What alignment equipment/systems are being used to align Pantera front and/or rear wheels without professional equipment? Can they be used with high cost rims and tires on the car?
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Yes- if you know what you're doing. All of my tools cost less than $20 each and give satisfactory results. I use a trammel gauge from Harbor Freight to check toe-in front & back, a machinist's combination-tool to check caster front & back, and a camber gauge that attaches to the front wheel or hub with a bungee cord or a long extension spring. All of this is done with a fully assembled car and the actual adjustments are fairly straightforward.
Front toe adjustments require releasing at least one tie-rod end, front caster changes involve moving the upper ball joint shims around or actual machining etc. Some like using offset front a-arm bushings. Some camber gauges use a big magnet to hold them to steel wheels or hubs, but thats useless with mag wheels & aluminum hubs. And the contact surface of the wheel or hub must be flat; many Campagnolo wheels are chipped in the contact area & should be repaired first.
Front toe adjustments require releasing at least one tie-rod end, front caster changes involve moving the upper ball joint shims around or actual machining etc. Some like using offset front a-arm bushings. Some camber gauges use a big magnet to hold them to steel wheels or hubs, but thats useless with mag wheels & aluminum hubs. And the contact surface of the wheel or hub must be flat; many Campagnolo wheels are chipped in the contact area & should be repaired first.
Somebody recently wrote an article on low-cost Pantera tooling that can be repurposed / made. This was in one of the very recent POCA Newsletters (certainly within 2-3 months).
A trammel bar / gauge was described.
I can't remember who wrote the article....
Rocky
A trammel bar / gauge was described.
I can't remember who wrote the article....
Rocky
A flat level floor. Two pieces of 24" x 24" x 3/4" plywood. Two 24" bungee cords. A tape measure. A 24" level.
Something like $50 if you have to buy everything new.
Soh. Cah. Toa. A scientific calculator and know what arcsin is.
Something like $50 if you have to buy everything new.
Soh. Cah. Toa. A scientific calculator and know what arcsin is.
I use the lasers from Harbor freight. Be sure to attach them to the rim and not the tire. The shape of the tire can be inconsistent.
You can lay out dimensions in front and behind the car. You need to check behind the car with distance off the frame to come up with a zero line.
With a zero line I mark it up on the garage door or wall in front. Here are some images from working my bump steer to zero:
I don't have a photo but vertical alignment (Camber) was adjusted through a vertical construction laser which sets a vertical laser based on gravity and measured with a ruler using basic geometry.
You can lay out dimensions in front and behind the car. You need to check behind the car with distance off the frame to come up with a zero line.
With a zero line I mark it up on the garage door or wall in front. Here are some images from working my bump steer to zero:
I don't have a photo but vertical alignment (Camber) was adjusted through a vertical construction laser which sets a vertical laser based on gravity and measured with a ruler using basic geometry.
By the way if you look at the photo the laser sits in a piece of angle cut to fit the rim so I can stay off the tire.
Way cool!
A laser uses electricity. You don't need no stinkin' 'lectricity. 