[FC] Corvair Alignment (was: Tire question)

[Joel McGregor]

Alignment is one of the easier things to do yourself and one thing that shops tend to really do a poor job with because they can get away with it or they don't know or care enough to do a good job.  I used to do alignments at a shop and they didn't appreciate the amount of time I took to do it right.  "It's close enough".
Take the time to make a few tools and it's pretty easy.  All you can set on a stock FC rear is the toe-in without changing spring or doing something custom.  I have an old chalk board aluminum tray with two pointers bolted to it for checking toe-in.  The front is a little more difficult.  You can check camber with a level on the wheel and caster with a level and a block that centers between the ball joints.  The computer alignment machines are just quicker not better.  When I went to the Hunter alignment school I checked my '63 on one machine, drove it off and back on and got a different set of readings.  I then checked it on a different machine and got a third set of readings.  Manual tools will get you the same reading every time. 
Joel McGregor