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FWIW DIY Alignment

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Old Jul 29, 2025 | 10:40 PM
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rkjjeep's Avatar
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Default FWIW DIY Alignment

Hard to believe but as easy as my 1997 Firebird is to adjust alignment on nobody around here wants to do it.
I had a TENHULVEN camber gage sitting here so I thought I would remind myself how to do this and see what I get.

The garage floor was dead level side to side and I found 0.2 deg of positive camber both sides (within spec)
Cross camber = 0 degrees
Caster (using the 15 degree double sweep and math method was 4.8 degrees on one side and 5.0 on the other (I'll edit this when I look at the paper showing which side was which). Anyway, caster and cross caster within spec

I was very careful and used the race car string method to check toe. It helps that you can (hopefully) safely assume the rear toe is zero.
I found left front at 1/32 toe out, and right front at 1/16 toe in for a total toe in of 1/32 (equals 0.11 degrees so within spec)

It seems likely that this low mile unmodified car has never had the factory alignment disturbed.

Last edited by rkjjeep; Aug 1, 2025 at 06:09 PM.
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Old Jul 31, 2025 | 07:44 PM
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Nice work. Your DIY alignment checks out caster, camber, and toe are all within spec. Looks like the factory settings were spot-on and never messed with. Good call using the string method for toe. If it drives straight with no pull, you’re golden. No need to pay a shop when you’ve got it dialed in yourself.
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Old Aug 1, 2025 | 08:02 PM
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Nice work.Your DIY alignment checks out factory specs still holding strong. If shops won’t touch it, you’ve got it handled. Just tweak toe if needed down the road. Solid proof these cars stay true.
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