I won't lie. I've debated against string alignments as I believe it can get a person close but still won't be as accurate as current day laser equipment developed specifically for alignments.

That being said, I'm curious to know a little about the string alignment method. It seems to me the strings are run pretty much midline of the hub. I can see this would provide good easy readings for toe.

Can string alignment be used for camber? I don't believe it can do much for caster which isn't adjustable on the older Hondas anyway.

 

i dont think you really understand string alignment for toe if youre asking if strings can work for camber.

you just use a bubble gauge on the side of the wheel to measure camber.

and i dont know what kind of accuracy youre looking for if you think a laser is he only accurate method to measure toe. sure, a hunter alignment station is going to be accurate and repeatable because its a purpose built machine thats fixed to the ground... not useful when youre at home or at the track and want to make adjustments. ive measured the difference from simple toe gauges by myself and a professional alignment, it came out pretty much the same.

also consider if youre only measuring single digits, 0.1 of a degree, thats a resolution of .04" across a 25" tire. not too far off from a 1/16", .062". im pretty sure i can eyeball that. and you could also use a metric gauge and .04" = 1mm.


caster is adjustable if you shim the radius rod on a CRX/EF/DA. not so much on an EG/DC unless you look into an eccentric compliance bushing. otherwise its not really adjustable and to measure it without an alignment rack to do the math for you is a pain and not worth it unless youre worried about crash damage.

 

Good info, thank you.

The debate I've had regarding string alignment was regarding two aspects which I feel play a role in repeatability. One they use a carpenters tape measure which has a bit of play in the head to compensate for the 1/8th inch saw blade. And the other aspect is the idea of trying to take a measurement off the string, I pictured the string being touched which then moves the string. At the time no one mentioned, not touching the string just getting close nor about using a high quality 1/32" increment set ruler for measuring. So, I had a hard time believing it could be used for "fine tuning" as much as gets you pretty close but not super dialed in as was being debated or so I interpreted.

This is why I have next to no knowledge on the string method and if it can be more useful than the obvious toe adjustment.

 

to measure toe, youre just measuring the delta between front and back parts of the rim or wheel. i wouldnt use a tape measure for this, just a hard scale. but i dont think tape measures are as bad as you are trying to say.

the two strings can be setup with two bars that hold the strings parallel. doesnt matter the actual length, as long as they hold the strings the SAME distance apart, defining parallel. its not difficult to get repeatable results.

watch this video to hear why the pro's do it.
youre the one asking if its accurate enough... it is. there is really no debate other than in your head. so what will convince you otherwise?

personally i prefer toe plates instead of strings, its just easier to setup and get a quick measurement and i have compared it as accurate.

and why would you use string alignment for camber??? i've already answered that its typically done with just a level and bubble gauge. if i wanted to be creative you can use a plumb bob, but thats no different or better than a bubble gauge to set zero. most ppl are using their phones nowadays anyway to display angle measurements.

 

I second toe plates for quick toe adjustments.

However you can't set a steering wheel straight with just toe plates. You need string to make sure the left and right are both equally toed with the steering wheel straight.

Who uses a measuring tape? Geez. Get out the metal 1/32's scale.

The toe plates I have are also setup to do camber with a digital angle finder. Don't trust your phone's accelerometer, they are not all that accurate.

And don't forget the slip plates. Messing with alignment settings is worthless without.

 

with toe plates, i align the rear total toe first. i use a laser pointer from the rear wheels to measure the thrust angle by making the distance from the front wheel hub on each side the same.

once the rear is done, then i do the fronts. make sure you put the steering wheel straight, and do the same to make sure the fronts are balanced.

and of course test drive and tweak if needed. bounce the car and roll it back and forward before each measurement.

its a process, takes time, depends on the amount you need to adjust. a single measurement is minutes, doing the alignment is a good hour. quicker than waiting at the firestone...

 

An no monkey *** with a pipe wrench adding knurls to your control arms. Freaking idiots!

Okay, gotta know now, what do you square the laser on? Is that another tool?

 

That was the question. But you answered it in the first post, you use a different tool for camber. In which I replied "Good Info". I could see the string method can be effective at quickly checking toe. I didn't know what method would be used by the DYI'er to check camber.

The only piece left now is from the other thread that I moved to this section after writing it in the other section. From your experience, can a damaged floor board affect the unibody enough to affect camber?

I'll watch the video to see if they mention what value toe adjustments are for the racer as I know it's there the string method is used often.

 

just use the longacre toe plate to put the laser level ("torpedo" also does digital angle measurement) up against and point it forward. with a piece of paper and a measuring scale against the center of the front wheel.

the goal is just to even out the distance so if the rear wheels are toed out or in, its even with the centerline of the chassis.

i actually like firestone for alignment, i've had lifetime alignments on multiple cars. i dont always change my own oil either.

 

its too vague. it sounds like crash damage, but you dont think so. you also say it was slammed on the coilover by the previous owner. who knows. why does it matter?

camber is not hard to measure with a stick against your wheel and a phone app.

 

Sounds good.

I was merely thinking of quickly checking to see if the tire wear is from toe, camber or a combination of both. Then I could decide if I needed to change out the upper arms for camber adjustable arms before getting an alignment done.

I know myself and I don't like the idea of crawling for an alignment being I don't have a lift and the best I could do is buy ramps for all four corners. Not my idea of fun way to adjust suspension being it's only about 100 bucks to have someone else do it. And not have to pay twice.

Thank you for all the great info.

 

You measure on the ground. Just need a jack and jack stand to make an adjustment. You don't need a lift.

 

I've seen some camber gauges online for $10.
They have a magnetic base, so they are designed to attach to your rotor for a more accurate measurement.
Has anyone used them?

 

I guess you could get that on a rotor if you had wheels with an open spoke design.

I think those are for vehicles with large front hubs with flat bearing covers, think late model domestic. Roundy poundy 3/8th mile dirt circle track stuff.

 

Found this video that goes over how to use.

No affiliation

 

That doesn't work, you set alignment with the vehicle at ride height. At full droop the suspension geometry is such that camber and toe will be way off.

 

you can do it without the wheel on if the jack or jackstand is under the control arm holding the hub at the same loaded height.

seems like he's just doing a relative camber adjustment anyway.

but really, to measure it on the ground with the wheels on, just stick a bar across the wheel to take a measurement with that bubble level.

 

All this.

I use string and toe plates. A lot of the touring car teams I work with do as well.

String is the best for going corner by corner. It's the easiest way to check and set thrust and zero steering too. If your string box isn't attached to the car a la Smart Strings or the rig I'd likely see if I clicked on that video, don't bother. You'll just chase your own *** around the garage trying to keep the car squared up in a string box set up on jack stands like some DIY's show.

Toe plates are great for a quick change. They are also what you'll use for caster sweeps. You can also use them for camber but they will take it off the tire face and I'd rather use the wheel lip. I bought the Tenhulzen set a few years ago and they've been indispensable.

As far as not using tape measures, the toe plates I got came with 1/32" tape measures. That gets you +/- 1/64 precision, which is better than you can reliably repeat on a rubber bushed car anyway. When using the strings I like to use the depth measurement on a good quality digital caliper.

For slip plates I use linoleum floor tiles with grease between. They are all precisely 1/8" thick too, so you can stack extras under each corner to level your shop floor to +/- 1/16". Add an equal height stack behind each stack and you can roll back, bounce, and roll back forward after each adjustment. I can push the car sideways with one hand.

To hold the wheel straight, I roll the front windows down, lay a length steel conduit across the sills, and clamp the steering wheel straight. You can also buy a spring loaded steering wheel holder if you're just into buying everything. Then I put a bunch of sand bags in the drivers seat to simulate me. Probably need to be more honest about my life and add another bag at some point lol.

I do need to find a good solution for height though. jacking up the car for each adjustment admittedly sucks.

TLDR: Buy Smart Strings.

 

It's your last statement before the TLDR that slows me down on wanting to DIY alignment. If money was no option I would have my mid riser lift and would use pole stands to load the suspension coupled with the lift. Then adjustments would be a breeze I would think. Or maybe design an attachment to extend the lift to encompass the wheels specifically for alignment work.

But alas, paying someone to do the alignment is still astronomically cheaper than the 5 grand or so for the mid rise lift for my garage.

 

Polished granite tiles, table salt between them for bearings. Killer slip plates with no mess. Use the linoleum tiles under the granite to level out the car.

Also Tenhulzen toe plates are great! They register on the wheel not the tire.

Second hand lifts can be found for not much. $700 got me a 2 post 9k Challenger. Not perfect for alignments but man does it make everything else easier.

 

Yeah. Unless you’re setting up/down your track car twice a month in your four car barn-shop, it quickly becomes a game of how much crap you’re willing to keep around for the occasions that you’ll actually use it. Space costs money too. The vast majority of us are better off paying to have it done. I paid for my last one because my garage was too full and found a really competent shop in the process.

 

Yeah I can't go with anything that big. Thats why the mid rise lift is near perfect but the cheapest I've found is roughly 4 grand before shipping, so closer to 5 after taxes and shipping. Even then I might night be able to do full lifts but at least 36 inch should be manageable. As well, the mid rise is technically portable. No bolting down to the floor required.

Haven't seen any of these used. Guess the few that buy em don't get rid of them lol.

 

I had it in a 2 car garage in suburbia with a 9.5" ceiling. Just poke the tops of the columns into the attic space. Couldn't go full height but it was still a hell of a lot better than a jack on the driveway in the rain.

 

Being my 2 car garage is under our rec room of our townhouse, there is no attic to poke the posts into. lol.

What I would like is these open center mid rise lifts but typically they are near or at 5 grand before taxes and shipping etc.

7,000 lb Portable Mid-Rise Frame Scissor | Daytona Automotive Equipment Inc. | Brighton, ON

 

One odd question, what do slip plates have to do with doing your alignment? I thought you would want the car to stay put? With smart strings it's less critical but still, not sure the use of the slip plates in the alignment process.