Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news.harvard.edu!ogicse!decwrl!access.usask.ca!kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca!alberta!adec23!mark
From: mark@ve6mgs.ampr.org (Mark G. Salyzyn)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Do it yourself front-end alignment possible?
Message-ID: <1993Apr6.200818.10500@ve6mgs.ampr.org>
Date: 6 Apr 93 20:08:18 GMT
Article-I.D.: ve6mgs.1993Apr6.200818.10500
References: <113364@bu.edu> <1993Apr1.055852.16616@ringer.cs.utsa.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: ADEC Systems Inc.
Lines: 44

davidd@lonestar.utsa.edu (David . De Leon) writes:

>In article <113364@bu.edu> selick@csa.bu.edu (Steven Selick) writes:
>>I've got an 86 Plymouth Colt that I'd like to do a front-end alignment
>>on. Is it possible to do without all of the fancy schmancy gadgets the
>>pros have? How?
>>-Steve
>NO.NO.NO.NO.
>If you do so, you are putting the lives of others on the road at consider-
>able risk.  Why do you think mechanics are ASE certified??  Anyway you put
>it, you need those *fancy scmancy* gadgets...

Awww, right, you want all the home mechanics lined up against a wall and
shot eh?

Bull Pucky you chicken! Read the service manual and get your head out of the
sand! Certainly there are tools for the job that are cheaper than an alignment
rack, that do the job as competently (albeit, not as swiftly), if not
more accurate, due to the natural pride an owner/mechanic places on his work.
You can do an `acceptable' job of aligning a car using simple tools and
some imaginative work that would *never* have the effect of endangering
anyones life. The worst that happens is that your tires wear oddly (well,
you could have the wheels aiming TOTALLY pigeon toed and not be able
to steer the car, raise your hands those that think their vision is
so poor that they would screw up this badly!)

I bet you are one of those people that feels that honing a cylinder wall
with sand paper will kill millions of people. It aint magic. Go take the
certification course, and look at the people that have never learned to add
in their whole life that are taking the certification!

BTW, I am disgusted at the Colt (and some of the other Chrysler offerings)
because they go out of alignment if you sneaze at them. My '84 Chrysler
Laser (Similar to the Daytona, a reskinned Colt) needed a realignment every
3 months ... Bolt a good grade 12' 2x4 to each wheel, using a carefully welded
spacer jig. Measure toe in, adjust to manufacturer specs. Camber a bit more
difficult to adjust and measure ... I used a micrometer to measure the
space between the rim and a funky bent up pipe that could be placed on
upper and lower portions of the rim on the inside of wheel (hard to explain).
This same tool could be used instead of the 2x4s.  I had made these tools up
*right* after the last alignment done professionally so I had a reference that
the original poster might not ...

Ciao -- Mark
