Alignment question

[sk7500]

I have always been of the impression that you should wait for alignment until your car is pretty much finished. At least until all the major weight components were installed. But then I started thinking that with adjustable coil over shocks you could probably set the ride height with the car empty and have the chassis aligned. Then when the car is finished if you readjust the springs to the same ride height. Wouldn't the alignment be pretty close?
I ask because I found out the hard way that alignment can dramatically change the wheel position in the fender well. Affecting where you place the body on the chassis.

[crash]

You would be correct. Doesn't matter how much weight the springs are holding up, the geometry is the geometry.

What you are thinking about, I believe, is how I build cars. I build the frame, suspension, etc. then align everything BEFORE placing the body. This allows you to measure off of wheels and not make a mistake. It also makes it much easier to align to the frame if the body isn't even there. That said, as I have mentioned before, it usually takes me DAYS to align a body correctly on a car and I'm talking a race car which usually has no operating doors or hinges on hoods or trunks. It is a large task.

[Presto51]

I have always been of the impression that you should wait for alignment until your car is pretty much finished. At least until all the major weight components were installed. But then I started thinking that with adjustable coil over shocks you could probably set the ride height with the car empty and have the chassis aligned. Then when the car is finished if you readjust the springs to the same ride height. Wouldn't the alignment be pretty close?
I ask because I found out the hard way that alignment can dramatically change the wheel position in the fender well. Affecting where you place the body on the chassis.

Steve,

I have found over different projects, not just the GTM, that you get the chassis together with all heavy components installed at least, do a close prototype aligment, mount the body to set/check fender well position.

With the GTM in particular, I think that this is the way to go since the tolerances on the body are not that tight.

With that being said I know that forum member Fastthings is doing it different, and I'm waiting to see how his method will work out, he might know somthing that I don't

Hope this helps

Ron

[fastthings]

Well, I have no method to my maddness. I have been paying for my car piece by piece for the last 3 years. I had to sell my left nut just to get the kit. (My left nut was a SRT Charger.) So I had the kit and nothing else to start building. I thought I might as well do the bodywork first, and keep the dust off the good stuff. My background is collision work, I have spent many years pulling frames. I got real good at being able to measure from the right spot to make the frame was straight at the suspension mount, so by the time you get the a arms on with the wheels it fits in the hole. Early on I realized the body was not symetrical, so you start splitting hairs. I was able to get my measurements happy from the suspension mounts to the body. On the hood I have done this different than some. I found to make the hole, a circle, I had to remove alot material where it meets at the fender to make a round circle. I had to drop it down so far that it almost caused problems hitting the wiper, I modified the whole thing. So from the center of the suspension mounts to the body I'm dead nuts on. Side to side, front to back. And the wheel openings are round. If the suspension is symetrical I should be good. Now, this car woll not suprise me if something don't line up, but it should. My car was set up just as level and as symetrical as you could get. We'll see. You guys have me scared now, I should put it on to check.