[Vwdiesel] DIY alignment tips?

[pmdolan@sasktel.net]

The huge advantage with an airplane is that you can establish a level line at the centerline of the wheel - not possible on any car.  Also, since the tires are capable of only a small fraction of the lateral acceleration of a car, it is a lot less critical.

Instead of grease plates, I have some old SnapOn ball bearing wheel pads that were made for their alignment stuff about 50 years ago (I also use the toe bar from that same stuff).  Picked it up at a garage sale about 25 years ago for peanuts.

----- Original Message -----
From: Justin and Chelly Bennett <cjb at midrivers.com>
Date: Sunday, November 6, 2005 3:16 pm
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] DIY alignment tips?

> When we are setting the alignment on a Cessna we park the mains on 
> grease plates.  You take two pieces of sheet metal for each wheel 
> and 
> spread grease between them.  That way when the bird is parked on 
> them 
> the gear will settle out and give a truer measurement.  If I 
> remember 
> correctly, (its been awhile since I have aligned a Cessna) we 
> would park 
> it on the grease plates, lay a straightedge across the front of 
> the 
> tires, then using a large carpenters square between the 
> straightedge and 
> the outside of the tire measure the gap between the square and the 
> leading and trailing edges of the rim.  The m/m gave what the 
> allowable 
> difference was. 
> Justin
> 
> >  To do so, the car must be fully "settled" on the suspension by 
> bouncing it and rolling it back and forth several times.  If you 
> drive the car alone most of the time, sit someone in the driver's 
> seat to do the measurement.   Tire pressures must be correct.  
> Record the deviation from level.
> >
> >  
> >
> 
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