This is what he bought:
*FastTrax Alignment Tool From Summit Racing - $139.76
*No Lip adapters - $44.57
*Toe Adapter Kit - 49.97
SPC Performance FasTrax Camber Caster Gauges 91000 - Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 at Summit Racing

Summit does know how to charge for stuff they carry. A simple Google search yields a Wide range of prices from $193.99 to $19.95!

It looks to be Very well thought out and executed.






Husband added the O-rings to keep the tool from slipping off my chrome rims. It's probably not supposed to be used that way but it's the only way we could get it to work with my rims.

There is a leveling screw on the bottom that's factory set.


This video is a Very good demonstration of how to use this tool. Certainly it's better than I could write up!

Since we don't have a pair of alignment platters, husband came up with a cheapy work-around. One of my squarish yard waste cans was worn out and useless so husband cut it up into 4, one-foot squares. Then he put slick white trash bags between so the tire would turn with little resistance. It's quite surprising how slippery this combination was.






We had to push the car onto these, because when I tried to drive on them, the layers merely slipped out from in front of the tires because the brakes stopped the tires turning.

It seemed a good idea to find out what the readings were first before trading shims back and forth.

Any of these measurements require the lower beam of the tool be level. No such level is provided. This is a Glaring shortcoming in my opinion, because unless you have the car on a rack at eye level, it's hard to tell by sight when it's straight. I took a combination square slider and set it on the lower beam to make sure it was level and I got accurate readings.


I got 1.5 degrees Camber. A bit much perhaps (recommended +.5 degree) but husband will have to fabricate shims to change it, the car drove fine with 1.5 degrees so we left it that way.


Setting Caster is more involved.
I turned the wheel out 15 degrees and zeroed the vial.


I had 6 degrees on one side and .5 degrees on the other side before we did anything. I think 6 is a bit excessive.

Recommended Caster for Xj6 Series II is 2.25 degrees with a .25 degree fudge factor.

I read over in the XJ-S section that one of the members likes as much Caster as he can get, but still I think 6 degrees would cause a shimmy around 100mph or maybe even sooner. Certainly what I had wasn't working as it wandered all over the road.

Caster is changed on these cars by moving shims from front to back (or back to front) of the ball joints.







Caster is NOT set by putting shims on one end of the upper fulcrum shaft as the car came to us.


The idea is that the upper wishbones are to be perpendicular to the shaft. Any other arrangement causes excessive wear on the fulcrum bushings.

Each shim is good for .5 degrees, and there are only 3 on each side of the car. Each shim moved back to front moves the caster angle back, in a positive direction. Each shim moved front to back moves caster angle forward in a negative direction.

Positive is camber OUT Positive caster BACK.
Thumbs Out, Thumbs Back.





With practice one just Knows where to move shims for the desired result, but I'm a bit out of practice so I thought I would have to check the scale after moving each shim. It turned out I guessed correctly the first time!
I got both sides relatively equal, +4 degrees, just what I aimed for.

That's a bit more than the 2.25 degrees recommended, but the car tracks straight and true, and straightens out from a turn Just the way I want it to. No more fighting to get it straightened out from turning a corner. I may change it later, but for now I rather like it!

Setting toe will be a separate post.
(';')

 

Clever thinking to use the plastic bags under the alignment platters, I wouldnt have thought of that.

 

XLNT!!!


Having a nice clean front suspension to work on was a definite plus, huh!!!!


That gear seems to be as good as it gets, short of the laser stuff.


The example with the Hoosier branded tire shows it's market destination. Hard track racing.


Some where, here, I think I read of using floor tile as wheel pads. Slick side to slick
side and wax or even grease to make the smooth slipperier.


A bit more caster and camber is a "handling" technique. X's to be paid for in tire life ?


I suspect yours will be just fine. And clearly, way better than you found it!!!


After you set the toe and drive it a while, just rub a paw across he tread.


If any tails exist, their direction is meaningful??? I for got hw for the moment or more....


Jaguar purrs. On demand water heater purrs. Bad cold is defeated., Life is good.


Oh, wash day coming up. I wonder how the new tech heater and the old tech washer will get along???


Carl

 

Thank you, Carl!
It IS nice when everything is clean! I can even see what I'm doing!

Husband thought if this tool was good enough for Racers it was probably good enough for Nix. Although, even Nix occasionally engages in an impromptu Road Race once in a while.

We already set the toe and I have no feathering or other obvious signs of maladjustment after 400+ miles, some of it over twisty, turney, uppy, downy, roundy, roundy mountain roads. I'll get the toe post written up when it's raining and I can't drive her or otherwise be outside. Maybe tomorrow.
(';')