For most fine tuning needs, car owners take their vehicles to a professional to do the work requiring a steady hand and a good eye. Some home enthusiasts, however, may be willing to tackle some of the more challenging automotive tasks, such as aligning the wheels of their 1993 Honda Civic in their garage. Without the aid of a car lift, such a task can be difficult; however, it is not impossible. With a little patience and the right tools, you can do a wheel alignment in a matter of hours without paying someone else to do it.
Park your Honda Civic in your garage and mark the spots on the floor where the wheels are. Back the car up a few feet.
Place a linoleum tile down on each of the four wheel markings. Roll the car on top of them.
Tape one end of a spool of twine to the dead center of both wheels on one side of the car. Use a level to determine which end is the lowest. Repeat this process for the other side of the car.
Place a linoleum tile down on the corners of the car that were lower than the others. The goal is to get all four tires to level out with each other. You may need to roll the car off and back onto the tiles several times to get it right. Spread table salt in between the tiles to help them slide once you actually start changing the alignment.
Measure the camber and toe of the wheels. Camber is the degree that the tire leans into or away from the center of the car. Toe is the angle at which the wheels point inward or outward from the center of the car. Civics do not come with the ability to adjust camber, but you'll want to take this measurement while you have the car leveled anyway because, if it's off a couple degrees from zero, you'll need to take it to a garage or dealership to have it repaired.
Tighten and loosen the tie rod, located between the suspension and the steering components. This will adjust the toe-in of the front wheels. Tighten and loosen in small increments and remeasure frequently.
