Watched dozens of videos on alignments. By far, this was the most informative and practical video. Your explanation of how to estimate caster is superb!
After watching tons of videos this is absolutely the most informative not only on how to measure caster effectively and why it is measured that way but also how to adjust it and how that affects things like camber. I was in the market for a Quick Trick Alignment Tool which I may still get just because I think it's a cool tool and could help but I just wanted to say thank you to such an informative video.
No nonsense tutorial, straight to business, very educational. Thank you very much. I've used thin magazines under the wheels to accommodate wheel movement on concrete, but I like the plastic bags with oil better. There is a lot of engineering and science behind these three adjustments (caster, camber and toe), and each vehicle utilizes this technology uniquely. Be patient, prepare your work, and you'll get through it with fine results. Blessings, Wayne.
Well done vid. Simple, straight forward, no BS and no MUSIC!!! I've used both plastic bags on smooth surfaces and 1ft ceramic tiles on gravel surfaces with success. Poster provides good content in a well produced vid.
Very good video. No wasted time, very easy to understand, all the information needed and none of the bs. I've been looking at many videos on alignment lately, trying to put together the best of everyone's methods... this video was very, very helpful and explained caster more simply than I've seen elsewhere. Thank you, great video.
Excellent. This saved me from screwing up an alignment that was within spec. I am prepping my 4runner for larger tires; trimming stuff, lift kit, different mud flaps.... I still needed some positive caster to move the tire a bit forward. After doing so I was doing a horrible job checking caster and was ready to make an adjustment. I remembered seeing this video and went back and watched again. I had a piece of "L" iron (aluminum) and cut to size and used my phone to check. One was on 90 even and the other was on 89 flipping to 90 if I fudged with the aluminum at all, it was that close. Good enough.... ! You saved me a hassle. I'll check my toe in next
Thank you so much for clear and concise video. No music to my deaf ears was great also. I'm going to start putting on the lock ease or WD as soon as I get off the phone. Wish there were more like you. Thanks again
If I might suggest using two pieces of sheet metal like 12”x12”, apply plenty of grease between them. They work better than plastic bags. Regardless, this video was a great learning tool. Thanks!
I was going to make this suggestion too. working in the crash testing world, we slip plates like this underneath all 4 wheels to be able to dial in the final position of the vehicles, pushing it one way or another upto an inch or two by hand.
Great video!! found you through suggested videos. I just started a RU-vid Channel not long ago and very interested in the human evolution and spirituality topic. Keep following your passion and creating great content. Sending you good vibes and lots of love 💖
Even after years doing alignments on machines. It still gets confusing using ruler mm measurments when it's been a few months since doing a truck by hand on the ground.. You simplified it well.
Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. With ways to check it all out from home. Your info was clear to understand, to the point, relevant and enjoyable to watch. You have had so many views but such little subscription. What a rip off! Oh well you got one more subscriber today mate.
So, if my truck is pulling right then it’s the passenger side geometry that’s off? The reason I ask is because I recently replaced my upper & lower control arms, tire rod end & ball joints on the drivers side. I thought maybe I just needed to back out my left tie rod a bit
In a right hand drive we need 1 degree on the left hand wheel to compensate for road camber, good vid considering many charges for a alignment is never done ,
On your tirods , can you tell me how many threads your out on both sides ‘ I didn’t mark them when I replaced one I can’t get my alignment right your tacoma has the same lift as mines
So when the tire is turned full lock right, and you are measuring the passenger tire you will get the larger degree 89 and then full lock left it will be 88. So, on the left tire turned full lock to the left it should be about the same 89* and then 88* when turned full lock to the right. If the degrees were switched - would it mean you had negative caster?
Could it also be done by jacking up the front end, tires off, with the jacks placed under the lower control arm to simulate load, while making sure vehicle is level? (Just looking to create more work space.)
Someone suggested to use two linolium floor tiles with a little grease sandwiched between, probably works same as plastic bags and oil, my concern is, i need my mercedes up on stack of 2x12s to get under it and my driveway is is not level. It may slide off the blocks. Any suggestions M L Rogers Pasadena,Tx
I have a similar vehicle, a 06 GMC yukon. My left front wheel tip out slightly on top. If I adjust both camber bolts evenly to to bring the top of the wheel in slightly - is it safe to assume that I have not changed the caster settings?
So I have a 03 ranger 2wd I replaced the upper control arms and lower ball joints I took it in for a front end alignment and the camber bolts are still the way I put them I think he only adjusted the tierod ends I know they couldn't have been right cuz I just put them on knowing I was having it aligned the next day so I just put them on without even trying to get them close to what it was before and they are in the exact same position I put them in thats not right is it
Nice video. I've seen that when calculating caster, some people multiply the by 1.5 the difference between the camber readings from left turn to right turn. Have you seen this?
Yes I have seen this. I don’t fully understand it but it has something to do with trigonometry. Caster is essentially a measurement of camber at two different angles of steering wheel angle - which is wheel (tyre) sweep. The calculation method has a formula and that is changed by 2 factors: * the total sweep of the wheel (tyre) left and right and * the difference in camber measurements from one side of the sweep to the other. In this video he used 20 degrees of sweep to the right and I can only assume 20 degrees sweep to the left. That is what he said in the video @6:10 for full lock to the right. Start with the steering wheel level and that is the zero position of the wheel (tyre). Put some sort of protractor device to measure degrees of turn and move the steering wheel so the tyre is turned out by 20 degrees. @6:35 he went to the right until full lock. Make a measurement of the camber and this is the starting point. If a digital protector is being used his would then be zeroed. He said 88.5 degrees but looked like it was positive camber (top of wheel out). Move the steering wheel the other way so the tyre is turned by 20 degrees to the left (assuming) and measure the camber, shown @6:46. The castor measurement was 87.5 degrees but the wheel looked like it had negative castor (top of wheel in). TOTAL SWEEP (tyre movement) is 40 degrees (20 degrees right and left from zero). DIFFERENCE IN CAMBER measurement is positive 88.5 degrees minus negative 87.5 degrees equals 3 degrees (remember in this video 90 degrees is the zero point). Maths, this is the formula: (180/3.14)/TOTAL SWEEP x DIFFERENCE IN CAMBER = castor Where 3.14 = pie (180/3.14)/40 x 3 = castor 4.3 degrees of castor. To answer your question about the 1.5, (180/3.14)/40 = 1.43. The assumption is that the TOTAL SWEEP is going to be about 40 degrees. If the total sweep is changed to a different number that is ok, just plug that number into the formula instead of the 40 and the 1.5 will become a different number. It’s hard to tell but unless the castor is dead on zero, as the tyre turns from full left to full right the camber will change from positive to negative (or vice versa). The guy in this video doesn’t quite catch that.
@@NicholasRiviera-DrI was going to say... His 1 degree is not spec for any ifs Toyota I'm aware of. With that tire and height most are going for 4.5deg or so, which sounds like he was right there. So his measurement is just a good relative measure to get to a good spec
My truck was hit on the front driver side as the tire is straight , but on the passenger side the tire is toed in the garage says I need to replace the ball joints is this right . Great Video
Well... the ball joints could very well be destroyed now... but that's NOT what's causing the toe in. My guess (and that's all it is) is that one or both tie rods are bent due to the collision. That would cause an effective shortening... ie... toe in.
In your video it looks that caster affects toe.. the toe in, on my 97 t100 is maxed and too much negative caster might be the culprit. Thanks for explaining @2:00 min point
Not a dumb question, actually very important and should be considered the first step when doing toe adjustments. Steering wheel must be centred first. Depending on your car you could use the steering rack or pitman arm to ensure they are dead centre first.
thank you so very much for making this easy..!!!! also..... very important!!! make sure you vehicle is sitting level,,meaning,, when looking from the front of the vehicle just by sight,, make sure it looks square to the ground,, and even measure certain points on the frame and get the vehicle "LEVEL"!!!!!!!! IF ITS SAGEN ON ONE SIDE ,,,FIX THAT!!!!!! SQUARE IT UP!!! i have a story of an alignment shop that did my chevy truck and it was low on the drivers front side,,,, and they said that was ok""""" WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WRONG!!!!!!!!!.... sorry,,, I'm done. ( I got screwed). ($80.oo.). now I'm done. luv this video! i squared out the truck in the end.( torsion bar keys bolts.). done.
Been doing alignments for 30 years. Least caster pulls. Most camber pulls. Most ford specs are set up to 1/2 to 3/4 degree less caster on left wheel to compensate for road crown. Good video though, Should still have it checked on a computer machine as thrust angle plays a big part.
The toe will self center when it's driven. This might cause the steering wheel to get cock-eyed, which can be straightened by adjusting the outer tie rods on both sides equally but opposite. If the steering wheel already needs to be straightened, you can adjust toe-in on only one side. This sometimes kills two birds with one stone. That's for IFS... solid axles are different as they use a collar to adjust the steering wheel.
Wish I had a place to do this I rebuild the entire suspension of my SUV and after 3 alignments they still didn't get it right :( I don't think they are adjusting the caster and camber correctly! They even left the control arm bolts loose ( a Dealership) they said that's normal not to bind everything up?? The spec calls for 140 Foot pounds but I could turn them with one hand on a wrench! I really need to find a shop that isn't going to be lazy about it! I already destroyed a set of tires rotated them every couple months to slow down the damage! I tried 2 dealerships and a Monro muffler none of them did it right!
CA bolts should never be loose. Good find! That shop is either incompetent or unscrupulous. Computer alignments aren't computer alignments... they are done by a tech with a wrench using a computer to MEASURE. Only. It still always boils down to some worker wrenching for you.
You are right I took my tacoma for an alignment end they left my steering wheel off to the left It can be cause they have lazy people working for them or the computer it's all fucked up they should take care of every single detail we pay a lot of money for alignment so they got to do a better job
Maybe I Misunderstood but did you say you can center the steering wheel by only adjusting one tie rod? I thought you had to adjust both to the center steering wheel.
It all depends upon whether or not toe-in needs adjustment. If your toe-in measurement is good, then adjust both equally in the same direction to center the steering wheel while keeping that measurement. If you need to adjust toe-in, then only do the one side to fix that and adjust the steering wheel at the same time.
I'd like to put that put that on a hunter and see how close you got it. Not dissin I'm genuinely curious because I've been doing alignments this way at the shop I'm at now but I've got the actual old school alignment tools. I just don't see how it can be as accurate.
@@pathfinders4x477 how long would it take the average person do do an alignment this way considering the lower control arm bolts are always severely seized on Toyotas?
@@dildanusmaximus9891 that's true. Plan on cutting them out using a recipro saw. I'm not a fan of the factory CA bolts. I much prefer the aftermarket type you can find on ebay, so I like to replace them anyway. Also... If your CA bushings are shot it's sometimes more practical to just get new control arms with the bushings installed. I've had good luck with Beck Arney CAs. All of this will save time. The alignment itself is a 20-30 minute job... but the rest of the wrenching will depend on what you run into under there.
At 7.55, correct me if I am wrong vehicle will pull towards the side with less positive (or more negative) caster. You have not specified positive or negative caster for pull at 7.55.
If the vehicle has cam bolts with markings why can't you just set camber bolt and caster bolt to 0 or neutral? This is assuming all suspension components are good and don't have a lift or something else.
