Can a 4 wheel alignment also tell if the rear axle is centered?
I don't mean thrust angle.

 

If you're not looking at thrust angle, then why bother with the alignment? Just use a tape measure.

I don't recall the alignment printout giving me anything more than rear toe, camber, and thrust angle (which of course toe and camber cannot be changed, and thrust can't without adjustable parts).

 

with a s60 if i use my oem panhard bar, or the umi adjustable set at the same length, the rear sits to the left so much that you can visibly tell from looking.
so far i have moved it right and it looks ok visually, but you would not set your front wheel alignment visually or with a tape measure... not if you want it accurate.
i know they can tell thrust angle on a 4 wheel alignment when using the machine with the laser reflectors or whatever on each wheel. but what i'd like to know is can the machine tell if the rear (not thrust angle) is off center. i want to say it should based on the math, but i wasted 10 minutes of my life asking at a firestone place if it could be done which should have only taken 10 seconds by the putz mechanic stating he's lazy does the bare minimum and has no idea what the machine might be capable of.

 

Hundreds of race cars never touch an alignment rack and use tape measures plumb bobs and angle finders.

Drop a plumb bob down from the fender lip and take a measurement from the axle flange on each side.

 

Rear end centering is almost totally a visual thing. That's why the alignment rack doesn't tell you.

 

On the machines with the fancy lights and sensors they mount to your wheels, part of the 2 wheel align lets you know if the 4 wheels are inline with each other.

 

and they have million dollar facilities with flat concrete floor clean enough to eat off of. I don't have that.

i was willing to pay a shop for an alignment, and all that i was asking in addition to the bare minimum is navigate through the menu on the screen of the fancy machine and tell me if the rear wheels are in line with the front. one person seems to be saying it can be done.

 

People do it in their garage on a regular basis and we do it here when we do rear end installs with an adjustable PHB or just a PHB install.

I do understand wanting to get your dollars worth while it is there, sadly most shops don't want to go above and beyond.

 

Plumb bob and tape measure as MidWestChassis said. Make adjustments to the PHB as needed to center the axle with full weight of car sitting on the suspension (put jack stands under axle tube, not car frame)