When did you last: Pull an engine-replace a clutch-rebuild a Holley?

[Kern Dog]

I love learning new things.
I've been working on setting the alignment in my red car. There is a lot to learn. I've done bonehead work for years for the various ratty cars that I've owned but now with actual gauges, tools, string lines and lasers, I can get them all properly aligned here at home without having to take anything to a shop.

[John_Kunkel]

There's a standing argument whether the new laser alignment racks are "better" or if they just allow people with little or no knowledge of suspension to align a vehicle accurately.

My "go to" guy for many years who worked at a long-established and well-respected shop for a gazillion years told me the laser racks were a vast improvement and allowed better four-wheel alignment. Older cars with non-adjustable rear ends are notorious for having the rear out of alignment and this affects front end alignment. Even with a front adjustment that's right on spec the car might not track right because the rear end is skewed. Kinda hard to check that with basic alignment tools.

[Kern Dog]

I agree. I'm confused though as to what can be done to correct for an out of square rear axle? At first thought I'm guessing one could shim one side at the front of the leaf spring. A car could crab walk and still drive straight with no drift or pull. There was a NASCAR racer that had set up his car to crab walk a few years back. He claimed it made the car more stable at speed. It was banned in short order.
I have a DeWalt laser level that can be used to check the chassis, much like string lines and jack stands can do. Sometimes the old style methods are still effective. Think of the simplicity of a basic bubble in a builders level. That is some tech that goes back hundreds of years yet it still works and requires no batteries.