affect the toe alignment.

    To do that would pull the cotter pins on the tie rod ends. Remove castle nut. Use a puller to get them free from the LBJs. Loosen the sieze nuts on the tie rod ends.

    Then you will want to turn the drivers side tie rod end in order to lengthen it by one thread at a time and shorten the passenger tie rod end by the same number of threads until you get the steering wheel centered. It might take some trial and error to get the correct number of threads since we don't have a way to check the alignment.
     
  10. Mar 31, 2016 at 7:18 AM
    #150
    ckeene9

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    No need to do all that. Just loosen the jam nut at the inner and outer TRE and spin the inner.
     
  11. Mar 31, 2016 at 9:54 AM
    #151
    Cog

    Cog Well-Known Member

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    I'm pretty mechanically inclined but trying to understand this on the Internet is a pain. Anyone have a phot with which way to rotate? On which side?
     
  12. Mar 31, 2016 at 11:06 AM
    #152
    alphabravo

    alphabravo Well-Known Member

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    ...whichever way makes the drivers side longer and the passenger side shorter. It should be pretty obvious. I would have to look at my tie rod ends to see for sure since they might have opposite threads or something (not sure).
     
  13. Mar 31, 2016 at 3:42 PM
    #153
    Dirty Pool

    Dirty Pool FLIES ON THE FRIES, KETCHUPS WATERED DOWN

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    Read post #59.
     
  14. Mar 31, 2016 at 3:59 PM
    #154
    Cog

    Cog Well-Known Member

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    What about a 2nd gen??
     
  15. Mar 31, 2016 at 4:11 PM
    #155
    Dirty Pool

    Dirty Pool FLIES ON THE FRIES, KETCHUPS WATERED DOWN

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    Same deal, the 2nd gen tie rods look different but the process is the same.
    FWIW 1 full turn will move the steering wheel a bunch. Start off with exactly 1/2 a turn on both sides and see what you get. Then extrapolate from there.

    2nd gen folks should be aware of "Zero point calibration" that may/may not/or should be needed when lifting and/or an alignment is done. This has to do with the electronic VSC system. It is pretty simple to do and there is a thread on it in the 2nd gen section.
     
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2016
  16. Aug 2, 2016 at 10:58 AM
    #156
    1stgenyota2014

    1stgenyota2014 Well-Known Member

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    Ok hopefully people still watch this thread. The other day I took my 04 Tacoma in for alignment after doing a lot of front end work bushings etc. I eyeball aligned it at home fairly well and everything was looking good. When I got it back, the truck leans noticeably to the drivers side. Also camber is way off. I have 2.5 inch lift. However when I backup for about 15 feet and look at it again, the camber is good!!! Wtf. It moves each Time it drives forward/reverse. Any solutions?
     
  17. Aug 2, 2016 at 11:15 AM
    #157
    alphabravo

    alphabravo Well-Known Member

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    Several possibilities I suppose.
    1. If they unloaded/raised the front wheels off the ground just before the alignment then there is no way the alignment could be correct I think. I have to drive mine and swerve it hard to get the coilovers to settle down each time it comes off the ground.
    2. Check that the LCA bushings/cams did not slip. They can't really torque the ones in the back without pulling the steering rack unless they used one of those crowfoot adapters. Most times I think they skip it.
     
  18. Aug 2, 2016 at 12:47 PM
    #158
    1stgenyota2014

    1stgenyota2014 Well-Known Member

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    Ah ok makes sense with not torquing them down. I'll try to see if my coils ever settle. I wonder if it's possible for the drivers side to settle before pass. and that's why it's leaning. Maybe
     
  19. Aug 2, 2016 at 12:53 PM
    #159
    alphabravo

    alphabravo Well-Known Member

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    Just a couple of hard low speed swerves and then strait firm brake a couple of times and mine settle in. But if I ever unload them my wheel well will go from 36" to 39" until I get them settled in again.
     
  20. Aug 2, 2016 at 1:02 PM
    #160
    RobertHyatt

    RobertHyatt You just can't fix stupid...

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    One math note. If you measure 1/4 of the way up the tire, you don't want to double that number to compute your toe in. Sine of 45 degrees is .71, rather than .5. So rather than multiplying by 1 / .5 ( = 2) you should multiply by 1 / .71 (= 1.4) if you want to get really accurate. Your method would set the toe-in slightly lower than spec...

    Otherwise, I have been doing this for many years and it works just fine, it just takes some time and care.
     
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