Recently I bought new tires to put on some I30t wheels and didn't want to shell out more money for an alignment (esp since most shops won't do 2 wheel anymore) After doing some research and looking at the different gauges you could buy and whatnot, I decided the string method was the simplest, while still being very accurate. Unfortunately I forgot my camera, but you can follow this http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...ring+alignment guide for more detailed, visual instructions.

Things you will need:
-4 Jackstands
-Fishing wire (you can use string, but it needs to be really thin)
-a ruler with mm's
-13mm wrench
-21mm wrench
-a notepad and pencil

1) Pull the car onto a flat surface, such as a carport. Go ahead and isolate your steering wheel so its straight. I used a block of wood and the Haynes manual to keep it still

2)Get out your 4 jackstands and place them at the 4 corners of the car.

3) Start on one side and run the fishing wire from front to back. Make sure its tight.

4) Raise or lower the wire so that it runs through the center of each wheel.

5)This is very important! Track width differs on the front (1529.08 mm) and back (1508.76 mm). To create the 'box' we will work in, measure 100 mm from the center of the front wheel to the wire, and 111 mm (I rounded off) from the center in the back. This will take some time, but its worth it for accuracy.

6) Do the same thing for the other side. If you have a dog or cat nosing around you might want to check the sides again afterward just to make sure nothing moved.

7) Now we have the box to work in. If you're reallllly **** about measurements, measure the width between the front jacks, and then the rear. They should be very close, if not perfect. I just eyeballed it.

8) Ok, now we're ready. To insure that the thrust angle is correct, start at the back (either side). Measure the distance from the back of the rim lip to the wire. Write it down. Now do the same for the front lip. My numbers were 98mm back, and 99 front. That means there was more distance from the wire in the front, than in the back, so that wheel was toed in 1mm. The other side was exactly the same, so I left them alone. Unless your numbers are reallllly screwy, and you're good with shims, leave the rear alone.

9) Now the fun part. Move to the front and pick a side. I started with the passenger side. Using the same method, you will get 2 numbers. If they are the same, congrats! You have 0 toe. Mine was 89 rear, 92 front, so once again, I was toed in a bit. The other side was 90 rear, 93 front. So each side was 3mm off. Not a huge difference, but I'm picky about car alignment.

10) Ok, If your car is slammed, this could be tricky. Mine has stock ride height, so I slid in from the side. Don't bump the string too hard! Break loose the 21mm bolt on the tie rod. With the 13mm, turn the rod accordingly. Because I was toed in, I wanted the wheel to move out. To correct this, I turned it clockwise (towards the rear of the car). This pulled the tie rod end towards the steering rack, and moves the front of the wheel outwards. If you were toed out, do the opposite. A half turn is something like 3 mm adjustment. Tighten the nut back and do the other side.

11) Once you have adjusted things, you need to move the car to see how much changed. Some people put greased tiles under the wheels or used turn plates to prevent this step. I did not. I started the car, rolled it forward 3 feet past the jacks and turned the wheel left and right. If you place a marker where your wheels were centered before, then your center to wire measurements wont be off much when you reverse back to your starting point. Isolate the steering wheel again.

12) Remeasure your front and rear center to wire distances and adjust accordingly. Mine weren't off more than 1 mm.

13) Remeasure your front sides. On both sides I had 93 rear, 94 front, so 1mm toe in on either side. By this point it was getting dark and I felt good about how well the method turned out so I called it a day. Took it for a drive and was very pleased. Before, the wheel was a bit crooked and the car would drift a bit. Now it drives straight, and the steering wheel is too. With practice anyone can do this very quickly Im sure, and with a camber/caster gauge I' bet it can be improved upon. Any advice is appreciated-this is my first write up.

 

Were the stands under the a arm? If not, then the tow changed as soon as you dropped it to the ground.

 

Nvm, just read #11.

 

Great find, Ill be trying this out once I install a new suspension set up ....

 

Once again, sorry for the lack of pictures. Next time I do it I'll def be getting pics. Visuals always help!

Thanks! I knew this would be helpful for the DIYers on here. Apparently many people use it on track days to switch between their street and race settings.

 

I just had my car worked on and the mechanic did an alignment check this way. He told me it is old school and he has not had a complaint. The car drives much better after his adjustments. He did it after replacing the right axle. He did not have to adjust much. The simplicity impressed me.

 

thanks for this thread very informative for the backyard mechanic!

 

Much cheaper way of doing things. Plus, many shops don't keep their alignment machines calibrated regularly, so this can be more accurate in many cases.

No prob! Figured the org could benefit from my find.

 

So if I read correctly, in orer to make sure the jack stands are spaced right, you measure from the center of the rim 100mm front and 111mm rear?

 

Due to the difference in track width F & R, that is correct.

 

I'm confused, what's the purpose of measuring the distance between the front and rear wheels for toe adjustments?

 

You aren't. You're measuring the distance between the fishing line and the center of the rim. You do this for all 4 wheels and it basically creates a box to read and correct toe measurements within. It may help if you look at the link with the WRX-I still haven't had time to add my own visuals

 

Is that measurement with all cars or just ours?

 

Thanks this is really helpfull noticed my alignment off and dident want to take it in cost to much

 

Thanks! Your guide is going to save us DIYers a ton of money from not having to go to the wheel alignment shops for every little thing.

 

That is specifically for our cars. I got the track width specs from:
http://www.vehix.com/car-reviews/199...specifications
For every car it will be a little different, and a little math will need to be done. For example, if you were to do something else, like a 97 j30, then you could use that same site to get the track width front and back, and then convert from inches to millimeters.
Track Width, Front : 59.1 in = 1501.14 mm
Track Width, Rear : 58.9 in = 1496.06 mm
So we have a difference of .2 in, or 5.08mm. In the front you can measure 100mm from the center of the wheel as before, but in the back it will need to be 102.5mm to make up for the difference in widths.

No prob!

You're welcome-money saved is more money for mods!