Amazon Product $15.00 Magnetic Camber-Castor Wheel Alignment Bubble Glass Gauge Set

mrrsm

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If you’ve been “Unsatisfied with The Ride” ever since you put on those New, Over-Sized Tires and just as dissatisfied with the ostensible “Alignment Experts” that never seem to get the job done right... Well... Now is your chance to investigate the “Why Does is it Feel like I am Driving on Top of an Egg?” -like sensations yourself (that poor driving control sensation is caused by Incorrect Toe-In Toe-Out Adjustments of the Tie Rod Ends... and those measurements are NOT performed by this Tool) ...and then manage to make the OTHER Front End Tire Geometry Misalignment observations of problems using THIS Tool to figure out whar is causing your Front End Components to prematurely wear out.

Find some nice, level ground and use this inexpensive set of Castor and Camber Gauges to figure out which directions to make these necessary Castor and Camber alignment adjustments ...on your own. For Fifteen Bucks… What have you got to lose? Even if you don't wind up doing the work yourself... at least you'll be able to communicate what you discover to those who will eventually do the job.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZSQP6H/?tag=gmtnation-20

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Chickenhawk

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Dec 6, 2011
779
Now add two pieces of square aluminum tubing and two tape measures, and you have a complete do-it-yourself driveway alignment tools. The tape measures can be used for the critical toe-in adjustment, which really contributes to solid tracking versus "riding on an egg" feeling.

If you are very careful and can work precisely, adjusting each tie rod end 1/8th of a turn at a time, you can get toe as accurate as any computerized machine. The advantage is that it is cheap AND as precise as the person doing it. (Just like the computerized machines in the tire shop.) Disadvantage is that it will take crawling under your truck 40 times to get it perfect.
toe plate.jpeg
 
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Mooseman

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Dec 4, 2011
25,262
Ottawa, ON
My only question is, since they're mounted onto the rotor itself, you would have to preload the suspension at riding height with jack stands under the A-arms?

I have a few alignments to do on my fleet. Both of these would come in handy!
 

I_Shoot_Back

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Feb 18, 2018
116
Ponoka
How much toe-in do these trailblazers like?
I put 4 jack stands around the truck in a wider square then the vehicle,put a thin rope from stand to stand,square it off to the axle centers and then measure from rope to tire walls(rope hight same as center of wheels)
 

Drec

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Jan 29, 2018
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Yakima, Washington
My only question is, since they're mounted onto the rotor itself, you would have to preload the suspension at riding height with jack stands under the A-arms?!
Yes! I've used a similar device and used the magnet to pick up the machined surface of the center hub, with tire tire/wheel still bolted to the drum/rotor. I've even made some plates that bolted to the center cap holes on American mags to attach the magnet to.
 

mrrsm

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--^-- +1 ... The only other thing I could add to his suggestion is to get Two Single Glue Down 12" pieces of Thin Linoleum Tile... place one on the Deck under the location of the Two Front Tires ...Glue Side DOWN evenly spaced and centered under both from Tires and the OTHER... Glue Side up...with a little blob of Molybdenum Di-Sulphide Grease in between the two Tile Sections. When the Truck Tires are gently lowered down on top of these two Linoleum "plates"... they will glide easily on the upper "plate" as though resting on Ball Bearings. The Truck MUST be Perfectly Level and the Rear Wheels MUST be Chocked Front and Back to prevent the Truck from sliding to one side or the other during this process. When done right... This makes the Tie Rod adjustments very easy and will achieve greater TOE accuracy using @Chickenhawk 's Technique:

After I got my 2002 Trailblazer… and then jumped in with both feet to get my First Pickup Truck: The 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Base version… I decided to go Whole Hog regarding making my own Toe-In and Toe-Out and Camber-Castor Adjustments using some professional grade equipment capable of handling 12,000 Lbs per wheel and make it much easier to make these adjustments with the proper distribution of vehicle weight ...on absolutely level ground. The images below show the "Red TOE Tables" working EXACTLY like the Home Made Version suggested by @Chickenhawk that his accomplishes this very same task with much less expense and a little more “running around” to get the correct results than these “Red TOE Tables” easily provide... but for "A Lot More Moolah". BOTH techniques achieve the very same results:

DSC05199.jpgDSC05200.jpgDSC05202.jpgDSC05204.jpgDSC05206.jpgDSC05201.jpgDSC05205.jpgDSC05203.jpg

If you ever get really serious about a TOTAL Front Suspension and Brake System Overhaul… These two links will cover essentially what needs to be done… in a universal sense... that could be applied to the GMT360 Vehicles...and there is Thread I penned somewhere around here on GMT Nation with the Step By Steps involved:

1993 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 Complete Front Suspension Re-Build:

http://s557.photobucket.com/user/60...O Z-28/93Z28SUSPENSIONANDBRAKES?sort=3&page=1

1993 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 Complete Bullet-Proof POR-15 Front End Paint Job:

http://s557.photobucket.com/user/60...OMPLETEPAINTANDSUSPENSIONREPAIR?sort=2&page=1
 

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