How can I align my wheels?

Alignment is a fairly complicated process, but if you are determined to do it yourself, here's one method, copied from an exchange of messages on the Vintage Mustang Forum.

You MUST have a level, smooth garage floor. You need a tape measure. I made my own slider plates from 1/2" thick steel plate 12" x 12", which I lay down on top of some 3/8" x 2" steel dowel pins. This will allow your tires to slide on the floor instead of binding and changing your readings. A Caster/Camber gauge REALLY helps (about $50). It will get you within about 1/8 degree. Without one, you can get within 1/2 degree though. My C/C gauge was made by Auto Pro Racing Systems 404-998-8855. It works for rim sizes from 12" - 17". If you don't have a C/C gauge, you will need an 18-24" level that can be read vertically. Get the front tires on the slider plates with the dowels under the plates. I also lay some 1 x 6's down and slide them under the REAR tires just to keep the car level front to back. (That 7/8" front-to-back will affect caster reading...) SET CAMBER FIRST Camber is the top/bottom tilt of the tire as viewed from the front. You want camber from between 0* and 1/2* negative (which means the top of the tire is tilted in). If you are using a level, you will hold it vertically touching the rim top and bottom - for each 1/8" you move the level away from the RIM (not tire), you have 1/2 degree. If you move the TOP of the level away from the rim, that is NEGATIVE camber. If you move the BOTTOM of the level away from the rim, that is POSITIVE camber. SO, you will want the RIM to be somewhere between EXACTLY vertical, and tilted IN 1/8" at the top. SET CASTER NEXT Caster in the least critical for tire wear, but will cause you car to "pull" to one side if it's too far off. Turn the front of the wheel 20 degrees "out". (1.5 turns with "slow" box, 1.25 turns with fast box, 1 turn with 15:1 Rack & Pinion) Measure Camber. (If using a level instead of a gauge, each 1/8" of space between the level and the rim = 1/2 degree) Turn the front of the wheel 20 degrees "in". Measure Camber. Subtract the "in" reading from the "out" reading and Multiply by 1.5. That is your caster reading. Example Out = + 2 degrees In = 0 degrees (2-0) * 1.5 = 3 degrees positive caster. Ideally, you want 2-3 degrees of positive caster per side. To get MORE caster, add shims to the back upper a-arm bolt on 65-66, or tighten/shorten the strut rod on 67-up. Some cars will not get more than 1 degree of caster on 1 side or the other due to factory tolerances, tweaks, or wrecks over the years. The amount of caster is not as important as making sure it is EQUAL side-to-side. DO TOE-IN LAST Make sure the steering wheel is centered and STAYS centered. You have 2 good ways to do this... Using a tape measure, you measure the distance between the front tire at both the front and rear od the tire. The front measurement needs to be 1/8" LESS than the rear measurement. Tape a piece of kite string to the rear tread of the REAR tire at about the height of the center of the wheel. Stretch the kite string to the front of the car, holding it away from the tires at the height of the center of the wheel. Move the string toward the car until it JUST touches the backside of the front wheel. Measure the distance between the front of the front tire and the string. It should be 1/16" on each side.

submitted by a65ragtop