DIY alignment

We have covered it before, but I thought this was a good article from Super StreetHonda Civic Si - Poor Man's Alignment

The bucket of water is genius.

Thanks for posting.

In reply to Schrödinger's Flight Service:

Another way to use a bucket of water is to throw it on the shop floor.. As it dries puddles form in the low spots.. You may not need a 1/8th inch tile but a flat sheet of metal or two to bring a low spot up to level.

I've done the bucket thing , but without the bucket. Just tape one end on the tubing to anything vertical, like the wall. The other end goes to the yardstick. Fill the tube with water and food colouring by using a small funnel. You can check the level of the entire garage if your tube is long enough.

Hey Mods we might want to move this to Tech Tips

Hey Flight Service, it's moved now.

you = da man

Schrödinger's Flight Service wrote: you = da Woman

FTFY.

It's no big thing, I like to think (hope) that I am accepted as one of "the guys". It's all good.

"Typically, toe should be adjusted first." That's completely wrong.
Camber, caster, then toe. Toe will be greatly affected by changes in camber.

In reply to EastCoastMojo:

Believe me, you are. I'm just harassing Flight Service a little.

EastCoastMojo wrote: It's no big thing, I like to think (hope) that I am accepted as one of "the guys". It's all good.

I get a kick out of it when you are referred to as a guy. My wife owns our chumpcar and races with us.

I love it when somebody comes up and asks which dude was in the car because they are fast.... it's my wife!

Da man is not A man.

I know ECM is a lady

I'm not sure I understand the bucket of water thing...

"Raise or lower the jack until the tubing's water level terminates at a height that's easy for you to see head-on and coincides with a whole number on the yardstick. For example, raise or lower the jack until the water's meniscus (the curve-shaped water surface), sits just below, say, the five-inch mark. Don't get too hung up on the actual value the meniscus sits at; just make sure to reference the same value for each tire. Repeat the procedure at each corner until you find the highest location."

If I go to each corner and raise or lower the jack until the tubing's water level terminates at five-inch mark, how does that tell me which corner is higher/lower compared to the others?

Once you get the bucket in position, you don't move it. The only reason you need the jack at all (hint: you don't need it) is to get the water level to a mark that is easy to read.

Got it. Thanks!