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April 2, 2009 6:17 p.m. Rumnhammer New Reader

Hi all, I just got the latest issue of GRM and was looking forward to the info on doing my own alignment with some string, as the back of the last issue, stated that this would be highlighted in the following issue.

Well, I get the new issue and start looking for the tech of doing this, and all there was is a little tiny blurb about that you can do it. Practically nothing useful as far as doing a DIY alignment with strings! Man am I dissapointed, I was expecting more from GRM, the zero info blurb was like something out of SCC................

Don't get me wrong I love the magazine and am usually very happy with the content, but I was really dissapointed with this, since I'll be changing out the suspension on the miata soon and wanted to get at least a cursory alignment on the car before I take it to get properly aligned. I guess I was just hoping that this would be a how to type article, after the way it was worded in last months issue.

Chris Rummel
April 2, 2009 6:42 p.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

I've fussed and fumed about this for years.

If you want tech, get Circle Track. The magazine is full of tech.

It's kinda funny/sad that many years ago GRMS rocked my world specifically with regards to alignment. I'd kinda always thought the alignment specs were written by god, never to be deviated from. Along comes GRMS who took a then new Miata out and just dinked around with the toe settings until they got the car to work the way they wanted it to, and then measured to find out what they'd done. I was astonished, I didn't know that was allowed, legal or ever done. Opened up a whole new world to me. Those days are long gone.
April 2, 2009 7:06 p.m. Rumnhammer New Reader

It's ok, I ended up just googling string alignment, I even ended up with a miata specific DIY with pics.

I was just disappointed with the blurb, after it the way it was listed in the prior issue as something to look forward to.

Chris Rummel
April 2, 2009 8:06 p.m. Per Schroeder Technical Editor/Advertising Director

Actually, the marking of the tire's circumference and using a toe-bar does the work of a string alignment in half the time and is used if you can get under the car. Way quicker, way easier.

After I worked that up with Geoff, I made my own tire-marker with a 6-inch piece of 2x4-foot piece of wood with a nail in it. Stuck that against the tire and spun the tire. That gave me my circumferential mark. Repeat on the other side. Then I took a 5-foot piece of 1x1 and put a nail in it at one end. Put that against the tire at one of the circumferential mark and then marked where the other circumferential mark hit the piece of 1x1. There's my distance on one side of the tire. Repeat for the other side. The difference between the two marks is my toe.

If you can't get under the car (to run the toe bar behind the wheels) then a string alignment will work. We'll be doing a string alignment story for low ground clearance cars (think fractions of a inch) in an upcoming issue..but you can find it in our back issues as well.
April 2, 2009 10:22 p.m. Keith SuperDork

The newest issue has a step-by-step article of chasing cornering speeds with a bunch of tweaks, isn't that as good as dinking with the toe settings on a Miata?

For setting toe, I like the aluminum plates and two tape measures method myself. Works great as long as people don't steal the tape measures and you don't need to lift the wheels off the ground. Although if it comes to a rumble in the pits, I'd rather have Per's club with nails. Some sort of genetic Viking memory there, I think.
April 3, 2009 7:53 a.m. Rumnhammer New Reader

I've just found that being told what to do, and how to do are two very different things...... Good to be told what to do, but far better to be shown how to do it.

Per, you should definatly do an article on your nail club alignment tool and how you use it. If that is not grassroots I don't think anything is.

Chris Rummel
April 3, 2009 9:18 a.m. Tom Heath Production Editor

Rumnhammer wrote:

I've just found that being told what to do, and how to do are two very different things......

You should meet my wife.
April 3, 2009 9:48 a.m. Dr. Hess SuperDork

The Esprit Service Notes (factory shop manual) has a section on how to do a 4 wheel alignment with string. I prefer my bubble camber guage and HF toe guage.