Alignment suggestions

[hyper7]

Hey all, as many of you know I finished up my build last fall and have been out a handful of times in my 420S, which is fantastic.  I was thinking about it recently and realized I probably need to do an alignment to make sure everything is set properly and won't destroy my tires.

 

Ive never done string alignment, but kinda know the theory behind it - is something like this worth it for better results?

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/qta-416436

 

Or can I just take it to any local shop to have it laser aligned?  I couldn't find any specialty shops around here (East side of Cleveland, Ohio) and don't know how much to trust normal shops...

 

 

[fastg]

Check with your local track/ autocross crowd, they will know if there is a friendly alignment shop in the area. When I was in Chicago it was Abe and Docs in Batavia, I grease grimy place, but there was always a few interesting cars around. The owner loved doing something different 

[hyper7]

I found a place through a car Facebook friend I'll check out - "oddball motor works" sounds right up our alley.

[Marek]

One easy and accurate option is to align your Seven with a basic set of plates and tapes.

 

For $35 you can find something like:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/114130836633

[hyper7]

9 minutes ago, Marek said:

One easy and accurate option is to align your Seven with a basic set of plates and tapes.

 

For $35 you can find something like:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/114130836633

Do those work ok?  Reviews I saw online were kinda hit or miss

[Marek]

I have this exact one. It measured out square, flat, and straight and has been repeatable and accurate for me. If ordering one, I would check it before relying on it.

 

Now stringing a car or using plates, regardless of the tools you use, does depend more on the attention to detail of the user than an automated rack.  My own opinion is the reviews are probably more a comment on the users and their cars than the plates.

 

I've been stringing cars under various professional conditions for a long time, so my confidence might be higher than for some; but the technique is simple to learn. Most importantly, adjust the tips on the plates such that the plate is square to the wheel and they don't move between measurements.  Make sure your measurements are repeatable.

[CBuff]

I know a few folks were talking about this. Have not used it or had any direct feedback.  But the reviews etc seem positive. 
 

https://gyraline.com/products/the-case?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAA9-yhqQI4TNRFN1itT7ASakSLigvK&gclid=Cj0KCQjwkN--BhDkARIsAD_mnIqf9c4dwpVIqPf3JkJyypZ7CsfQ1kRdnpNlVBIJyIKoy9qTirk-d1kaAoT7EALw_wcB

[wdb]

The tapes on the front wheels tell you about the front wheels. String alignment tells you about the entire chassis. Here’s an FCP Euro video that I found super helpful. 
 

 

[hyper7]

Thanks, that's a great video.  I'll start with just PVC and strings and see where I get 😎

[bball7754]

I purchased this kit a few months ago, and just used it to do an alignment on my Mallock.  A bit fiddly, and I had to get a bit creative to hang it on the Mallock, but it worked.

 

https://calipergarage.com

 

 

[wdb]

11 hours ago, bball7754 said:

I purchased this kit a few months ago, and just used it to do an alignment on my Mallock.  A bit fiddly, and I had to get a bit creative to hang it on the Mallock, but it worked.

 

https://calipergarage.com

 

 

 

That's the rig I've been looking at too. Seems like a lot of bang for the buck, and it has to be better than the jackstands-and-PVC scenario I'm dealing with currently. How do you like it?

[Vovchandr]

No affiliation but I saw an ad for this and haven't researched it 

 

Seems like a good way to utilize a high powered PC with great sensors that we all own

 

Use your phone for alignment 

 

https://gyraline.com/products/the-case?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1um-BhDtARIsABjU5x7Itf9heo29ZtnfJq-EOVSSII_M5ecES_94E0s2t54_iOui9bMaI9gaAtugEALw_wcB

[bball7754]

9 hours ago, wdb said:

 

That's the rig I've been looking at too. Seems like a lot of bang for the buck, and it has to be better than the jackstands-and-PVC scenario I'm dealing with currently. How do you like it?

TBH, this is my first foray into doing my own alignment, so I have no comparison product or experience.

 

But once I figured out how to arrange it on the Mallock, I thought it worked well.  With the live axle, I only had to align the front.  I used two garbage bags under the front tires to make the adjustments easy, and that also worked well.

 

It’s made for 3/4” pipe, but I went cheap and used 1/2”, which I’d read also worked fine.  And it did, although I may yet “upgrade” to 3/4”.

 

Not a huge investment, and overall I’m pleased and satisfied.

 

[Slonie]

12 hours ago, Vovchandr said:

No affiliation but I saw an ad for this and haven't researched it 

 

Seems like a good way to utilize a high powered PC with great sensors that we all own

 

Use your phone for alignment 

 

https://gyraline.com/products/the-case?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1um-BhDtARIsABjU5x7Itf9heo29ZtnfJq-EOVSSII_M5ecES_94E0s2t54_iOui9bMaI9gaAtugEALw_wcB

 

I got an ad for this too and was intrigued, almost enough to try it out (reviews on the iOS app seem pretty good too, with a hopefully more objective source than the website itself). The app is free to download and comes with demo mode, but I assume the accuracy won't be any good without their fixture (but I suppose one could make something similar to try it out before you buy)

[Marek]

Another simple option for turning plates (to make the front wheels turn easily) is a square of linoleum (or other tile) lubricated with a spray bottle of soapy water.

[FE07]

Two sheets of thin aluminum with some bearing grease between them works well.  Just make sure the aluminum is wide enough for the front tires.

 

Jim

[CarlB]

I have a Gyraline but haven't used it yet. I will respond here when I get my engine back in the car and on the ground. The toe plates mentioned above work and they are much easier to use than stringing the car. Getting accurate measurements stringing a car requires very careful measurements. The ruler you use to measure from the wheel to the string needs to be level is one of those things people do not typically know. You are trying to work to small measurements. If you use toe plates or strings you need to make sure the steering rack is in the middle if its travel. If you use toe plates you need to make sure the tie rods are both the same length.   

[hyper7]

I'm planning on picking up some PVC and whatnot that @wdb showed in the video they linked, hopefully that'll be a start, and then maybe pick up some of the plates/etc if I think this is something I'll do again.  

 

I'm kinda thinking I might just end up at the shop I found and hope they are competent....

[anduril3019]

37 minutes ago, CarlB said:

I have a Gyraline but haven't used it yet. I will respond here when I get my engine back in the car and on the ground.

Same here! It will be a while before I can use mine, but looking forward to comparing notes with others.

 

On 3/20/2025 at 12:56 AM, Slonie said:

The app is free to download and comes with demo mode, but I assume the accuracy won't be any good without their fixture

The fixture is basically just a way to get consistent readings on either side of your phone without button interference. Something similar could be made pretty easily, but I decided to give their fixture a try.

 

34 minutes ago, hyper7 said:

I'm planning on picking up some PVC and whatnot...

I'd suggest steel conduit or aluminum tube. PVC is too flexible, it makes it hard to get your string tight enough.

[wdb]

9 minutes ago, anduril3019 said:

 

I'd suggest steel conduit or aluminum tube. PVC is too flexible, it makes it hard to get your string tight enough.

 

 

This is not a bad suggestion.