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Aligning My Mustang, What do I need
- Thread starter Bad66GT
- Start date
It’s not fast but it is furious.
Ronstang1966
Member
It is when a sledge is involved.
Ronstang1966
Member
Actually this is why it is important to pick the correct width and offset rims and tire. This is something almost no one thinks about when choosing rims, but I do.
Actually, when I was racing, it was discussed all the time. On some cars, aka Miata's, it wasn't worth increasing the scrub angle to fit more offset in most cases. Within reason, most old school American muscle cars can use all the tread width they can get! Most cars fell in-between. Everything in life has a trade off.Actually this is why it is important to pick the correct width and offset rims and tire. This is something almost no one thinks about when choosing rims, but I do.
huskinhano
Active Member
I've done my own. It's not terribly hard after you get the essential information on how shim thickness relates to caster or camber along with the tie rod adjusting sleeves. The Ford shop manual has an excellent chapter on doing it.
Anyway I bought a Longeacre magnetic spindle mount. What is really,really nice is the gauge has a 140* angle which gives you the two 20* angles needed. This greatly simplies the process because you don't have to lay all this out on the garage floor and then try to roll the car into the right spot instead you use a long straight edge or string to get the front wheel straight in line with the rear wheel. Then you strike a line on the floor parallel to the front tire a few inches out. You can use a piece of 1X6 wood or what ever. I use folded up 3 mil plastic bags folded up under the tires as slip sheets. This makes it very easy to turn the wheels and allows the suspension to unload and not bind up. Now with the gauge on you turn the wheel and sight the edge of the gauge to the line you drew on the floor.
If you have steel wheels I recommend going off the spindle. I found steel wheels don't run very true. If you have machined aluminum wheels either a gauge that mounts to the wheel or spindle is fine
Anyway I bought a Longeacre magnetic spindle mount. What is really,really nice is the gauge has a 140* angle which gives you the two 20* angles needed. This greatly simplies the process because you don't have to lay all this out on the garage floor and then try to roll the car into the right spot instead you use a long straight edge or string to get the front wheel straight in line with the rear wheel. Then you strike a line on the floor parallel to the front tire a few inches out. You can use a piece of 1X6 wood or what ever. I use folded up 3 mil plastic bags folded up under the tires as slip sheets. This makes it very easy to turn the wheels and allows the suspension to unload and not bind up. Now with the gauge on you turn the wheel and sight the edge of the gauge to the line you drew on the floor.
If you have steel wheels I recommend going off the spindle. I found steel wheels don't run very true. If you have machined aluminum wheels either a gauge that mounts to the wheel or spindle is fine
@Nailbender @Russstang @Jonk67 @Caper50 this is all I need plus some pizza tins with grease between them right? 
Holy moly have prices increased! That's a different thread though.@Nailbender @Russstang @Jonk67 @Caper50 this is all I need plus some pizza tins with grease between them right?
View attachment 70061
You are going to want to put some electrical tape strategically on the little tabs that go against the rim. Use a bungee strap or similar through one of the wheel spokes around the upper leg of the adapter to hold the gauge and wheel adapter on. Otherwise you'll start out by scratching the crap out of your fancy rims like I did. Don't really care, race car.
It's gonna be fun! You can use the compass feature on your iPhone to measure your sweeps when setting caster. Unless you're in a steel building.
Thanks brother!! So I should order what I have above in my cart?Holy moly have prices increased! That's a different thread though.
It's gonna be fun! You can use the compass feature on your iPhone to measure your sweeps when setting caster. Unless you're in a steel building.
Chris
I still think you should remove the coilovers, set the spindles at ride height, and do it the easy way with a $20 angle finder. Caster is simply the tilt of the spindle front to rear when the wheels are going straight. Camber is the angle on flange of your wheel hub when it is perpendicular to the car. No rocket science involved.
Something like this,
and the toe plates will get you a decent alignment
Ronstang1966
Member
This is all you really need. You can easily fashion a bracket to let it stick to the hub for camber and if you're creative you can fashion one with a spring that locates on the ball joint studs/nuts for caster. Toe is easy, I can do it with a tape measure. Nothing fancy is needed and if you experiment, which if you're honest it's all we do with these cars, you will get good at it really quickly.
Deke
New Member
Do you need to remove the dust cap? I have TTII wheels, which I imagine have the same size center opening.
There’s probably a reason this doesn’t exist, but it feels like someone should make a mount that fits over a few of the lugs.
Lots of great Info in this thread. Almost has me thinking of trying this myself. Almost. Ultimately, I agree with Woodchuck though. I will take it to someone with all the proper tools and tons of experience instead. Close only counts in Horseshoes, Hand Grenades and Polish Arithmetic. Kudos to you guys doing this on your own. I know I'm not skilled enough.
Yes you have to remove the dust cap. I bent a small flat head screw driver that I use to get the caps off without removing the wheels. Initially I had planned to make a steel adapter that would mount to the wheel center cap location. While I was measuring things, for the heck of it I tried placing the gauge inside the center opening and lo and behold it fit. No need to fuss with an adaptor.
I always assume I can do just about anything until proven otherwise. I surprise myself more often than not, just a matter of how bad you want it. I know that some people simply don't have the desire to do, or learn how to do, I get that.
I'm a
a. cheap bastard
b. inquisitive
c. skeptic
Meaning when I think someone is smarter or more capable than I am, they usually prove me wrong and I have to pay them anyway. I'd rather buy a $500 tool and use it once, than pay someone $1,000 to do it for me.
I share most of your traits but not your skill. Alignment is not something I want to experiment with. I’ll stick to wiring, installing parts and coming up with ideas to give to people with more skill to achieve for me. I love to learn but also know the first time I do anything it’s not nearly as good as the 20th. The 20th is not as good as the 100th and so on. I’m not scared of effort or learning. Ive gained a ton of knowledge in the last 4 years I've been working on my car. Alignment involves quite a few variables and since I have Street or Track front suspension with the Open Tracker Camber Kit there are many adjustment points. I’ll find a good alignment Guy to take care of my car. That does'nt mean I don’t love to increase my understanding of this by listening to all you guys. I love this thread!
Ronstang1966
Member
I couldn't agree more. It was only my willingness to break things at 16 and yet never give up to get something fixed that allowed me to learn all I have over the decades. And this applies to things in all categories other than working on cars. I am not afraid of anything. I will try anything and now I always succeed because even if I eff it up I get back in there with what I learned and get it done.
I agree, I assume I can do just about anything and will jump in and just do it. That is why my buddy and I are doing this at the moment, this was Wednesday.
We bought a decommissioned bridge from north of Dallas to install on his new property. We have been working the last two weeks to get the concrete pads with piers poured to install the bridge. Neither of us have ever done anything of this caliber before but we will have a half million dollar bridge for $50K.