Anyone do alignments at home?

my front tires look to be sitting like this \--/ .I recently had an alignment done and brought it back up to them twice. the first time they didn't do anything but charge me 85 dollars the second time they changed settings to make it within specs but now when I look at the front of my truck on level ground it sits like this \--/. has anyone checked camber with a digital angle finder? I bought one today and just not sure what number it should be reading to be within specs or a good number to leave it at. my truck has adjustable upper control arms and a 2.5 in lift up front. any help would be great so I can check this and bring it back up to the alignment shop again .

 

on my 1982 hilux but not any more....................0 degree toe, 0 degree camber and somewhere between 2.4 and 3 for castor is what to shoot for. If they cannot get it right then you may have the upper ball joint incorrectly positioned if the UCAs are LR(SPC). They have a specific orientation that gives more or less castor. The depiction you are showing seems to be incorrect camber. If these are LR UCAs then you have camber adjustment slot in UCA as well as the oem adjusters downstairs on LCA to adjust camber. Center the oems and center the UCA slot with ball joint oriented to give 1 degree of castor then fine tune it with machine. Camber off will wear tire edges and castor off will be all twitchy feeling on uneven surfaces but will not wear tires. Toe off will obviously wear tires. A tiny bit of negative toe is OK - whatever spec is.

 

Most shops do a free alignment check. Get a printout and report back

 

@TacoAlaMode your expertise is needed

 

@jberry813

 

IIRC @jberry813 made a really detailed alignment DIY write-up

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-do-an-alignment-at-home.252256/

 

I personally wouldn't. The alignment rack is a very average invention.

 

I couldn't imagine tweaking camber and caster in my driveway. Glad I have an alignment rack at work.

 

Go somewhere that has a Hunter quick check; takes less than 5 minutes.
Most dealership's have them and it's free.

 

I did mine at home for a few years. Provided you take the time, willing to buy the tools, and have an understanding of what needs to be done, you can do it relatively easily and get it pretty good.. What stopped me was working on semis on Hunter branded alignment equipment. The precision of those machines is insane. I was able to do my truck on the semi rack once I went to 285/75/16's, 31" was too small.

Now I have changed careers, out of automotive so no more rack access and decided the hassle is not worth it to me. So I pay the local alignment shop who specialize in less common setups 50 doll hairs to do the job better and faster then what I could do in the driveway.

 

these are my numbers after the second alignment. Caster left 2.3, right 2.1 Camber left 0.6, right 0.0 , Toe left .05, right .05 .I do have the spc upper control arms

 

Those numbers should be fine. My home alignment is primarily for toe after knocking my truck out of line and need/wanting to get the wheel straight enough to not kick off the VSC. I use a string to make sure my front tires are straight with the rear. If Camber needs adjusted, measure from the wheel, not the tire. You need to make sure you let the suspension and tires settle after any changes and then recheck. I normal pull out of my garage and make sure to give her some turns. Then pull back in and recheck.