DIY Alignment After Front End Rebuild

After rebuilding my front suspension and upgrading to disc brakes, I needed a basic alignment to safely drive to a proper alignment shop. This project became an education in caster, camber, and toe – and I quickly learned that stock specs from the era are quite different from what’s recommended for modern tires and driving expectations.

While most aftermarket control arms modify the geometry to provide more caster for improved handling, I opted for stock-style stamped steel arms because I prefer the original look over ultimate cornering performance. To tackle the alignment, I purchased a wheel-mounted device that helps measure caster and camber angles, then did my best to get everything reasonably close to spec.

The results were better than expected – when I finally made it to the alignment shop, the tech told me I’d done a great job and only needed minor tweaks. The one less-than-ideal outcome was the number of shims required due to my aging, slightly sagging engine frame. More shims than I’d prefer, but functional for now. There are offset upper control arm rods that could help reduce the shim count if I ever need a future project to tinker with. Sometimes “good enough” really is good enough, especially when the professionals approve of your work!