Measures approximately 1 3/16Ó on bottom, 1 1/4Ó on top, . If you can find one, carefully follow the directions to calibrate and use it. Again, make sure the tire pressure is adequate. Having too much toe – either in or out – can cause instability at high speeds and substantially increased tire wear. The goal of a good camber setting is to have just enough negative camber to deliver good control while cornering, but not requiring the tire to put too much of its load on its inner edge while traveling straight. Probably the most produced of all the muscle cars, the GM A-bodies were made by every GM brand except Cadillac and GMC. To ultimately set them for your car, you will need to do some experimentation and determine what is best for your application. Place the end of a tape measure in the tread just to the outside of the string at the front of the tire and stretch it to the opposite tire and read the distance, let’s say it measures 65 3/16 inches. In order to properly set camber, you’re going to need a few tools. A little toe-in, of up to about 3/16-inch is okay for our purposes. Once the the two ends of the string meet, tape the other end into place. Although most guys will not have a set of plates, if you know someone that does and they will let you use them, they are worth getting your hands on. Tread wear patterns become irreversible after about 500 miles. Shims of different thicknesses are used to adjust caster and camber. These plates work by positioning the front tires on them so that they can be easily turned right and left. Although it can be a little complicated, it's not rocket surgery and the basics can be performed by you at home. Keep the string centered in the tread. The specifications in the chart are for the front of the vehicle. We want to bring the backs of each tire in by about 1/8-inch to bring toe close to spec. This is best described by the following: If your car encounters a bump that only causes one tire to lose grip, the other tire’s negative camber will push the vehicle in the direction of the tire that lost grip. Tape the end of a length of string in the middle of the tread and slowly spin the tire to wrap the string around the tire. To begin with, each side is jacked up using a floor jack so that the wheel can be rotated. Spindles also interchange with related Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac Camber is the amount of angle the top of the tire leans in. Repeat 2 more times. Tips And Tricks To Chevy Sheelmetal Alignment - Gapped To Perfection - TechChevy Sheelmetal Alignment Proper Sheetmetal Prep is the Foundation … Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from Chevy Hardcore, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE! Chevy Hardcore NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE! . Turn of the screw: front end alignment for performance on classic Mopars. They’re actually easier and more accurate than a string, but it has to be bigger than the tire. Adjusting toe on rack-and-pinion steering is only slightly different from older steering gearbox systems. Home » Rear Ends » Ford 9 Inch Rear End » Strange 9″ Ford Housing For 1965-1970 GM B-Body Applications Includes Mounts, Ends, Fill, Drain, & Vent Strange 9" Ford Housing For 1965-1970 GM B-Body … Bounce the front and turn the wheels to settle the suspension, then lower the tires onto the turn plates. The toe setting is typically used to help compensate for rubber suspension bushing compliance while the car is moving. A rear-wheel-drive vehicle pushes on the front tires as the car is driving down the road. Taking a few minutes to check your alignment from time-to-time will make your tires last longer and your vehicle handle better. Chevy Hardcore NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE! But, that is not an option for many enthusiasts. Select year & model and see specs within seconds. Having less negative camber will reduce high-speed cornering capability but result in more even treadwear. On the outside and under the hood, the Cruze is a big upgrade from the Cobalt. If your car uses polyurethane bushings, compression will be nearly zero, but some toe-in is still needed to deliver a stable-handling car. If a gearbox steering is used, loosen both nuts on both adjuster sleeves (right and left). I have some help lined up for this afternoon to install front fenders and a hood. … Where you get them is irrelevant, but they are necessary for aligning the front end of your car. It will also fight the lateral force of the road pulling sideways against the bottom of the tire. Use the torpedo level or a protractor as in the images above to determine the inward or outward slant of the tire. It will also improve high-speed stability and cornering. This is a “bread and butter” vehicle for every shop. We’ve now reproduced the factory OEM front end alignment shim. Increasing toe-out will typically reduce understeer (front tires sliding when going into a corner). This is because the vehicle is fighting the excessive angle of the tires. Keep the string centered in the tread. When done at a shop, alignment technicians have an expensive rack, and an even more-expensive alignment machine. If the shims are of different thicknesses, both caster and camber will be affected. When trying to get the correct caster/camber measurement, making these adjustments can be a bit tedious at times. By the age of 14 Mike had built his first performance suspension, and by 16 he had built, and was racing cars in several sanctioned events in the San Francisco bay area. What’s more, the alignment kit from Summit Racing will give you the tools you need to accomplish the task. You will want to back that off by roughly 1/4-inch. This will allow utilization of the full tread width and aid in exerting downward force and tire grip. All other front end components are stock for 66. There are three factors which affect a vehicle’s alignment: toe, camber, and caster. Measure again and repeat until you’ve moved the toe to the required amount. Cars are built with slightly negative caster (the upper ball joint is at a vertical plane that is to the rear of the lower ball joint vertical plane). Alignment specs given by manufactures typically have a camber-error range of plus/minus 0.5 degrees, meaning if the camber is within 0.5 degrees of the desired value the car is considered to be within spec. Fits 1964-77 GM A body; 67-81 F Body; 68-74 X body; and 59-81 B body. Camber thrust is created when a point on the outer surface of a leaned and rotating tire is forced to follow a straight path while coming in contact with the ground. Again, can a big-chain store understand what your car needs? It keeps the steering wheel from turning while adjusting toe. 78-88 G-Body can reuse the stock outer tie rod ends. High Quality 1964-1972 GM Upper & Lower Front Tubular Control Arms Set. Thanks a lot. The 0.135" and 0.63" shims can be stacked to achieve the required alignment specification. Repeat 2 more times. The 2004-2013 GM W-Platform represents the evolution of the GM mid/full-sized front-wheel-drive car. If your car has a toe-angle problem, you will notice a saw-tooth wear pattern that’s the same on both front tires. 1964-1972 GM Tie Rod End Dust Boot Set - 4Pc. Whether you are doing a frame off restoration, replacing rusted out body mounts, correcting your front end alignment or just trying to align the doors on your car this information is invaluable. There is no caster setting for the rear of a vehicle. However, cars rarely utilize negative caster, as it causes the vehicle to wander while driving. You want it to indicate a slight inward lean at the top of the tire, or even show as level. This requires four alignment heads, and aligns not only the front wheels, but the rear wheels. All rights reserved. Whether you car has a rack-and-pinion steering system installed, or it is still using an older steering gearbox setup, adjusting toe is basically the same. The tires should all be in good shape with even wear patterns. If you don’t have one of these, a bungee cord or rope can be used to secure the steering wheel. It will take a little time to get used to how the plates work, but after using them once, it’s readily apparent how easy it is to align your car or truck. Street/Strip Package. Right-center: Move up the tire and measure again. For this, you’ll need: There are three types of alignments that we can perform on modern cars: the thrust alignment, two-wheel alignment, and four-wheel alignment. Another tool that will make an at-home alignment easier, is a set of rotator plates. However, with the increased negative camber, a reserved driver’s lower cornering speeds would cause the inside edges of the tires to wear faster than the outside edges. When making adjustments, make small, incremental adjustments, and then snug the nuts and bolts. If the line at the top leans forward, this is negative caster. Camber thrust describes the force generated perpendicular to the direction of travel of a rolling tire. All rights reserved. You don’t need this level of accuracy to get your car aligned well enough to just drive it to the shop. 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I knew the truck would need to have the front end aligned after the job was done, and I actually have some old school caster/camber gauges in my garage. This type of alignment is also used to check the straightness of older frames or those that have been in accidents as it shows the direction the wheels will drive the car (hence, “thrust” alignment). The front end and steering linkage should be checked for wear before performing an alignment. A proper camber is a non-excessive amount of negative camber. A tire that leans outward is experiencing positive camber. DIY Front End Alignment To most people, front end alignment is some kind of voodoo science better left to professionals. . Fits all GM A-Body Cars from 1964 through 1972 Black Powder Coated Front Tubular Steel, stronger than the factory arms To accomplish this, the tire must properly inflated to eliminate the “bulge” of the tire as it rests on the ground. Optional Ride Height Tuning Kits are available for use with our Pro Series Springs or ­'standard type' springs to raise the ride height if desired. Next, raise and support the front of the vehicle, and position the wheels so they are both pointing straight ahead. Adjust as necessary to keep the string perfectly straight around the circumference of the tire. If the string is not perfectly vertical, you should adjust the camber to get it as close as possible. When making these adjustments, have someone hold the steering wheel centered, or use a rope that is tied around the steering wheel and through the door frame to keep it from moving while measuring and adjusting toe. If you can’t find plates to use, two pieces of cardboard with grease slathered between them also works. Place the long edge of the square against the sidewall with the leg on the ground. GM specifies at least two full threads should show on the bolts, and that the front and rear shim packs should differ by no more than .40". SKU: GTPPZTRB48. Next, raise and support the front of the vehicle, and position the wheels so they are both pointing straight ahead. With positive camber, a tire will struggle to grip the road with the full width of the tire. Pontiac’s LeMans/Tempest/GTO, Chevrolet’s Chevelle/Malibu/Super Sport, Buick’s Skylark/Gran Sport (GS), and Oldsmobile’s Cutlass/442 are still surprisingly plentiful. . However, caster should not be overlooked. Only modification was a PS gear ratio change to the JGC and a 1 1/4" front sway bar. Measure dimension "J" from bottom of rocker panel to floor. In the six years the Cruze has been on the road, it has proven to be a reliable vehicle for the most part, but it has had some suspension issues. It helps to have an idea of how the different specs affect handling. If you take the car to an alignment shop, you will need to tell them what spec you want. This tire shows evidence of wear caused by problems with both toe and camber. Just loosen a lock nut and rotate an adjuster. Caster is the axis at which the wheel pivots or turns. USE                   CAMBER                      CASTER                       TOE, Touring            -0.25 to -0.5 Deg          2.5 to 5.0 Deg         0 to 3/16-inch IN, Autocross        -0.5 to -1.0 Deg            2.5 to 5.0 Deg         1/8-inch Out to 0, Road Racing   -0.5 to -2.0 Deg            2.0 to 7.0 Deg         0 to 3/16-inch IN. A sawtooth pattern on only one tire is typically a suspension problem. Some parts stores might rent you a camber-measuring device that uses a magnet to secure it to the front hub. Chassisworks GM Spindles A-, F-, AND X-BODy FORGED SPiNDLES ('67-72) Chassisworks series of forged A-, F-, and X-body spindles directly replace the OEM components from GM vehicles ranging from 1967-1972 (some models later). All rights reserved. With the two front tires pointed straight, simply stand the plates against them and take measurements with the tape measures in both the front and rear slots. Figure 4. In all honesty, if you follow these directions and get your toe measurement to within a few degrees, camber to within a degree of spec, and tighten everything properly, you shouldn’t have to worry about ruining your tires or new suspension components while driving to the local alignment shop. Most shop alignments will be the thrust type. If this axis is straight up and down, the car would have neutral caster. Underneath, however, the two cars have similar setups. Here is a quick video on how you can adjust your front wheel toe alignment yourself and save a bunch of money. We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request. Car handles great. Caster is a stability angle, measured in degrees. To properly align the front end on your classic Chevrolet, you need expensive tools and equipment. Compression will be affected ” vehicle for every shop suspensions that use shims to adjust caster and camber to... Out – can cause instability at high speeds and substantially increased tire wear easier and more accurate than string... The only way to check your alignment the content you love from Chevy Hardcore articles, news car... Zero, but it also improves stability while driving cars, the two of... Left to the required distance also works, we need to achieve the required distance or! Want it to indicate a slight inward lean at the top of that imaginary line toward! About 500 miles right and left your own custom newsletter with the content love... Help the suspension will reduce high-speed cornering capability but result in more even.. 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The different specs affect handling rotator plates is called toe-in degrees-to-fraction measurements you ’ re actually easier more! Or removed, camber, a tire that leans outward is experiencing negative camber will be affected arms lower front! ) 1 ) Lift front bumper 1.5 '' ( 38 mm ) and let.. Or outward slant of the tire own custom newsletter with the content you love Chevy.