Maintaining proper wheel alignment is crucial for optimal vehicle performance, tire longevity, and safe handling. Misaligned wheels can lead to uneven tire wear, poor fuel economy, and compromised handling, making your driving experience less enjoyable and potentially unsafe. While professional alignment services are available, understanding and utilizing Car Wheel Tracking Tools allows automotive enthusiasts and DIYers to take control of their vehicle’s alignment at home, saving money and gaining valuable insights into their car’s setup. This guide will delve into essential car wheel tracking tools and techniques, focusing on how to effectively use them for DIY wheel alignment, particularly toe adjustments.
If you already know that your car’s toe is evenly split across each axle, toe plates are an excellent and straightforward tool for measuring and tracking alignment changes. These tools provide a direct and relatively simple way to assess toe, which is a critical factor in turn-in response and handling balance. Many experienced drivers and track enthusiasts, therefore, find themselves using toe plates frequently, sometimes even more often than camber gauges at the track, due to the immediate impact of toe adjustments on vehicle handling.
To measure individual toe at each wheel and gain a more comprehensive understanding of your alignment, a string box setup is invaluable. This method involves creating a rectangular frame around the car using strings, aligned with the horizontal centerline of the wheels and equidistant from the center point of each wheel. While you can purchase professional string box kits, a DIY approach is equally effective and cost-saving. This can be achieved using jack stands, metal tubing, and string. The metal tubing, held by clamps or vice grips to the jack stands, should have holes drilled at each end to allow for string attachment, creating a precise reference plane around the vehicle.
When setting up a string box, it’s vital to account for any differences in track width between the front and rear axles. For instance, if the rear track is narrower than the front, the string box needs to be adjusted to ensure it remains square relative to the vehicle’s centerline. If the rear track is one inch narrower, the string should be positioned half an inch further out from the center of the rear wheels to compensate and maintain accuracy. This ensures that your measurements are not skewed by the vehicle’s geometry.
Once your string box is properly squared and leveled around the vehicle, you can proceed to take toe measurements at each wheel. This is done by measuring the distance from the front and rear edges of the tire to the string. This process is similar to using toe plates, but the string box allows for individual wheel measurements, providing a more detailed picture of your car’s toe settings. With these individual measurements, you gain the ability to adjust toe at each corner of the car independently. This is crucial for correcting total toe, especially on the front axle, where uneven toe can cause the vehicle to pull to one side during acceleration.
Remember, it’s essential to re-check the string box for squareness every time you jack up the car to make alignment adjustments. Lifting and lowering the vehicle can slightly shift the setup. After making any changes to camber or toe settings, always roll the car back and forth and bounce the suspension to allow it to settle before taking new measurements. It’s also important to ensure the front wheels are pointed straight ahead before beginning measurements for accurate readings.
DIY wheel alignment, especially the first time, can be time-consuming. Setting up and repeatedly adjusting the string box or toe plates as you fine-tune the settings can take hours to achieve precise alignment. However, the satisfaction of successfully dialing in your car’s alignment yourself is significant. With practice, the process becomes faster and more efficient.
Toe adjustments are typically made using the tie rods. For front toe, locate the jam nut on the tie rod, loosen it, and then rotate the tie rod itself within the threaded rod end. Lengthening or shortening the tie rod alters the toe setting. It’s beneficial to measure the initial length of the tie rod on both sides of the car. This provides a reference point for how much adjustment you are making and helps ensure symmetrical adjustments on both sides.
On many rear-wheel-drive cars, particularly Japanese models, rear camber and toe adjustments are often made using eccentric bolts located on the control arms. These bolts, when rotated, change the control arm’s position relative to the chassis, thus adjusting camber or toe. Many eccentric bolts have degree markings on their surface, simplifying the process of making and tracking adjustments.
In contrast, front-wheel-drive Hondas often use a different approach for rear toe adjustment, typically involving moving the anchoring point of the toe arm. Rear camber adjustment on these vehicles usually requires aftermarket upper compensator arms, which can be lengthened or shortened, similar to tie rod adjustments in the front. Before attempting DIY alignment, familiarize yourself with the specific adjustment mechanisms for your car model. It’s also highly recommended to apply penetrating oil to jam nuts and eccentric bolts beforehand, as these components are prone to rust and seizing over time, which can complicate the adjustment process.
Starting alignment settings often depend on the vehicle’s use and driver preference. For track cars, a slight toe-out in the front is often preferred for quicker turn-in response. Rear toe settings vary depending on the drivetrain. Front-wheel-drive (FWD) and all-wheel-drive (AWD) cars often benefit from a bit of rear toe-out to aid rear rotation, while rear-wheel-drive (RWD) cars may perform better with slight toe-in for increased mid-corner stability. Ultimately, optimal toe settings are subjective and depend on driving style, suspension setup, and desired handling characteristics. Alignment needs for a FWD race car will differ significantly from those of a RWD drift car.
Experienced mechanics often have a good starting point for alignment settings based on experience, but each car is unique. Monitoring tire temperatures and wear patterns is crucial for fine-tuning alignment. This data provides valuable feedback on how the tires are performing and guides further adjustments to optimize grip and handling. Wheel alignment is fundamentally about maximizing tire performance. However, sometimes, alignment settings are used to adjust handling balance or turn-in characteristics, even if it means a slight compromise in tire performance. Experimenting with wheel alignment is encouraged, as it’s a powerful tuning tool accessible with the right tools and a willingness to learn. DIY wheel alignment empowers car enthusiasts to take control of their vehicle’s handling and performance.
