More Alignment Questions - At Home Method

Robinjo

Goblin Guru
I got a couple more questions about doing alignments at home. My mostly used condition is spirited street driving with possibly an autocross or 2 a year. I'm doing the string alignment method at home as well. I could have access to an actual alignment rack at work from time to time as well, but that depends on the R&D shops workload and mine as well.

Questions
1. Is an iPhone level app good enough for camber measurements? Yes, but a more precise unit is desirable if needing to dial the camber in to precise numbers.
2. How is everyone adjusting Caster in the front?
3. Just for a sanity check, the Toe: +0.15 degrees (0.15 degree = 9 minutes of arc) --> 1.25mm, is that per wheel or overall? So, would I be looking for 1.25mm per wheel or 0.75 per wheel? I'm not measuring across the whole front, I'm measuring at the front and back of each wheel (see image) getting the delta of A-B and also delta X-Y independently. I do this for all 4 wheels, but just talking in the front will also translate the method to the rear. The 1.25mm is per wheel if using the method in the video listed.

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Video Methods for future users:

Edited with information addressed.
 

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Desert Sasqwatch

Goblin Guru
The front camber at -1.5 degrees is a little steep. -0.5 to -1.0 would be best for street driving. The rest of the settings, both front and rear look okay.
 

Ross

Goblin Guru
I bought a Magnetic Digital Angle Gauge that can measure up to 0.2 of a degree,
which I used for caster and camber. It is also useful for setting table saw blade angles, and a general tool for the shop.
Be sure to check your front tire width vs rear tire width if you are using a string to set the toe in. They probably aren't the same width, so your string will already have some angle in it. I use -0.5 for camber.
 

Robinjo

Goblin Guru
Be sure to check your front tire width vs rear tire width if you are using a string to set the toe in. They probably aren't the same width, so your string will already have some angle in it. I use -0.5 for camber.
The front and rear are different widths across, but I get an exact number on the distance from the center to the string on the front and also an equal distance from center to string on the rear. So for example: Front gets say 90mm Right and 90mm Left; and then Rear 95mm Right and 95mm Left from the center to the string.

Anyone have a comment on #3? That's my main question in this one.
3. Just for a sanity check, the Toe: +0.15 degrees (0.15 degree = 9 minutes of arc) --> 1.25mm, is that per wheel or overall? So, would I be looking for 1.25mm per wheel or 0.75 per wheel? I'm not measuring across the whole front, I'm measuring at the front and back of each wheel (see image) getting the delta of A-B and also delta X-Y independently. I do this for all 4 wheels, but just talking in the front will also translate the method to the rear.
 

Ross

Goblin Guru
Anyone have a comment on #3? That's my main question in this one.
3. Just for a sanity check, the Toe: +0.15 degrees (0.15 degree = 9 minutes of arc) --> 1.25mm, is that per wheel or overall? So, would I be looking for 1.25mm per wheel or 0.75 per wheel? I'm not measuring across the whole front, I'm measuring at the front and back of each wheel (see image) getting the delta of A-B and also delta X-Y independently. I do this for all 4 wheels, but just talking in the front will also translate the method to the rear.
That is per wheel... so a wheel is 26", and a 1/16" (1.5mm) of toe in per wheel is about right. Some people go as high as 1/8" (3mm).
 

Goblinfanclub1234

Well-Known Member
did anyone else add these camber bolts to the rear coil overs??

I see a lot of finished goblins with some pretty terrible rear camber out there.

38185
 

Gtstorey

Goblin Guru
You really want to calculate your toe based upon measuring on the wheel rim, especially when doing the string method. That gives you something consistent to measure against.
 

Robinjo

Goblin Guru
You really want to calculate your toe based upon measuring on the wheel rim, especially when doing the string method. That gives you something consistent to measure against.
Oh yeah, I do. The setup part needs to be at the center of the wheel to get a consistent point of reference for adjusting the string distance.
 

Rttoys

Goblin Guru
did anyone else add these camber bolts to the rear coil overs??

I see a lot of finished goblins with some pretty terrible rear camber out there.

View attachment 38185
I had them and took them off. They kept moving under extreme conditions at autocross and I even tightened them to a point I figured they would snap. I Only got it to move a little bit anyways, so went back to stock bolts.
 

Rttoys

Goblin Guru
Like may here. A cheap digital angle gauge (like Ross posted) and toe plates can do everything. I have a couple of different setups because I change my alignment and settings all the time.
 

Goblinfanclub1234

Well-Known Member
I had them and took them off. They kept moving under extreme conditions at autocross and I even tightened them to a point I figured they would snap. I Only got it to move a little bit anyways, so went back to stock bolts.
maybe a redesigned adjustable top plate for the coil overs to bolt to is needed? I thought I saw somewhere that someone made these for their goblin.
 

Rttoys

Goblin Guru
maybe a redesigned adjustable top plate for the coil overs to bolt to is needed? I thought I saw somewhere that someone made these for their goblin.
Mine landed right around -1.2ish on each side. The little wiggle room between all the mounting points I could adjust it enough to make them equal around -1.4. So far, it seems like a good setting. I use all the rear tires at autocross.
 

Gtstorey

Goblin Guru
maybe a redesigned adjustable top plate for the coil overs to bolt to is needed? I thought I saw somewhere that someone made these for their goblin.
There have been some ideas thrown out to make the top plate adjustable but no one has followed through that I’m aware of.
 
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