Camber Gauges

[Tom Skinner]

Gents,

I just bought the famous C-611 Camber Wrench on ebay. My question is, isn't there a inexpensive way to check your Camber Angle other than buying a say $158 - $228 unit on ebay? I mean one could actually go to a Good Year and pay less to have them check it ($89). The reason I ask is I watched a You -Tube Video and this one guy claimed  a Line Level and a couple of Magnets (Say $7 worth) is all you need to check Camber. I built a little Toe-in Toe-out gauge out of straight 1x4 wood, and that setting is correct on my 1948 Chrysler but I want check the Camber and a tool (preferably home made) to do it with. Otherwise, for the money - I guess just take her to Good Year and let them check it - and pay the $89. I own 5 cars so a $189 tool might be a good investment (I have the 5 service manuals for each car).

Tires seem to be wearing well on all cars. What says the Forum - buy the Gauge or make a Gauge?

Tom

 

[knuckleharley]

Owning 5 cars,I'd say it pays you to buy the special gauge if you can find one.

 

Since you have that many old cars,you most likely know other owners locally you could rent the tools to and eventually get your money back.

 

If not you will still eventually pay for them with the money saved from not having to go to the tire store and pay 90 bucks to get it done.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Just my take here after reading and buying a few items.  The guage would do the job...but on top of that for a real true alignment and measurement of your angles, inclinations etc. you truly need the ability to set the car on a level surface including that of the rear wheels.  Now if you have the alignment turn tables turning the wheels through their arc to determine the inclination is good..but wait, you also need to ensure the rear wheels are elevated to compensate for the turntables.  While a string and some swing bobs may allow you to check a tad of the dog-leg effect it will not assure a good alignment. 

 

I am venturing a bit into the home alignment checks here at the house.  I now have my caster camber gauge and also a set of professional turntables.  I have been lucky to buy mine at a super price but it has taken time to find such deals.  My goal is that of setting up my suspension for as close to alignment as I can at home prior to taking it to an alignment shop so to ward off the catch all that you need this or that done before we can come close to an alignment on your car.  This is the real reason for my setup...not to say I am correct but correct enough for a professional to fine tune.

 

read a bit more on some of these gauges and setups....get the whole picture and not just a snap shot of say one aspect of the overall process.  Also, finding a shop who will allow you to look over their shoulder a bit is a plus.

[40plyrod]

I kinda agree with the above, on mine I used a level, magnetic angle finder and some bent rod to " rough in" camber and toe, then it's off to the alignment shop.

[Tom Skinner]

Thanks for the Great Advice! I knew the floor needed to be Level. I also just found a Magnetic Camber Gauge on Ebay $39.

I'll probably go with that one. The satisfaction of doing it all by yourself still grips me because I'm only 59 years young.

I can picture in a few years I will just want to go to the Tire Shop and watch TV and drink Coffee while they do all the work.

Not yet though. Ebay still has a few deals left - not many though - not like say 5-10 years ago.

Tom

[knuckleharley]

...The satisfaction of doing it all by yourself still grips me because I'm only 59 years young.

I can picture in a few years I will just want to go to the Tire Shop and watch TV and drink Coffee while they do all the work....

 

Well,you can always buy another project car when you get tired of working on that one.

 

I have a 33 Dodge 4dr solid project car and a older restoration 31 Plymouth coupe that will be coming up for sale in the next year or two,and I am sure there are other guys right here that have some for sale now.

 

I don't know about you,but if I don't have a reason to go out to the shop and fumble around,I don't have much of a reason to even get out of bed.

 

[desoto1939]

TOM the caster camber miller wrench c611 I think is 1 7/16 inch wrench.  The snapon wrench and caber caster wrenchs all come in various sizes.  I have a set of the crow-feet adapter that you could have borrowed.

 

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[Tom Skinner]

Rich,

Thank you! I only paid $15 for the C-611 Wrench, I didn't exactly break the bank. I have watched for this wrench on ebay for a couple of years.

It always hovered around $30, finally a guy in PA offered one at my price. S&H was another $6, so $21 brings it to my home this Thursday.

If I had known the size (My Parts Catalog did not state the Part size) I still see the Camber Wrenches (different sizes) at around $30 each so I figured I had beat the price

and now was the time to buy. Thanks again!

Tom

[Plymouthy Adams]

Well for the DIY or for the guy who takes his vehicle to the shop for its chassis hygiene...the biggest factor in the equation is if you are staying with bias or radial tires.  Radial Tuned Suspension was not just a catch phase...actual characteristics of the bias tire compared to the radial makes subtle changes necessary.  Understanding the difference and knowing the aspect ratio of your selected replacement radial tire will dictate the degree of suspension tuning you need to 'slide' toward to take advantage of the radial tire and tame the beast on which they ride.  Many shop align to factory specs and give no regard to the radial installed nor for that matter the aggressive driving your newly speed equipped vehicle is going to be driven.  Big big mistake and one you pay for in handling characteristics now established by the wrong specs.  Finding that shop that will align to a set of specs not written, may be hard, here is where a friend in the business is a plus.  The caster is truly your main concern here and with radial tires need to be set positive.  Bias tires balloon while driven at speed and their tire patch actually will thrust toward the rear of the wheel thus effectively adding caster to the axis by displacement.  It is a characteristic of the tire and one that the suspension was actually set up to allow for.  Radial will allow for a little of negative camber where as the bias needed dead on zero.  As this chassis system was truly really advanced when initiated it has built into it the very adjustment limits for you to tune for aggressive driving and radial tires yet if you felt like going back stock you can again establish those values.  However keep in mind that any tuned/aligned suspension is only as good as the components making up the whole...ensure their serviceability first.  Worn king pins, tie rod ends, steering box play...all is going to cause different effects and often varies as the speed increases. 

[James_Douglas]

One of the problems we are seeing here in the San Francisco area is that all of the shops have nothing but modern computerized alignment systems.

 

These systems require that the "rear heads" be on the car or the computer will not work.  There is nothing in their software that allows the tech to turn off that part.  Given the fact that the "rear heads" will not mount on many of the 1940's MOPARS due to the low rear fender sheet metal, this has become a problem for many around here.

 

I have been keeping my eyes out for some original alignment equipment, without much luck. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

One of the problems we are seeing here in the San Francisco area is that all of the shops have nothing but modern computerized alignment systems.

 

These systems require that the "rear heads" be on the car or the computer will not work.  There is nothing in their software that allows the tech to turn off that part.  Given the fact that the "rear heads" will not mount on many of the 1940's MOPARS due to the low rear fender sheet metal, this has become a problem for many around here.

 

I have been keeping my eyes out for some original alignment equipment, without much luck. 

Like time, advances in technology marches on...the modern shop is attuned to the need of the many and not that of the few.  Driving out of the central hub one can often find a smaller town with the older alignment systems still being used.   Some areas have some pretty tight knit old car communities with what one would call a membership garage that their dues go toward the monthly upkeep and rent.  They scour about and find such older serviceable equipment and place it in operation if not to all to use but for a couple well trained members to trade off other work within their community.  For those that have been in the military and been accustomed to the auto hobby shop, such a set up like this is what I refer to.  It is quite expensive and space consuming to try and do this on your own and why the trade off of DIY verse pay to play has to be analyzed at every aspect of the hobby.  I almost have the items I need here at the house to do this alignment on the older cars but it has not been a overnight process nor do I consider myself experienced enough to do my first few without a skilled set of eyes and hands coming behind my work.