That was very informative really appreciate how you explained and showed the basics of checking thrust caster setback toe in With some simple measuring tools a driver can easily determine there tyre distances between each other

I was screaming at the top of my lungs.... you got your measurements wrong... glad you corrected..

Good video. Really helped out with a project I was working on. Since I don't do this everyday, I like the low tech methods of setting the axles correctly. Thanks.

first part of an alignment is checking for worn parts and tire pressure. the first adjustment should be the camber which is done by bending the steer axle and tandems if required. Also, if you have to coast to a stop to get accurate placement of tires, then something is really wrong with some parts.

Prehistoric engineering unfortunately no one in Europe fannies about like this.

When you measure with your string and determine your thrust angle, wouldn't toe in or toe out affect your measurements, what if your steering was off center? How does both sides measure a positive number? Wouldn't this mean too much positive toe on the front drive axle?

I want to do alignments on diesel trucks I have done tow and go’s how hard is it to adjust the camber and toe and driving it on to a machine and are cam bolts necessary

And why would you need to loosen the u bolts? Isn't their shims on the drive axle where the leaf spring meets the frame?

How much does one of those alignments cost? Looks very precise

when done correctly this method is as good as the 100k machine

you should use a QuickTrick system. It's easier for the camber and toe.

Why not showing what bolts to loosen up and the process to move the axle to the proper place. No one so far is showing that process.

You dont loosen the ubolts to move the axle. Thats what thos shims are for. You need to move forward, add a shim. You need to move it back take a shim out.

Yes You right tires first

Wow…ok,I do this daily..a lot of the correct measurements needed are either missing (like rear axel scrub angle) or incorrect (caster and camber (both straight and in corners). “Set back” is the the distance the axel sits in relation to where “average” trucks sit and will not effect your alignment. (Pete 379 or 389 is “set forward” freightliner M2 or kenworth t800 so on is “set back”. Further more,checking worn component’s like tie rod/drag link/king pins and spring bushings is important for safety among other things but also note that you CANNOT change your alignment by loosing ubolts due to things like saddles and centring pins. You will be shimming areas like torque,track rods,spring pins and u bars. Camber straight and turning is designed into the axel (can be changed but takes gear) so caster (forward and rear ward tilt looking sideways) and toe will be the only adjustments you will be making in the front. If the axel has any unsquareness to the frame remove your ubolts and check that your centre bolt isn’t sheared because that’s also a problem. I must say,alignment on a big rig by hand is possible,although difficult..this video is just a little off.

that first meaurement you wrote was way off. check again

Real alignment only works taking the wheels off and going to the spindles with everything level....

The driver side rear tire you measured 32 7/16 but you then just wrote 38 7/16 just saying

Where do you work? I really like how you described the way an alignment should be done?

What if the truck was jackknifed and the frame is off?

Where can we find the shop address?

We want to use this video for a college course in Diesel Engine Technology at Santa Rosa Junior College. Would you please grant us permission to caption the video so it has punctuation and clear sentences? If you turn on Community Contributions in KZfaq, we could add the better captions to these videos. Alternatively, we can send you a corrected caption file that you can upload in KZfaq. One more option is to use a site such as Amara.org that will embed the video and give us an interface to overlay the video with the better caption file. All of these options leave the control in your hands. If you take down the video, it will no longer appear in the course, we will just be embedding from KZfaq, not downloading the video.

please explain camber adjustment

Where is your work shop? What state?

"Zero the protractor on the frame, then..." You flipped the protractor 180*. its no longer zeroed.

Is this guy srs..? Lol 32 7/16” this guy wrote 38 on the driver side lol

This is not how to do alignments. First off ever heard of a trammel bar?? Easy way to check toe. Would be a tape measure, it never lies!!

What joke you use torque arm to Adjust thrust.

I stopped watching when you said 32 7/16 and you wrote 38 7/16. Then the other side you said 32 10/16. It’s 32 5/8 🙄

He didn't check the front axle if it was square in the truck..... Piss poor mechanic

This dude cant even read a tape meassure. Yet alone an alignment.