Alignment

I have a 2004 Cavalier on which I've recently replaced struts. The original strut just had holes in the bottom of it to bolt it on. The new ones had alignment slots in them. I was just wondering if anybody has a homemade way to set the camber. I know I should take it to an alignment shop but did that on my Corvette some time ago and they messed it up so bad that I had to take it home and re-do it myself. Just wondering what methods others use to do this job. Thanks.

On WWD (wrong-wheel drive) cars I usually set the car up level with the front wheels removed then load up the suspension with a small jack to get it to the approximate ride height. I'll use an inclinometer (graduated level) on the hub face to adjust the strut position for zero or about ¼° positive camber. Once it's back together I'll set the toe on the ground then test drive it on the way to the alignment shop. Most often it's within allowable specs, but for $30 it's a good idea to check on an alignment rack. The people there usually appreciate the fact that the tie rods and strut bolts are not rusted in place, making their job a lot easier.

On WWD (wrong-wheel drive) cars I usually set the car up level with the front wheels removed then load up the suspension with a small jack to get it to the approximate ride height. I'll use an inclinometer (graduated level) on the hub face to adjust the strut position for zero or about ¼° positive camber. Once it's back together I'll set the toe on the ground then test drive it on the way to the alignment shop. Most often it's within allowable specs, but for $30 it's a good idea to check on an alignment rack. The people there usually appreciate the fact that the tie rods and strut bolts are not rusted in place, making their job a lot easier.

$30??? Not around where I live! The reason I started the post was because I couldn't get them to do anything less than a full 4 wheel alignment and was closer to $80. I told them the situation about the new struts and they just kept telling me they'd have to do the whole thing to get it right. I'm not sure they'd be capable of getting it right anyway and figured I'd probably be able to get it closer to specs myself. Next time I buy struts for a Cavalier I'm gonna get the ones without the slots. I bought these online and didn't get a chance to look at the bottom hole, I'd assumed all replacements were the same as original.

I'm not sure replacements are available without the slots. Frankly, you probably NEED to slots to correct for body flex, wear, spring sag, and other factors. That's probably why they almost all have slots.

I've been able to coerce a local shop into doing a camber/toe check only. Ask around. Remind them that you understand it's a front-only alignment. Unless the rear is obviously out they will likely consider it. Then again, with the price of tires, a four-wheel alignment might not be a bad idea.

A few years ago I bought a set of struts from AutoZone that had holes rather than slots. I don't know if they still sell them or not and I can't remember the brand for sure but I think it was Gabriel. I made a "high tech" alignment tool to put on the front wheel and put a level on it to check camber. It has to be put on a level floor, however. I think checking the toe in won't be too hard either. Too cold to mess with it now and I'm not using the car much anyway. I haven't taken any pics of the tool but it's similar to ones I saw on ebay, only mine didn't cost nearly that much. I checked it with a square and measured it and it's pretty accurate.

Well, I got the camber adjusted on my Cavalier last week, just haven't had time to follow-up here. Seems that the driver's side was the only one that needed changing. I took the wheel off and tried adjusting it a little and put the wheel back on and amazingly, I got it right the first try. I'll be checking the toe-in next.