Garage Floor Leveler

I'm thinking about using some type of liquid/resin floor leveler for my garage floor to get it more "true" for doing my own alignments at home if the cost is not prohibitive(small garage= small budget). I think I'm shooting for about 1/2"-1" overall thickness. There used to be someone that advertised it some time ago in Grassroots but I've lost track of the supplier. Does anybody have direct experience or suggestion for a supplier?

Thanks, Kevin

Easy way is a length of steel or aluminum 8 ft long, a good level, and a number of vinal tile squares or masonite cut into 1 ft squares. The 8ft length is 96 inches just about enough for most small car wheelbases. Just make 4 pads and level them with the squares then drive car on.

I've used self levelling cement before, and it works as advertised. I'd only use a product like that under tile, carpet, hardwood etc since it's too brittle to use without something covering it. You could pour a cement cap, but they typically need to be ~3" thick to prevent cracking. I'm not familiar with the resins you're talking about, but there is a simpler way (see below).

I've done alignments on a sloping floor also, and here's how I did it.

1. Park the car and trace around the tires with chalk. Remove car.

2. Buy a laser level: http://www.amazon.com/Factory-Reconditioned-Ryobi-ZRELL0006-ProCross-Self-Leveling/dp/B001HTNS8E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1311767791&sr=8-3 . Use this to survey the floor. I taped a paper measuring tape to a "stick" of 2 x 4. I placed the laser level where one tire would go and the 2 x 4 where another would go and looked at the difference in height. I used "shims" of linoleum tile squares to correct for the difference in height and did this for all 4 tire marks.

1. Park car on top of shims and align - should be a level surface now.

In reply to fifty:

Thats good.

So weird, I was laying in bed this morning unable to fall asleep. I was thinking to myself,

"Hey self, it would be cool, if you could figure out a safe way to correct for your slanted driveway for using your jack stands."

Not that this fixes that issue, but it's somewhat related and still interesting and... CHEAP!

I plan to do more or less what fifty described, with the main difference being that since I have a lift, the "shims" will be in the form of riser blocks mounted on car dollies, thus allowing the suspension to settle easily with room to get under the car to adjust things (not my idea - copied years ago from an M3 guy who has the same type of scissor lift I do).

I have seen some nice implementations of platforms with turn plates and levelers on them that I intend to make one day. They had ramps on the ends and a removable cover over a depression for putting a scale in. Really slick idea and pretty simple to make if you have access to a sheet brake and welder.

Like this with a ramp on the end:

Brilliant thing I just realized about the vinyl tile shim leveling method - once you get it leveled, you can trace a box around each tile stack with paint, and in the box put the number of tiles required to level. That way, next time, all you have to do is roll the wheels over the boxes and jack up each corner to insert the appropriate shim stack and you're level again.

Thanks Fifty, I have done something like that already and it did work. I would like to refine the process a little more so I didn't have so much "stuff" to store and prep. Everybody is is on the same page for a work around, and it is doable. I'm just dreaming of a pour it on and let gravity flow it out solution, so it doesn't matter as much to the actual position of the tires relative to the shims. Josh I like your idea of marking a box location and shim count.

I do envision some full length wooden platforms with recessess for polyethylene discs for turntables/ slideplates. I could just shim under the structure to ensure a level base and support then.

Epoxy Surface Plate

In reply to youngfg:

That's the one!

Thanks!!

I kind of like this guy's method of determining the height difference. What is GRM's take?

Part 1 http://youtu.be/sZoL1gaWedA
Part 2 http://youtu.be/gjcP07VKVZM
Part 3 http://youtu.be/RpEwSeSJVW4

okieflyr wrote: In reply to youngfg: That's the one! Thanks!!

Exacly what I want too.

I suppose if you have to ask "How much?", then there is the usual answer ....

I do my alignments in the garage as well using the tile/shim method. I used a level and long clear tube filled with water and a bucket to determine the right number of shims though (cheaper than the laser approach and just fun to do)...

Anyways... my suggestion on this, is to create a "turn table" you just put regular table salt between the top two tiles... its spins great with the car on it...

I have platforms made from wood. They are labeled R front, L front, etc. Made them the right thickness by running them through the thickness planer in my wood shop. I keep them with the scales. The wood platforms go under the scales and raise them all to the exact same height. Also built ramps to drive up onto the back ones and bridge pieces to go between the front and rear. I like to roll the car back and forth when doing alignments and corner balancing to take out any tire flex. Added height also makes it easier to get the jack under the car.

In reply to jackson73 :

Would you suggest them for leveling a Canoe?