10 replies to this topic

[svvs]

Well, we all know about the longacre digital camber gauge for around $250.

Anyone ever use this?

http://www.hartville...com/product/491

Looking to get some toe plates, a camber gauge, and somehow to string the car. Starting to progress to the point where I can at least tell when the car has a good setup, and when it's not great.

Thoughts?

-Vick

[forestdweller37]

I've heard of people using similar gauges. Supposedly they work just fine.

[Muda]

I use one like this and it works just fine.

http://cgi.ebay.com/...=item1c1e5c7150

But that box is pretty cool and the right price.
I'd fab something that would allow you to consistently apply it to the wheel.

Sounds like a job for Noah. ( :

Get this for alignments. Works fine.
http://www.ironcanyo...ent-system.html

Oh my! Look what else they sell. Guess yours will work.
http://www.ironcanyo...ngle-gauge.html

This is the other tool I use. Not the exact one but essentially the same.
http://www.ironcanyo...a-toestick.html

A hundred feet of red monofilament and two junk ultralight fishing reels and you're set to go.

And you need scales and roll back pads.
I made mine from 2x12's. Heavy but a heck of a lot cheaper than the aluminum ones.

[Jim Boemler]

Check the Harbor Freight site for a cheaper digital level.

[dstevens]

That hf angle finder went up. You can get the Wixey for under 30 bucks at Amazon. I use them for fab work.

[Keith Novak]

I've used a Craftsman digital level and a toe stick. I've been learning to do my own suspension this year with my own scales and I'd recommend a purpose built CC gauge. I think the one I got from Joe's Racing was more like $100 and for the time I save it was worth it.

The reason a like a purpose built tool is when learning to do it, it sometimes takes more time than you expect and fiddling with a jury rigged setup gets old quickly. Measure...crawl under the car and tweak...crawl out from under the car and measure...oops that did the oposite of what I wanted...damn I bumped my strings crawling back under the car... I bought the Iron Canyon string set because while I can use jackstands to do the same thing, the IC kit is far quicker and easier, plus I can roll the car without it changing. Next will be make or buy roll-offs with leveling feet because while linoleum tiles work for shims, I spend as much time doing that as turning bolts.

A real CC gauge tells you the camber angle, and whether the gauge itself is level which if not will throw off your camber angle. It also has a 20* angle on it which makes it easier to measure caster. With the right adapter, you just align it on the wheel and it stays put while you're doing whatever measurement so you just leave it there. The laser level does come in handy though to make sure the scales themselves are level which if not will really throw off your cornerweight measurements.

[fishguyaz]

Check the Harbor Freight site for a cheaper digital level.

harbor freight is a great place to buy hammers.
I seem to find most of the tools that i had purchased from harbor end up being used as hammers because they broke after a few uses of what they were supposed to be made for; now i dont need to own a hammer anymore since the broken) HF tools now fill that use.

I wouldnt recommend any prescision tool be bought at HF escpecially one that you will be using for repeatable precision measurements.

maybe is just me, but i like tools that help me work, not hinder my work, and paying for a (type of) tool only once is a better investment of my time/$.

[Jim Boemler]

Most of the stuff I buy from HF works fine, including (maybe even especially) the precision items. Where I've seen problems has been in punches -- the set I have has a tendency to split, which isn't handy at all. Knowing how these levels work, I'm not too worried.

[Muda]

Yea, most of my HF stuff works great.
I told you HF was not the place to buy an EPROM flasher.
Such a snob Josh.

[svvs]

Thanks guys! I went with the long acre plates and the longacre digital camber gauge thinger.

josh/fishguy has a good point.....for me time is worth it to get it right. I've only just started to get serious about this, and the right tools will help me from hurting myself with inaccurate measurements.

Muda....noah and I are invading your man cave in the offseason. We'll bring presents.

[dstevens]

The thing with HF if you need to know what to get and what not to get. Most of the stuff I have works fine knowing the limitations. I have noticed that in the last year or so the prices have come up. Somewhat on some items, a fair amount on others. Some of the machinery is the same stuff from the same Chinese plants as Enco or Grizzly. My rule is that if it has moving parts and I use it a lot, I look elsewhere. There is good stuff at HF, you just have to be a good shopper.