Front axle spindle angle template

[brianpharmd]

I am wanting to check to ensure that my front axle is straight. I have watched the Diablo A's rebuilding DVD and in it they discuss maching rods to place in the spindle and radius arm mounts on the axle. I don't have a lath or other device to machine these rods - are there any other suggestions out there that are homemade or options people have purchased from hardware/craft stores?

Also, I need to check the angle at the spindes - 7 degrees I believe. In the DVD, they use a template. I reached out to the Diablo A's about obtaining a copy of the template but did not receive one back. Does anyone have a copy of a template they used or something that has worked for you? I want to check and then provide something to the machine shop that will do the work on the axle if the angle is not correct.

Before posting, I searched the forum using "template" or "axle+template" or "front+template" and did not find any threads within the past 4 years.

Thanks!
Brian

 

[Floats]

Hi Brian,
I down loaded a cell phone App called ‘ angle pro’ which instantly changes your phone into an extreamly accurate inclinometer.

 

[Chuck Sea/Tac]

You can get a magnetic triangle level from any Lowe’s or Home Depot.it will tell you your axle angle ect.

 

[Synchro909]

I made a set of rods on tapered bushes to fit in the holes and mounted the axle in a vice so that the king pin eyes were horizontal (checked with a straight edge and spirit level). An eyeball is all that is needed to see if the axle is straight and that it isn't twisted. To check the king pin inclination, The rods were about 1.4 m long (4'7") I dangled a plumb bob from the top of them and measured the distance from the string to the rod at the bottom. 1.4 X sin 7* = 0.17m. In the old imperial system, that is 4.33". Simple trigonometry.
I did 2 axles. Both were twisted and had an inclination of nearly 8*. Without a press, it was more than I could do to straighten them so I went to a guy who does standard axles and ones for hotrods. (He puts up to a 4 1/2" drop in them.)

 

[Brian T]

Hi Brian,
This is the way I checked my axle for angles, the axle beam has to be level side to side, I made up a way to hold alignment rods, and used a simple angle gauge., see pics, seems a little crude but works, 7 degrees could also be 8 degrees from what I understand.
After installing the rebuilt axle I made up another rig to check the angle of the wheels, I now have that angle app as Floats mentioned and is accurate checked against automotive gauges.