Now that I am not trying to post from my phone (It refreshes the page any time I try to upload a picture...)

This is my set up. Made from 2x10 and 2x12, along with decking screws, some hard board and grease for slip plates/leveling, pvc pipe, string, tape measure, and a Racer Parts Wholesale caster/camber gauge. Whole thing ended up being about $120 to set up.

 

I have the SmartStrings rig that is similar to the PVC arrangement x_25 fabricated. It works pretty well but it takes about 5x time to set it up as it does to do the alignment adjustments. I did my own alignment had it checked my an actual expert and I was spot on.

Toe plates work nicely for minor adjustments but you have to be very careful to make the exact adjustments on both sides to avoid getting things off center thereby goofing up the thrust angle. That is the advantage of the string method. You do the alignment based on the true center of the car, assuming you get the strings right ;-)

The various camber gauges all work on the same principal and seem to work well as long as they reference the rim and not the tire.

I've been doing homebrew alignments on a C4 Corvette for the last few years. With the clamshell hood, I was able to access all the alignment adjusters with the car on the ground. With the Miata, I will need to fab some stands.

 

How do you make adjustments to get your car level? I want to get into doing my own alignments, but my garage floor slopes to a drain in the center, making leveling the car difficult. I like Hamerly's setup, but I don't have a welder. (or very much fabrication skill for that matter)

 

Is there a local circle/small track? Ask those guys where they take their cars. Theres somone by me that has a full alignment rack in the barn, just above his cows...

 

/reseach

 

Just pieces of hard board. It is 1/8" thick, that will get you close enough.

 

this is a repost of an old thread I tried to start last fall. I was playing around with DIY alignments, and found an interesting shortcut:

I’ve​ ​been​ ​playing​ ​around​ ​with​ ​my​ ​alignment​ ​lately.​ ​As​ ​anyone​ ​who​ ​has​ ​fiddled​ ​with​ ​their​ ​alignment knows,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​use​ ​the​ ​Pythagorean​ ​theorem​ ​to​ ​calculate​ ​your​ ​toe​ ​or​ ​camber​ ​pretty​ ​easily​ ​by comparing​ ​your​ ​wheel​ ​to​ ​a​ ​straight​ ​reference.​ ​I’ve​ ​been​ ​using​ ​the​ ​string​ ​method​ ​and​ ​a​ ​carpenter's square​ ​as​ ​my​ ​references.​ ​I​ ​found​ ​it​ ​annoying​ ​to​ ​have​ ​to​ ​calculate​ ​the​ ​angle​ ​every​ ​time​ ​I​ ​made measurements,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​got​ ​me​ ​thinking:​ ​what​ ​is​ ​the​ ​optimal​ ​hypotenuse​ ​length​ ​(e.g.,​ ​the​ ​diameter​ ​of your​ ​wheel,​ ​or​ ​length​ ​of​ ​your​ ​alignment​ ​stick)​ ​to​ ​get​ ​a​ ​10:1​ ​ratio​ ​between​ ​changes​ ​in​ ​distance between​ ​your​ ​reference​ ​&​ ​wheel,​ ​and​ ​changes​ ​to​ ​your​ ​alignment​ ​in​ ​degrees? It​ ​turns​ ​out​ ​the​ ​optimal​ ​length​ ​for​ ​an​ ​alignment​ ​stick​ ​is​ ​just​ ​about​ ​exactly​ ​573mm,​ ​or​ ​22​ ​9/16”.​ ​With an​ ​alignment​ ​stick​ ​this​ ​length,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​move​ ​the​ ​top​ ​of​ ​your​ ​stick​ ​inboard​ ​1mm​ ​from​ ​the​ ​reference, and​ ​it​ ​will​ ​lower​ ​your​ ​camber​ ​by​ ​.1°.​ ​​ ​Here’s​ ​where​ ​it​ ​gets​ ​funky:​ ​the​ ​OD’s​ ​of​ ​our​ ​more​ ​common wheel/tire​ ​combos​ ​are​ ​very​ ​close​ ​to​ ​this​ ​number:

195/50/15​ ​on​ ​15x7’s​ ​=​ ​576mm

205/50/15​ ​on​ ​15x8​ ​=​ ​586mm

225/45/15​ ​on​ ​15x9​ ​=​ ​583mm

All​ ​three​ ​of​ ​these​ ​will​ ​get​ ​you​ ​within​ ​a​ ​gnat’s​ ​***​ ​of​ ​.1°​ ​change​ ​in​ ​alignment​ ​for​ ​every​ ​1mm​ ​of movement​ ​at​ ​the​ ​outside​ ​edge​ ​of​ ​the​ ​tire. Now​ ​obviously​ ​this​ ​doesn’t​ ​take​ ​into​ ​consideration​ ​sidewall​ ​deflection,​ ​tire​ ​inflation,​ ​tire​ ​wear,​ ​or any​ ​number​ ​of​ ​other​ ​factors.


I​ ​don’t​ ​know​ ​if​ ​this​ ​is​ ​common​ ​knowledge,​ ​but​ ​I​ ​thought​ ​it​ ​was​ ​worth​ ​sharing.

 

I am now looking at those FM hub stands.

 

I use vinyl floor tiles and a 6 foot level to get the car level. Put the shiny sides together with some grease between on the last two tiles and the tires will slide around to facilitate the alignment.