How to do an Alignment at Home

Help please! I recently replaced the front struts and rear shocks on my '06 v6 4x4 long bed. I bought the struts preassembled at auto zone. Made sure to correctly identify the left vs right. However, after install I noticed that the truck is now out of level. The wheel well gap on front driver corner is about 1-2" lower than front passenger. The rear is even farther out of whack, rear driver side is 3-4" lower gap than rear passenger side. I asked a mechanically inclined friend and his response was that one of the struts could be for a 2x4 truck and that they can sometimes come mispackaged from the factory but the model numbers are the same! Has anyone experienced something similar? Any ideas or advice are greatly appreciated.

 

My struts (5100s) didn't have a left vs right. However, there is a known taco lean where many users have the driver side sag, but your differences seem way beyond this. Did you ever get this fixed?

 

@jberry813

If I'm understanding this correctly, the eccentrics from factory for a 2nd gen should be top justified in the front of the lower control arm and bottom justified in the back of the lower control arm as a starting point creating a "rake" in the arm when looking at each face on or is this drawing viewed from one dimension where the image would be flipped upside when viewing the forward miss-alignmnets face on.

I really hope that makes sense ant isn't convoluted and I'm not over thinking this.



I've had a hell of a time getting my truck aligned and being happy with it, been considering the at home method and I'm wondering if this is part of my problem as both my eccentrics (while clocked this way or that) are more bottom justified in each arm.

Already did the Total Chaos cam tab gusset plates and my alignments still won't stick.

I think I'm going to take it to a shop one more time, fine tuning at home and then tack welding my miss-alignmnet washers in place, apparently I play to hard to keep an alignment longer than a week.

 

Thanks brother for this write up, it's exactly what I was looking for, it's no bullshit, down to the point and even some afro engineering all in one. Furthermore you have a cool name and I grew up eldorado county also!

 

Thanks for the write up!!

 

Super helpful, thanks!

 

is there a reason why I can't get these numbers when I follow along ?

 

Thanks for the post. The original and @tetten's post on his 10 hour alignment a few years back (https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...d-love-alignments.594309/page-7#post-20252854) was really helpful for me. In my last alignment I asked the tech to move the wheels as far forward as possible. My #s were fine and I didn't have issues offroad with 265/75/16s. All good. I guess I've avoided at home alignments b/c I didn't want to really screw something up and it was a bit mystical with the alignment machines and all.

I put 315s on over the weekend and the real party began. I had already taken care of the cab mount and pinch weld and I trimmed some of the bottom fender during initial fit. But I rubbed my UCA at full lock (boxed dirtking) and pretty easily mashed the fender well above the cab mount while turning. A spacer would get me off the UCA but reduce my clearance further.

So I finally cracked open my LCA cam bolts and figured I'd push it forward and walk through the at home alignment steps. As a point of reference, moving my cams forward I gained 3/4" from a fixed point to the center of the hub. I found that my LCA was almost as far back as possible. ARGH -- but that's great since I knew there was room to improve.


I put everything back on and am at 1.5 camber on both ends via my level and angle finder. I haven't done toe yet, but wow -- I completely clear on road and it looks like I have more room when turning up an incline (minor articulation) than I had with my old 265s and the LCA pushed back.

So -- I'll get to the toe today and I'll remove my shock and fully stuff / cut / hammer, but I'm in WAY better shape after the DIY alignment yesterday. I'd encourage anyone that has clearance issues but haven't dug into a DIY alignment to give it a shot. Worst case you drive it to an alignment shop the next day.

The obligatory 315 pic.

 

I had a little go at the alignment today, I recently put 35s and was having some fender rubbing. After reading tettens guide to caster, I essentially maxed out my rear LCA bolts to push the tire forward and adjusted the front ones to get my camper within spec. I torqued the LCA bolts to 110ft lbs and when im driving it, it feels like I no longer have down travel and everything is stiff. Did I introduce some binding overtorquing the LCA bolts or maybe too much caster?

 

if you jack up the front do you get the down travel you’d expect? I would think you’d see the binding or some limit while raising the front.

 

Did you torque the bolts with the suspension settled at ride height? If not, try this and see if it makes a difference.

If you torqued them with the truck in the air, then that could definitely cause binding.

Also, I don't think 10ft lbs would make much difference. The torque for LCA cam hardware is 100ft lbs.

 

Had another go at it. I’m pretty sure the weird driving characteristics were being caused by huge toe in. I had neglected adjusting it cause I didn’t have a big enough breaker bar to break the jam but loose. I went to my brothers house and was able to get them off and adjusted. Going to take the truck in and have it measured on a machine to see how I did with my measurements. Thanks @dk_crew and @toysrgood

 

Can anyone explain in idiot terms how adjusting front toe for rear thrust angle works?

Using jack stands+string I have 1/16 or less toe in on each side. Equal Distance from center of back and front rim as reference. Steering wheel slightly crooked. Rear thrust 0.58. Does the jack stand/string method already account for thrust angle since I’m using the back to front as a reference and my measurements are just slightly off?

I know to fix it I can adjust the tie rods opposite directions on each side till it’s straight just trying to understand it better…that would keep total toe the same but what if it throws off my measurement on one side? When I got a machine alignment both sides have equal toe and steering wheel was straight making it more confusing - I’m assuming they’re using thrust angle as reference? And it’s either my measurements are slightly off or jack stands+string doesn’t account for thrust angle?

 

Question: For adjusting caster and camber, I’ll be making the adjustments while the front of the vehicle is off the ground, lightly tightening things, lowering it back down and then torquing, correct?

 

I adjust on the ground just make sure to drive back and forth a bit/turn steering wheel so it transfers. If on the ground thought may have a lot of resistance turning the bolt as the wheel has to move at least without something under the tire to allow it to move freely.

…and yeah tighten the bolts. I fucked up the other weekend got distracted checking out a hot realtor at the house next door forgot to tighten backed the car up a bit and cam bolt shifted out of place (slightly out of the tabs it sits in). It was a cluster fuck to take stuff apart to push it back in place. Luckily nothing broke…from what I can tell at least.

 

Think it would be worth putting down a couple cardboard or vinyl tile grease “sandwiches” so there’s less resistance?

 

Yeah that makes sense I’ve just been lazy about it myself and been able to force it

 

This is from the FSM for a 2006

 

When I jack my truck up I can freely move all 4 alignment cams in both directions and get the max range of adjustment in both directions. I also have the alignment turn plates that measure the 20 degree and they move 1.5" in all directions allowing the suspension to reset.

Is the proper procedure to be making cam adjustments with the vehicle on the ground under its own weight? When the vehicle is resting on its own weight (no jack) the cams do not move freely and I can't get them to turn enough to make proper adjustments.

My current process is to raise the vehicle make adjustments then lower back onto the alignment turn plates and check my numbers.

 

Bomb info here!
Alignment shop isn't getting my $ anymore!
Gotta say get the plates that have movement, so amazing! This thing tracks so well now!



@wtmorgan1
I did mine with plates loaded.
Used a 19mm box wrench and tapped it with a 2.5lb hammer to make cams move.