In addition to this, you need a set of four pizza pans set under the front wheels. I didn't photo them, but most everyone knows what aluminum pizza pans look like. Layers of news paper or two sheets of hardboard under the tires will let them spin free for these checks. Put a bunch of grease between the pizza pans. Raise the car on each side, slip the pans under the front tires and lower the car down. Or buy tome turntables on ebay for $175.
The caster/camber gauge shown will help you set caster and camber, through the front upper control arm shim pack. You can buy shims from autozone or others, but expect to order a $10 package since they won't have them in stock. You cannot set caster and camber without altering this shim pack. You move shims from front to back or vise versa to set caster on each side. You add or subtract shims from the front or rear pack for the side you're adjusting to alter camber. When caster/camber is right on both sides, you set toe. I've not had any alignment shop turn the bolts to access these shim pack in decades. They turn the car back with excuses and estimates, so in disgust, I figured out the DIY method. Shops turn the car back with "out of spec" documented on the alignment print-out and advise it's good enough or it's an old car and "we can't fix it because its old crap". Utter BS when they didn't even try. I'll bet many of these shops don't even have these older shims on hand. It's like McDonalds not having fries.
You can measure toe with various methods. A home made bar, with metal pointers will work. I think Jim described that a few weeks back. Just measure behind and in front of the tires with your trammel gauge. Even a 2x4 and plywood is enough to construct such a gauge. Spin the tire and scribe a line around the tread.
I use laser levels to project a line referenced the rim to the front and rear wall of the garage. Some high school trig tells me the exact numbers. To set toe, turn each tie rod sleeve opposite directions, the same amount. To set "clear view", turn both sleeves exactly the same amount and the same direction. That adjustment will center the steering for the spokes to align with the car riding straight on level road. I think they call it "clear view" because it gives clear view of the odometer through the air bag containing steering wheels when it's set right on new cars. A correct setting would set the car heading straight with the wheel straigh, or just slightly to the right side of the road for safety. Some specs call for slightly extra caster on one side to encourage the car to drift away from oncomming traffic.
If you DIY, you can shoot for handling specs. That would mean higher caster than stock and as much or at least 1/2 to 1 degree of negative camber. You may not get such settings from a shop, even if they will make the adjustment, becausue it's not specs. Original specs are for bias ply tires.
I don't save any labor hours with DIY; it takes half a day to DIY a good alignment. But I've not found any shops who ever set caster and camber for me. They turn the car keys back to me with rusty bolts on the upper shim pack or on the upper strut tower. They all wanna "set the toe and let her go". Long explanations of high costs, bent crap and can't do this to specs follow the return of my car where they didn't even try to set things up.
You can set the toe at home with lots of methods, including string alignment which is well documented on the net.
One thing is for sure... If you set it up and measure things, then drive it around the block, it should read the same as when you started. If not, you have worn out parts somewhere.
It's not always easy to locate worn parts, but prying, hammering , supporting the lower arm while pulling on the tire and looking while a buddy pulls on the wheel helps. A drive around and rechecking alignment helps too.
I'm a strong believer in DIY for alighment, not because of the cost savings, but because of the chance it affords you to get it aligned right on. You also get a chance to try more camber for handling or more caster for better high speed stability. These numbers are not fixed in concrete, the depend on what you want for handling.
