# kojima DIY alignment?



## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

i have been searching around and cant find it.

i remember reading an article where (i think) it was kojima made 2 cardboard toe plates and set the toe useing a measureing tape. im just trying to fine this so i can do it when i install my coilovers so i can drive it back home (i "live" in PA but my friends back in MD are helping me install them) and i can get a free alignment up here in PA at school.


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

are you sure that wasn't from the project 1.6T.. im thought i read something on that with one of mikes previous suspensions.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

psuLemon said:


> are you sure that wasn't from the project 1.6T.. im thought i read something on that with one of mikes previous suspensions.


that may be it. ill thumb threw the pages.


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

pete? said:


> i have been searching around and cant find it.
> 
> i remember reading an article where (i think) it was kojima made 2 cardboard toe plates and set the toe useing a measureing tape. im just trying to fine this so i can do it when i install my coilovers so i can drive it back home (i "live" in PA but my friends back in MD are helping me install them) and i can get a free alignment up here in PA at school.


I wonder if cardboard would be stiff enough for that kind of use. I suppose if you work carefully and make sure that you don't bend the cardboard, you'll be ok.

Anyway, here's what you want to do: 
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1.Take two pieces of stiff cardboard (if you can find something stiffer, use that instead) that are at least as wide as the wheel and about half as tall. 

2. Cut slits near the bottom of the cardboard pieces, going in from the sides. You are going to use these slits to put the tape measures through and measure the toe. Use this picture  as a reference on where the slits should go. Make sure that the slits are in the same place on both sides.

3. Place them up against the outside of each wheel.

4. Take two measuring tapes (metric with 1 mm delimitations or SAE with 1/16 delimitations). Extend them so they will reach across the bottom of the car from one side to the other. Hook the end with the metal clip onto the slits you cut into the cardboard, and tape them in place with duct tape.

5. Take the measuring tapes on the side with the reel and put them through the slits on the plate on the other side of the car.

6. Have a friend lightly press the cardboard against the wheel on one side while you do the same on the other side. Since you're using cardboard, be careful not to let the plates bend. If your tyres bulge out of the bottom of your wheel, you can either press up near the top of the plates or cut holes in the bottom of the cardboard like this.

7. Have whoever is standing on the side with the measuring tape reels pull the tape measures taut and take the measurements for the front and the rear. The difference between the distances on the two tape measures is your total toe (toe for both wheels). If the measuring tape in the front indicates less distance than the one in the rear, you have toe in. If the measuring tape in the rear indicates less distance than the one in the front, you have toe out.

The B14 FSM recommends between 0 mm to 4 mm of toe in with 2 mm being the "nominal" figure. If you're using SAE tape measures, that's 0 in to 0.16 in (you can shoot for roughly 1/16" toe in for "nominal" toe-in). 

8. If you find that your alignment is way off, you're going to have to jack up your car, and get underneath the front fenders, right behind the front control arms. You want to find the outer tie rod ends, since that's what you're going to be playing with to fix the alignment. Loosen the tie rod lock nut on the inside of the outer tie rod end with a 19mm wrench and lots of PB Blaster. 

9. When you get the lock nut loose, put a 13mm wrench on the portion of the tie rod where the thread ends. Turning the tie rod will increase and decrease the length of the rod, and therefore your alignment. Remember that increasing the length of the tie rod will give you more toe in. Decreasing the length of the tie rod will give you more toe out. Make sure that you adjust both sides equally, or you'll screw up the centering of your steering wheel (which isn't hard to fix, but it involves more playing with the tie rods).

10. When you have the tie rod where you want it, tighten the tie rod lock nut back up with your 19mm wrench, and lower the car. Repeat from step 3 until your toe is set correctly.

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As you can see, it's a very long and tedious process. You can practice measuring your toe now while your car is still together to get used to the measuring process. 

You might want to consider springing for some metal toe plates though. A lot of manufacturers make them, and the cheaper ones only cost around $60, with the tape measures included. It may save you some frustration in the short run, and you can save yourself more money in the long run by doing your own alignments in the future.


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

or do what I did....
fabricate some brackets that mount in invisible spots under the bumpers, then bolt some rods approx 7ft long on either end. make sure they are both the same length and extend out from the car the same on both sides and ends....

now tie a loop in the end of a string and string it down the side of the car, from bar to bar.. make sure you get both sides parallel and the bar centered on the car, or you will wind up FUBARING the entire alignment.
(assuming your car has the same track width front and rear, you can simply measure the distance to the center cap of each wheel to check for straightness.. also check and make sure the distance between strings on each bar is the same.)

once you've got the strings perfectly square and spaced on each corner, mark the position of the strings, and/or file a notch into the bar so the string will simply rest in the notch. (this provides for an almost instant setup later.)

now that all of that is done, you can simply measure the distance from the string to the sidewall of the tire.. be very careful not to move the string while you're taking the measurements.. 

adjustment of the alignment is of course the same for the method that ReVerm talked about, but the numbers will be backwards. (If you have less distance from the string to the front of the wheel, then you have toe out. If it's less distance to the back of the wheel, you have toe in.)

Generally, I just set them for zero toe so that everything rides straight forward. this gives you the least tire wear overall and is generally fine for most uses.. for auto X, you want a small amount of toe out to help the car turn sharper corners and better turn-in feel. the problem is that it makes the car twitchy at high speeds. for road course use, you generally set toe to zero.

I've used this method for a while now.. takes me maybe 2 minutes to bolt the bars up to the car, since the mounting brackets stay bolted under the bumper. I then just take the bars with the pre-drilled holes and screw them into the brackets. pull the strings down the side of the car and it's ready to go. easy 1-person alignment. 


Keep in mind, neither of these methods substitute for a professional computer alignment on a car with independent suspension, but will get you close enough to drive home on your new coilvoers so you don't wear out the tires.


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

One more thought.....

As you're making these measurements, be sure to set the car on the ground and roll it back and forth at least a few feet after having the car jacked up. because of the arcs of travel on the suspension arms, there will be quite a bind in the suspension and usually the car will sit about 3/4" higher, toe and camber will be off, and you can usually see the sidewalls of your tires flexed in... It will be like this until you roll the car back and forth a few feet and the car will settle into place because of the give in the sidewalls..
only after doing that should you take any measurements..


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

ReVerm said:


> You might want to consider springing for some metal toe plates though. A lot of manufacturers make them, and the cheaper ones only cost around $60, with the tape measures included. It may save you some frustration in the short run, and you can save yourself more money in the long run by doing your own alignments in the future.


i have 2 dimond plate floor mats for my b14 that are sitting in my garage, ill just cut those the same size and cut notches into those....should work enough to get my cars alignment good enough to drive around on for a few weeks, i have new tires to put on so i can jack these tires up i dont quite care.

thanks for the info guys. i hope this serves as a good resource for someone else in the future.


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## 98sr20ve (Oct 6, 2002)

Matt93SE said:


> Keep in mind, neither of these methods substitute for a professional computer alignment on a car with independent suspension, but will get you close enough to drive home on your new coilvoers so you don't wear out the tires.


Actually, if your bars are 100% the same front to rear and you have them perfectly centered front to back your method is excellent. In fact I would argue it's better. Alignment machines are only so good on a nissan. They all measure from the wheel, most wheels are not perfectly straight. Most shops never check for this. It's easy with a tape measure to just roll the car 180 degrees and get a median measurement using tapes. BMW/Mercedes measure from the hub to avoid this problem.


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

All of the shops that I go to use hunter DSP alignment systems, and the first thing they do is turn on the sensor and spin the wheel a full turn to compensate for any bends or misalignment in the wheel.

the simple drive-on racks with toe plates built into them are a different story. they still work, but take more experience in learning how to do an alignment properly.

Anymore, it's as simple as hooking up the sensors to the wheels and adjusting the tie rods until they're in spec. Hell, if I had the rack and equipment, I could do them myself in about 10-15 minutes.
$75 for that.. bah.


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

Matt93SE said:


> $75 for that.. bah.


Haha. They have to recoup that initial investment somewhere.

Just one bit of advice to other members out there who may be considering doing their own alignments, if you have the time and resources, go with the method that Matt described. Yes, it's more work initially and the setup isn't as portable as a set of plates, but it is more accurate and will save you time in the long run. 

You can also make little "adapters" for it later on down the line too. Take a few extra rods and a couple U joints / T joints and you have a bump steer gauge. Add a decent level to that and you have a camber gauge.

I'm not saying that camber plates aren't worth the money (they are. I love my longacre plates). It's just that there's a good deal more you can get out of a little more time and a few more trips to the hardware store.


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