Help with initial alignment

[Alphamacaroon]

I'm about to mount my wheels and tires for the first time, but I really have no idea if I should be doing any sort of initial alignment before I bolt the wheels on? Can I even do an initial alignment without weight on the suspension? Do I just make sure they are straight and square at first? Any other tips/tricks? Much appreciated!

[xlr8or]

Mount them. With the wheels off the ground give them a spin and hold a point to the center of the tread and it will draw a line around the tire. You can use that to check the initial toe setting. Use a small level vertically on the spindle end to check initial camber. That should be close enough to get rolling.

[edwardb]

You're pretty much wasting your time trying to do anything with the alignment with the suspension hanging. The manual gives some rough length dimensions for the two adjustment sleeves on the UCA. That's a reasonable place to start. With the wheels on and lowered to approximate ride height, you can get a rough idea if the wheels are straight ahead with a bit of toe in and adjust accordingly. I personally wouldn't do any more than that until you do the initial ride height set and then dial in yourself with the proper tools or have it done professionally.

[shark92651]

When my go cart was complete and on the ground with wheels I used the "string method". Basically I used jack stands to make a box around the vehicle and stretched strings tight all around. Using a carpenter's square I made sure all four corners were at 90 degrees, the strings on either side were the same distance from the body, and the strings on the sides making light contact with the tires. I was then able to make adjustments so that the toe was within reason. For camber I just put a level against the wheels. It was all very rough but good enough for some low speed go-cart rides around the neighborhood. Probably would have been fine if I did nothing, truth be told.