Feeling ambitious in your spare time? Might want to try tackling your own car alignment before winter hits.
Jalopnik.com writer Clay Weiland lays out the seemingly simple steps you can take without needing a mechanic's garage or equipment. All he used was two 24-inch pieces of angle iron and two tape measurers. Oh, and yes, you'll need a jack.
Weiland stresses to make sure the steering wheel is centered (this will take some measuring) and the car's suspension has settled into its normal ride height before you begin adjustments. He also says that you need to make sure all the bushings and joints are in good shape or else an alignment won't do any good.
In making adjustments, Weiland writes, the secret is to do it in small increments....and always measure before and after each adjustment. He does half turns on the tie-rods and then rolls the car back and forth a little to settle, then re-measures.
Weiland experimented on his own 1967 BMW and admits the time and effort to do alignment depends on the make and model of your own car. Even so, it still will probably be a lot cheaper than having it done in a garage.