DIY Car Alignments

[VatorMan]

Anyone have any tips ? I have a Longacre Camber and toe in kit that I bought from another member of my car club.

Looking on youtube and web I can see most people use the string method. Just looking to see if anyone has any other advice before I start turning wrenches.

[RedLS1GTO]

Smart strings. They are absolutely worth it.

Align Your Car With SmartStrings, SmartCamber | Smart Racing Products (http://www.smartracingproducts.com/smartstrings.html)

Best thing we have bought. If you are doing regular alignments on the race car it makes it SOOOOO much easier. You can jack up the car, move it around, etc without having to reset the strings. You can even put it on a lift with them still in place.

For what it's worth, when I was walking around the 24 hours of Daytona, I saw about a dozen teams there using them.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Howe%20Race%20Car/IMAG0268_zpso2jvpvcq.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/IMAG0947_zpscjjsqox3.jpg

[VatorMan]

I wish I had posted earlier so I could have found this. :mad:

I'm due to be at VIR this Sunday.


EDIT: I see OG racing carries them. Hopefully they have it in stock !

[RedLS1GTO]

I wish I had posted earlier so I could have found this. :mad:

I'm due to be at VIR this Sunday.


EDIT: I see OG racing carries them. Hopefully they have it in stock !

Wait... VIR on Sunday? Trackdaze?

We'll be there Saturday only with both cars.


The SCCA schedule of running GTA and my work/personal schedules aren't being friendly this year so it's just a lot of HPDE so far. We wanted VIR and Trackdaze was about the only thing that fit in the schedule.

[VatorMan]

Wait... VIR on Sunday? Trackdaze?

We'll be there Saturday only with both cars.


The SCCA schedule of running GTA and my work/personal schedules aren't being friendly this year so it's just a lot of HPDE so far. We wanted VIR and Trackdaze was about the only thing that fit in the schedule.

Monday with your favorite group-CHIN. :lol: I know what your car and truck look like-Maybe we'll be there before you head out.

[RedLS1GTO]

Monday with your favorite group-CHIN. :lol: I know what your car and truck look like-Maybe we'll be there before you head out.

:D

Too bad they won't let us in the gang or we'd probably be there!

[RedLS1GTO]

EDIT: I see OG racing carries them. Hopefully they have it in stock !

Back on topic... this is a good plan.

I would also give TMI (or whatever the other shop is) a call. They have a LOT of stuff these days. Even if they don't have it on hand, they may know where to get it on short notice.

I've tried the "normal" string method and about every other shadetree way of aligning a car and without a doubt, Smart strings are the way to go on a weekend warrior budget.

[VatorMan]

Back on topic... this is a good plan.

I would also give TMI (or whatever the other shop is) a call. They have a LOT of stuff these days. Even if they don't have it on hand, they may know where to get it on short notice.

I've tried the "normal" string method and about every other shadetree way of aligning a car and without a doubt, Smart strings are the way to go on a weekend warrior budget.

That is exactly what I was looking for. Something I can use on the lift. It's perfect.

[VatorMan]

Just ordered from OG racing with guaranteed overnight shipping-$381. I knew this instructor thing would pay off !

[RedLS1GTO]

Well that was easy...

[VatorMan]

Well that was easy...

OG racing-I buy everything from them. Great prices on Redline, Safety gear,etc... With my BSR instructor discount-I'd be insane to shop anywhere else.

[RedLS1GTO]

2 things I found useful.

1.) If you are disassembling after each use, mark the parts with lines showing where they go back together and where the adjustments end up. It will make it way quicker to set up going forward.

2.) Instead of using the method that they recommend to attach the string to the bar, try this: Use the slip knot as they say on the first side. On the second, rather than wrapping it around, tie a big socket onto the string and let it hang down as a weight, holding the string in the groove. When I did it their way, I kept knocking the strings loose. With the socket weight, it acts as a tensioner and holds tight even if you bump into it. (Thank the Flying Lizard ALMS team for this)


Hopefully that will make sense once you see how it all works..

[VatorMan]

2 things I found useful.

1.) If you are disassembling after each use, mark the parts with lines showing where they go back together and where the adjustments end up. It will make it way quicker to set up going forward.

2.) Instead of using the method that they recommend to attach the string to the bar, try this: Use the slip knot as they say on the first side. On the second, rather than wrapping it around, tie a big socket onto the string and let it hang down as a weight, holding the string in the groove. When I did it their way, I kept knocking the strings loose. With the socket weight, it acts as a tensioner and holds tight even if you bump into it. (Thank the Flying Lizard ALMS team for this)


Hopefully that will make sense once you see how it all works..

Noted and thanks so much for your help. If you're still there when we get there-I'll buy you a beer at the Tavern before you pull out.

[RedLS1GTO]

Noted and thanks so much for your help. If you're still there when we get there-I'll buy you a beer at the Tavern before you pull out.

I'll never pass on that!

We'll have both cars and trucks down there. You know mine is the big white GMC Denali dually with the white trailer. The other is a white Ram dually with a silver and black trailer. We should be pretty easy to find. :cheers:

[VatorMan]

Looking at our schedule-should be pulling into the paddock at about 5-6 PM.