Turn Plates

[fordsbyjay]

I was looking at buying some turn plates but couldn't stomach the $550+ price tag so I thought I would try and build a set first. I went down to my steel place and dug around in their dropped steel section and found an "L" section of 3/8" plate aluminum approx. 5 sq feet for $60. Then I went over to the hardware store next door and while looking for some other stuff I found some lazy susan turn tables rated for 1000 lbs. I picked two of them up for $27. Including 3 jigsaw blades I have about $93 in the project and about 6 hours of time.

Using a jigsaw I cut the round sections in a 12" diameter and the bottom plates are 14"x16". The bottom dimensions were really dictated by the size of material I had.

Using my degree wheel I made some 0, 10 & 20* increments.

Then I added a wire pointer to adjust the 0 mark once the car is on the plates.

Here it is with the bucket on it.

Here is a picture with my Smartcamber gauge.

 

[putz]

Real good idea but has one minor flaw. On normal alignment plates they will also slide sideways.So when you sit the tires down they can sldie sideways to take up any flex in the I beam on a straight axle which actually changes the camber.JMO
I have done hundreds of alignments You could add rollers under neath the bottom pad to give you this movement also.

 

[fordsbyjay]

Real good idea but has one minor flaw. On normal alignment plates they will also slide sideways.So when you sit the tires down they can sldie sideways to take up any flex in the I beam on a straight axle which actually changes the camber.JMO
I have done hundreds of alignments You could add rollers under neath the bottom pad to give you this movement also.

I seen some slides to put under them (don't remember where now) but I didn't think there would be that much change with a straight axle. For a SLA I could see the difference but I will take what you said and see what I can do.
Thanks,

 

[putz]

Doesn't take much 1/2 degree can cause tire wear.

 

["The Bat" out of hell]

Nice work but;If you just drive onto layed out plastic trashbags,wheel turns very EZ,and you can just mark 20* each way from strait on cardboard or guess at it[not that criticle to caster reading],did it manytimes.

 

[Keeper]

Pretty damn slick. Nothing like saving $400+

 

[oino]

That is awesome. :jawdrop: