Anyone else do their own wheel alignment? Here's how I do mine.
 

Does anyone else do their own wheel alignment on their Mini? Since you don't have any camber or caster adjustment....and only toe adjustment, it makes it super simple.

I made some alignment fixtures out of 1/2" metal tubing with some roll pins on each end spaced identically on each piece of tubing...this keeps your strings perfectly parallel. I also made some "floating pads" that I put under each tire that are made out of two pieces of 10"x10"x 1/8" thick lexan sheets with a thin layer of grease between the two. When the car is setting on these pads, you can literately push the car around on the floor just using one finger. This way when you crank on your alignment adjusters, it will let the wheels move freely, and not be stuck to the shop floor (if the tires were sitting on just the concrete floor).

The hardest part is getting everything measured out, leveled, and perfectly spaced around the car. I use a digital caliper, so I can get it setup pretty darn close....it usually takes me about 30min.

I've heard people say that this is not as accurate as the laser alignment setups that most alignment shops use...and I agree (in theory). BUT, I guarantee that I spend a lot more time making sure everything is setup and measured out perfect and my alignment specs are exactly what I want.....and I doubt that's the case with most alignment shops. They get within a pretty big range of what the OEM specs say is ok...and then they are done and on to the next car. Did they re-check everything after they tightened down the adjuster lock nuts? Was the car sitting on their floating pads correctly? Did they have the laser fixtures mounted to the wheels properly? Who knows. When you do it yourself, you know it's done right.

Currently I'm at .049" (a little more than a 1/32") of total toe-in on the front, and .068" (close to 1/16") total toe-in on the rear. That's great for a daily driver street car...so I think I'll leave it. :thumbsup:


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That's a good way to check toe all around. A tape measure across the tread works
pretty good for total toe, but with the rear, you need each side separately, which
your method does very well.


For checking camber, I use a cheap combination square like this one:

----WTF -- can't paste an image URL anymore??? ---
http://c.shld.net/rpx/i/s/i/spin/ima...3&op_sharpen=1

and a small rule to measure at the rim edge.

Need a level surface to park the car on for this, or else measure one way, turn the car around,
measure the other way, and average it out if there's a slight tilt, as there usually is on a
cambered road at the curbside.

Once you know how much your surface is tilted left to right side, you can just correct for that.

Grease pads great idea. Ive done my own, adjust,drive around, check,repeat..very time consuming.

I applaud your efforts. It's one thing to trust the work to a "professional" and how well they believe in work ethic pride and to do something the right way, the wrong way, or THE WAY.

ISAMIN

Considering that I just dropped $500 plus dollars on rubber I'll pay the $100 to make sure it's right.

Just because you pay a grease money at an alignment shop $100 to throw your car up on the rack and align it.....doesn't mean it's going to be "right". :no:

I've had plenty of shops align different cars and trucks for me over the years, only to have to bring them back in because it's pulling one way or the other going down the road.....and they had to get it a little more "right" than they got it the first time around.

Very nice job! I use Smart Racing Products Alignment Tools here. Really helps with doing a full four-wheel alignment precisely and quickly. I agree, I always felt that my alignment or wheel was never exactly what it needed to be from some shops I had it done at over the years. Keep it up! :thumbsup:

Wait, no caster or camber adjustment? is this true? (I'm very new to mini's)

How do you reach the front tie rod adjusters with the car on the ground and the strings along the wheels ?

Nope...no caster and camber adjustment. You can adjust camber if you buy an aftermarket set of upper strut mounts....

I just stretch my arm under there, and get to them. They are easy to get to. :thumbsup:

It is nice that you can reach underneath to get to the adjusters. I was hoping you had some trick that I could use. I have a GP with a lip, under the air dam, that is less than 4" off the ground so very hard to reach anything underneath the car without jacking up. I will again try various angles of attack to see if I can find a way to reach the adjusters.

There is rear camber adjustment on the 2005 and 2006 R53.

The same could be said for using string and jack stands in your garage.

I've always gotten a set to specs sheet everytime I've had an alignment done.