Initial alignment

[dal2.0litrefrogeye]

Going to set up my alignment this weekend ie tracking . Camber and caster , intending initially to use settings from my old Haynes manual, but does anyone know of a better place to get the info from ...... or know some other settings ? I will once it's on road get a propper four wheel alignment with corner weighting set up too , Cheers for any ideas

[mister mitch]

Assuming you have a 6 cylinder E...then in laymen's terms you want to tilt the top of the front wheels as far in as you can get...being equal on both sides AND you want "toe to be straight. And thrust angle or caster is beyond our ability...tho eye balling it will probable do...
One of the gifts of these E's...they are really easy to align yourself...that is, if the bonnet is off. The reason is...with the bonnet off you have ready access to the flat surface of the front rotors....this and something straight... like square tubing...say 1/4 inch...a 20 foot section is maybe $20 for 20 feet...cut in half and 4 needle nose vise grips (item # 63871 HarborFreight.com)...SOME IMAGINATION....you can align the E your self....
Take one section of your "10 foot" straight piece and attach it to the flat surface of the rotor with 2 vice grips....running forward and "aft"..............start measuring your TOE in or out for and aft...
Next....attach your straight piece (1/4 square tubing) running vertically (straight up and down) thus allowing you to measure camber or "tilt in".....
You can also "parallel" your thrust angle (castor)...takes some imagination....and set this too....

Just a "yanks" idea...you know what...lots of money to spend elsewhere....and the alignment machine..whell..

Mitch

[mgcjag]

As yours is a specialist build the manual is a reasonable place to start re settings....for castor a basic initial setting would be to wind the upper fulcrum shaft so that you have approx 1/2in of thread showing between the wishbone and picture frame.... Steve

[dal2.0litrefrogeye]

Cheers for advice .
Mr Mitch, why is the setting caster " beyond our ability "??? Cheers for any ideas

[chrisfell]

Cheers for advice .
Mr Mitch, why is the setting caster " beyond our ability "??? Cheers for any ideas

Not problem. A gauge is easily made....



Then it is simply a matter of accurate measuring, elementary mathematics and a spanner to bring the castor angle into spec.