4 wheel alignment - 7 easy steps - Professional Motor Mechanic

PRE-PROCEDURE NOTES:
You must measure the rear of the car, as well as the front, because both axles interact with each other. If this isn’t carried out the tell-tale sign will be the steering wheel, which will not be centred. Turn plates must be used on all wheels that need adjusting and carrying out the procedure set out in the following picture sequence is the correct format to work to.

The adjustment procedure for wheel alignment is as follows: Start at the rear, adjust Camber (optional gauge required) and adjust Toe. Move to the front wheels, adjust Castor, adjust Camber and finally front Toe.

Providing all the adjusters are moving freely, a full four wheel measurement and adjustment can be carried out in 15 minutes. Cars with a fixed axle can’t be adjusted for rear Toe, however thrust angle compensation can be carried out using the correct procedure.

STEP 1:
Lock the steering wheel in the straight ahead position and apply the brake pedal depressor if measuring Castor/Camber (optional gauge required).

STEP 2:
Fit the measuring heads to the rear wheels and the centre line scales to the front wheels. Switch on the lasers.

STEP 3:
The number that the laser line hits the scales should read the same on both scales. If they are different the rear Toe will need adjusting in order to correct any thrust angle deviation.

STEP 4:
Read the Toe scales to calculate the rear Toe, remembering that as the heads are reversed the reading will read the opposite way. Therefore ‘Toe-in’ will now become ‘Toe-out’ etc. Adjust the rear axle to the correct settings and finish with the two centre line scales reading the same. Rear adjustment is now finished.

STEP 5:
Fit the measuring heads to the front wheels and fit the centre line scales to the rear wheels. Now calculate and adjust using the same procedure as the rear of the vehicle. Please remember the heads are now the correct way around so the reading will read correctly.