Date:         Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:13:15 -0800
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Subject:      Regarding alignment..
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

  For a quick and dirty alignment, it's easy to do yourself with no special
tools.  At least getting the wheels pointed correctly.

  Here's how I did it at the racetrack on my previous ride:  Get a couple of
straight pieces of particle board (or equivalent)  Make em about 8 or 10
inches wide and  a little longer than the diameter of your tires.  put a few
holes for bungee cords..these will go around behind the tire or into the
wheel spokes or wherever you can to hold the boards against the wheel, on
edge, with the center of the board's length in line with the hub's center.
You may have to space the board out with some blocks so that it clears the
tire and only contacts the wheel rim..Make sure the board is laying flat
against the wheel, one on each rim..
  Then just measure across the vehicle under, by hooking a tape on the board
across the van and measuring to the other board..Do this in front of the
tire, then behind and you have found out your Toe In or Toe out.(the
difference between the board ends as measured  in front vs rear)..adjust the
tie rod(s) and you can bring the toe to where it needs to be...

The other settings, like caster and camber...dunno on a vanagon, haven't
done mine yet.
 But the toe in, you could do in about 20 minutes..When you make an
adjustment to the tie rods, you must roll the van forward and back to allow
the wheels to relax into their new alignment.  Toe in/out seems the most
important in how the vehicle steers and how the tires wear.  You'll probably
find the factory specs in the Bently book.  It is not rocket science,
despite how they make it look at the fancy shops with all those lasers and
mirrors and racks, etc...Many racers do it with strings and stuff and get
remarkably good results...in fact, I preferred to do my whole P-car rather
than have a shop do it. A very slight change in the alignment really
affected the handling..Learning the "art" of suspension  was quite
interesting and rewarding.
  Don Hanson