DIYbanter - View Single Post - Advice requested from those of you who have successfully checked camber at home

amdx[_3_]

On 12/9/2016 3:53 PM, wrote:
"You have a trig problem and a measurement problem.
The measurement problem is more difficult. "

I was wondering when someone was going to mention trig.

You just haven't read all the posts, I have at least 3 maybe 4 posts
that mention trig and I posted a calculator, with the problem to solve.

What he needs is something to act as a really huge caliper. Looking at the bottom of most cars there is no centerline to be found.

I mentioned finding the reference is the hardest part.

Actually is you can be absolutely sure the car is on a level surface, something like a plum bob could work.

Measuring it accurately is still a problem, from the rim to a string ?
And adjusting to minutes with only like 16" to work with ? No thanks.

I also mentioned if you could mount a laser square to the wheel, then
you could measure at 16ft on a wall and use 0.781" instead of 0.065".
I said 12ft in my post, that was wrong.

But the good news is that you don't need the BMW alignment machine, they are not really brand specific.

That means he does not have to go to the dealer and pay three times what
an independent would charge.

On older cars I did set the toe in a few times. There was enough clearance to measure underneath wheel to wheel.

Whaddya think the odds of that are here ? Did Slim leave town ? I never
set camber or caster in the old backyard, but usually you don't have to,

even after replacing ball joints. They have to pretty far out of spec to
affect it enough, really. Still, usually I would just pay the damn forty

bucks and have it aligned. Of course that forty bucks is now a hundred,
but how much is a set of tires ? A nice set of Dunlops or Michelins

is worth the cost of an alignment, plus the car handles better. Plus
with really good tires it rides better and quieter.

But some people are penny wise and pound foolish.

And sometimes people are penny wise and also pound wise.
It really ads up over 30 years.
Mikek