Date:         Thu, 8 May 2008 22:38:35 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Subject:      DIY alignments
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

  I've done my own alignments very often.  It's a bit complex to explain via
the computer.  I have never aligned a Vanagon, though, only various
Porsches.

  The main thing about suspension  and alignment adjustments is to remember
that things are interdependent.  The suspension and the alignment are
"dynamic" in that the alignment changes as the suspension moves, so your
settings are a compromise and they are dependent on factors like vehicle
load, tire size, etc.  Your other alignment settings also may change as you
alter one thing..  For instance, changing your camber will cause the toe and
the caster to change some also.
  Without some research and experience, I won't attempt to advise you on a
vanagon's alignment.  On my Porsche racer, I changed the alignment often,
sometimes two or three times per day, looking for the best combo of tire
adhesion (traction).

  I use, very briefly, a pair of strings and a 'smart level' to adjust toe
and camber.  I let the caster alone.  A 'smart level' is simply an
inexpensive  digital  carpenters level capable of .00 degrees of  accuracy.
With a pair of spacer blocks taped onto the level, you can read your
vehicles camber by placing the level onto each wheel, with the spacer blocks
contacting only the rims.  With the strings set up on each side of the
vehicle (some racers use fancy fixtures, I used a pair of sawhorses or some
jackstands) at an equal distance and parallel to the vehicle centerline, you
can read the toe by measuring in from the string to the wheels.  I had a
nice straight board, about 12" tall and a little longer than the diameter of
the tires.  I could clamp the board so it contacted the rims and then
measure front and rear from the boards to the strings..giving me my toe..
Quick and dirty, you could put a board across each (front or rear) side of
the car and measure under from board to board across the vehicle for your
total toe.

.On my racecar, I often ran about 1/4" of total toe out on the front...about
1/8" toe in at the rear.  I ran about 4.5 degrees negative front camber and
about 4 neg at the rear...changing all the settings to maximize the handling
for each track as I learned the car's behavior, and the tire temps dictated.
I kept logs of my tire temps to help me with which way the wheels were
working best...You would strive for the most equal tire temps across the
whole 12.5" wide soft slick Goodyear race tire, and fairly equal temps front
compared to rear.  My "Numbers", since I kept my own logs, didn't make much
sense to anyone else or necessarily read "true" but as long as I faithfully
repeated the measuring and alignment procedures, I learned how much to
change each of MY numbers to create the effect I needed.
   For example...If my front tires were 40 or 50 degrees hotter on the
outside edge and the car was "plowing" or "pushing" after my first session
on a new track,  I might add 1/2 degree more negative front camber and lower
the rear of the car and dial in some more rear wing angle..Then go out and
do a few laps and repeat the tire temp readings..Probably (hopefully)
finding it much better..

  As you can see, a bit complicated, but with some practice, any careful DIY
guy should do at least as well as sears or midas...I see by your numbers
that Vanagons are speced for lots of caster  (makes sense with such a short
wheel base and the long boxy shape of the body)..caster is.the amount the
contact patch trails behind the steering pivot point of the wheel...You seem
to have a bit less than spec and I would guess your van steers a bit more
quickly than intended and may track somewhat less well than it could.  I
plan on checking my caster when I get to it and to put in more than I have
now...most likey...to 'slow down' the wandering tendency of my van in side
winds...Might help some anyhow..

  That probably confuses the he** out of you.. As I said..a bit difficult to
explain..easier in real life with everything there to show..
  Don Hanson

 Date:    Thu, 8 May 2008 19:36:19 -0400
From:    pickle vanagon <greenvanagon@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: DIY alignment? (Also, alignment numbers)

Alignments are the one thing I find myself taking a vanagon to a shop for.
I would love to find a way to do a good job at them myself.  Does anybody
have good "backyard mechanic" ways of doing their alignments?

While I'm at it, let me throw out the numbers that came back from my Sears
alignment today, in case anybody wants to comment.  They only ended up doing
a toe adjustment.  I note that several parameters are still out of specified
ranges.  What should I think about this?

Thanks!
Wes
'83 1.9l westy