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At-Home Alignment Made Easy

Set Camber and Toe with Tools at Home
Photography by Marlan Davis
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1. This Old House—not! All that’s needed to set toe and camber is a 2x4 board with a slightly angled nail driven into one end, a tape measure, and a carpenter’s level. The board performs two functions: It acts as a base for the level and (with the nail) also serves as a scribe.

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2. The 2x4 must fit snugly between the wheel’s inner rim lips. Measure the maximum width between the lips (17 3/4 inches here) and saw the board to match.

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3. Check the camber first. Place the cut-to-length board in place between the wheel lips, and hold the level against the board as shown.

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4. Zero camber will get the car safely to the alignment shop without tire wear. You have zero camber when the level’s bubble is, well…level (centered between the marks).

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5. On most traditional American cars with upper and lower A-arms, camber (as well as caster) adjustments are made with shims inserted between the upper-control-arm shaft and the frame bracket. On a newly built suspension, start with two 1/8-inch shims per side. For cars that don’t use shims, check a service manual to determine how to make the adjustments.

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6. Add or subtract shims equally to change camber. If the pivot shaft is inboard of the frame as shown here, subtracting shims moves the tire outboard (positive camber). The reverse is true if the pivot shaft is outboard of the frame.

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7. Before setting toe, make sure each side’s inner-to-outer tie-rod assembly length is the same. The inner and outer tie-rod zerk fittings are a handy reference point for taking measurements. Turn the adjusting sleeves as needed to equalize the lengths.

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8. Jack the front end off the ground. Position the 2x4 so the nail contacts the center of a front tire, then rotate the tire until the nail scribes a line around its entire circumference. Repeat for the other front tire. Lower the car to the ground. Make sure the wheels are facing straight ahead and the steering wheel is centered.

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9. Measure the distance between the scribe lines at the front of the tires and at the rear (have a friend hold one end of the tape measure). To minimize tire wear and add stability, shoot for 1/16-inch toe-in (the front measurement should be 1/16-inch less than the rear).

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10. Change toe by loosening the tie-rod-sleeve nuts and rotating the sleeves. Lengthen or shorten each tie-rod assembly equally to keep the steering wheel centered. When the tie rods mount behind the steering knuckle (as on this first-generation Camaro), increasing their length increases toe-in. When the tie rods mount in front of the knuckle, decreasing their length increases toe-in.


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