Do-it-yourself alignment with the Gyraline
Ever since we bought our 2014 Tundra, it has exhibited a slight pull to the right, despite the fact that the used-car dealer from whom we bought it claimed to have performed an alignment. Taking it in to a professional alignment shop was one of those tasks that are just so easy to put off—like for three years?
A few months ago I installed a complete parabolic suspension on our FJ40. After such a swap it’s smart to have an alignment done. Especially important is checking for caster, which will change with a suspension lift on a solid-axle vehicle and can significantly affect handling. (Caster is the near-but-not-quite vertical axis around which the front wheels turn.) Now I had two vehicles that needed an alignment. And now I was looking at around $250-$300 plus the time (x2) out of my day to have them both done.
Finally . . . right now I have another parabolic suspension kit waiting to be installed on the Troop Carrier. So yet another alignment, another day lost, and another $125-$150 minimum. Ugh.
Then I got an email from friend and master Toyota mechanic Bill Lee, about this tool.
The Gyraline comprises a deceptively simple plastic plate, apparently 3D printed, with a clamp that allows you to secure an iPhone (or Android) to it. The magic part of the device is all in the software, which guides you step by step in measuring—with the accuracy of a professional alignment rack—all aspects of a vehicle’s alignment on all four wheels: toe, camber, caster, even Ackerman angle.
Once the app is loaded you simply follow prompts to place the device against each wheel, level it using the central green diamond, the tapping the relevant wheel. Move to the other side and repeat, and you’ll have your toe-in or toe-out to a fraction of a degree. Thirty seconds max. Other measurements are nearly as simple.
I was so impressed that I intended to write an in-depth article, but honestly the thing is so easy to use there’s just not much more to say. The Gyraline is not only useful for general alignment but also when doing such jobs as replacing tie rod ends. Most enthusiastically recommended.
