iamdub
Full Access Member
My man!
I dropped mine with spindles and struts and replaced all the arms (new bushings and BJs) at the same time. I kept the original alignment settings even after I elongated the slots to use the Belltech cams so I'd have a solid baseline. I used two large ("12 Ton") HF jack stands as my anchors for the string and just did one side at a time. Squared the front off the rear using a stainless metric ruler, aligning the ruler mark with the center of the string for as much precision as possible. For camber, I used a digital angle finder (https://www.amazon.com/Klein-Tools-935DAG-Electronic-Measures/dp/B07ZWW3BW5). I cut a piece of angle iron to span the wheel lips, covered it with painter's tape so it wouldn't scratch the wheel and stuck the angle finder to the center (magnetic). I didn't have a solid way to measure and set the caster, so I erred for more positive caster. I actually have too much, but it's mostly harmless. I hade all four wheels on matching stacks consisting of a concrete block and 2x8s. I put cheap cookie sheets under the front wheels to make turning the wheels by hand easy. I don't recall the toe-in I set, but I wanna say it was 1/16". I don't recall if that was per side or total (1/32" per side). I brought two large crescent wrenches with me on the first test drive to stop at the park and fine-tune the toe to center the steering wheel. I'd adjust each side as evenly as possible, taking from one and giving that same amount to the other, to maintain the toe but "push" the steering wheel whichever way until it was level/centered.
All this was intended to get it within a safe range to drive to an alignment shop. ~25K miles later, I've yet to touch it. Tires wear evenly, it doesn't pull, steering wheel is straight and the only odd feeling is when backing and turning due to the excessive positive caster making it act like negative caster would when rolling forward. I'm not finished with the suspension stuff so I'll adjust out some of that caster then.
I dropped mine with spindles and struts and replaced all the arms (new bushings and BJs) at the same time. I kept the original alignment settings even after I elongated the slots to use the Belltech cams so I'd have a solid baseline. I used two large ("12 Ton") HF jack stands as my anchors for the string and just did one side at a time. Squared the front off the rear using a stainless metric ruler, aligning the ruler mark with the center of the string for as much precision as possible. For camber, I used a digital angle finder (https://www.amazon.com/Klein-Tools-935DAG-Electronic-Measures/dp/B07ZWW3BW5). I cut a piece of angle iron to span the wheel lips, covered it with painter's tape so it wouldn't scratch the wheel and stuck the angle finder to the center (magnetic). I didn't have a solid way to measure and set the caster, so I erred for more positive caster. I actually have too much, but it's mostly harmless. I hade all four wheels on matching stacks consisting of a concrete block and 2x8s. I put cheap cookie sheets under the front wheels to make turning the wheels by hand easy. I don't recall the toe-in I set, but I wanna say it was 1/16". I don't recall if that was per side or total (1/32" per side). I brought two large crescent wrenches with me on the first test drive to stop at the park and fine-tune the toe to center the steering wheel. I'd adjust each side as evenly as possible, taking from one and giving that same amount to the other, to maintain the toe but "push" the steering wheel whichever way until it was level/centered.
All this was intended to get it within a safe range to drive to an alignment shop. ~25K miles later, I've yet to touch it. Tires wear evenly, it doesn't pull, steering wheel is straight and the only odd feeling is when backing and turning due to the excessive positive caster making it act like negative caster would when rolling forward. I'm not finished with the suspension stuff so I'll adjust out some of that caster then.
