How to do an Alignment at Home

I didn’t want to start a thread just for this question and since I’m doing it at home, figured it would be okay.

I recently swapped in some new cam bolts that are octagon instead of round. As you can imagine the alignment shop had a couple issues getting it aligned because you can’t just rotate the cams into place.

Relevant pic.


They got everything pretty good but the camber is quite different side to side. Here’s where we ended up.


I really want to attempt fix the camber myself without getting another alignment. Plus there isn’t much else they can do. I have dirt king upper arms with heims along with a couple tools to check angles (digital level and a magnetic angle gauge thing).

Is it possible to just turn out both heims on the upper arms maybe 1-2 turns to get the passenger side camber closer to the driver side without out messing with caster or toe? I imagine it would but I might be missing something.

 

If you have heim uppers and some time on your hands, you can do this. I was basically in a similar boat, TC kit with heim uppers at stock bushing upper lengths. Shop sent me home with 1.9° Caster. Truck was super squirrelly and didn't track well.

I used this thread as a how to and was able to dial in 4.9° Castor by adjusting the upper arms then re adjusting the lower cams/tie rods. Truck drive sooo much better.

I also used a set of alignment plates to do the work. Makes it so much easier. Worth the investment in my opinion. It will take some time to do, so be prepared with your schedule. After a little while things will start to click and you will move quicker in your adjustments.

 

Granted my caster isn’t even side to side but I’m happy with it. I just want to fix the camber on the one side. My brain tells me if I adjust both upper heims out on the right side for a degree or so of change that’ll do it. But I don’t know if that will also change the caster or anything else.

 

It's dynamic, expect a change. You can adjust around it and get good results. Digital angle finder and alignment plates are your friend.

 

Hmm. Maybe I’ll just leave it and deal with way different camber.

The lower control arm is pretty much locked in. No changes are happening there.

Or I guess I could just adjust the camber vis the upper arm and hope the caster and toe didnt change. This last alignment was a bit over 400 bucks due to those bolts I got. So I really don’t want to go back again. I have a couple thousand mile trip coming up and don’t want to mess up the alignment too much.

 

Adjusting the heims out will fix your camber, doesnt really budge castor but will toe in that tire since you're pushing the knuckle "away" from the inner tie rod.

 

Oh damn. Thanks for telling me that here’s where mine ended up. I was going to just slap an angle finder on there and adjust the one side out a degree or so. Maybe that’s not a good idea. I don’t really want to drive around with the toe off. Although I could probably do that myself since it’s not hard.

 

Camber isn’t bad. But castor is way too low for a LT truck. You should be shooting for at least 3.5° of castor if not 5-6°. Camber 1-2° is fine. And 1/8” tie in is ideal. Not sure what that is in degrees since tire size will drastically change that.

 

He has 6.5-7°

 

6am reading charts

 

If you (or anyone else) could choose #s for a LT truck - mostly used crawling, not daily, driven on longer 400+ mile one way trips for trails what would you pick?

Anything wrong with shooting for 7 caster -1 camber 1/8” toe?

 

Haha. I was going to say, I know I’m stupid but I didn’t think I had that part wrong.

I was going to attempt to adjust that one side camber so it was closer to the other side. I heimed uppers but you have to take them off to make adjustments. I don’t really want to pay the alignment shop to do that.

 

I've always just adjusted them on the truck (pull the uca bolt obviously), and then stuck a digital level on the wheel face at ride height and just do that until you dial it in to -1°.

 

That was my plan to make the two sides match. Just didn’t realize it would mess with the toe as well. Guess I could just measure that before and see if it moves.

So I guess then is -1 or 0 better? I was going to adjust the -1 side closer to zero like the other side.

 

I think those are pretty good numbers to shoot for. The only downside to the higher castor is heavier steering but I’ve never noticed it to be honest

 

It does. When my spindles were slowly bending in, it would toe out. I'd the adjust the uca out and it would bring the toe back in.
I've always ran -1

 

Good. That side is way easier to get the long bolt removed anyway.

I know this is all going to be depend on many factors, but since you’ve done it a few times, how many turns usually get you a degree of movement? Would be nice to get it close the first time. I have no idea so I’d be doing 1/2 turns until I got it.

 

Can anyone help me with my truck? I got a 05 that’s lifted 4inch with a revtech lift.. I got some pretty bad negative camber on my front passenger while my drive side is as strait as a arrow it looks like… I’ve adjusted the lower control arm adjusters as far both ways (just to make sure I wasn’t crazy) and it only gets worst and the best I can get it it still shows pretty bad negative camber… like do I need bigger upper control arms or something special? Also, the ball joints all appear to be just fine.. although I do have some play on my inner tie rod on the driver side (side that looks strait, although I believe all that will do is make it a little wobbly) please anything if anyone has had similar experience and know some answers lol

 

Have heard of Revtech, just not that familiar with it, assume that’s a drop bracket lift? Does it use factory spindles or aftermarket? How o those look?

 

Totally oofed that haha it’s fabtech stupid auto correct lol