Workshop

Alignment clinics

Run a safe, inspectable clinic that takes a family from rule review and driver fit through scales, triangulation, crossbind, spindle checks, and a documented baseline.

Clinic workflowTools are not permissionRecheck after every change

ILLUSTRATED DEPENDENCY MAP

A later station inherits every earlier error.

Setup-clinic dependency order A flow runs from rules and safety through driver state, fixture and scales, triangulation, cross-plane, spindles, final clamp state, repeat measurement, and randomized track tests. A feedback note returns any change upstream. Drawing standard: endpoint-defined lines, fixed reference points, declared view, and a scale-independent measurement grid.

decision signal = observed change compared with ordinary repeatability
one run ≠ evidence | correlation ≠ causation

Every station should record measurand, unit, tool ID, reference points, load state, raw repeated readings, operator, time, and decision. “Looks good” is not a transferable baseline.

RUN A TEACHING CLINIC

Racers should know how to reproduce the result.

Assign a rules and safety lead who can stop unauthorized work.
Post what each tool measures, what it does not prove, and required upstream state.
Demonstrate zero or tare, then have the family remove, reset, and repeat.
Keep raw results, including inconvenient ones.
Randomize paired A/B track order and hold wheels, lane, driver, load, release, and conditions constant where practical.
Demand replication and an effect larger than ordinary spread before calling it faster.

Tool theaterDigits lack a defined reference.

Station overwriteA clamp change invalidates earlier geometry.

Secret settingA number leaves without assumptions.

One-run winnerLane, wheel, wind, or driver is credited to the change.

Illustrative A/B interpretation, not a target

Baseline mean 10.147 s with 0.009 s range and change mean 10.140 s with 0.012 s range show an apparent 0.007 s gain. Since it is smaller than the larger within-condition range, call it unresolved and collect better randomized pairs.

Return to the Setup Lab learning path and calculators

GARAGE WORKSHEET

The minimum record needed to act on this guide.

QUESTION THIS STATION ANSWERS

Can each family leave with a safe legal car, a reproducible baseline, and a signed list of unresolved work?

BRING

Current plans, amendments, inspection sheets, car/axle identity log, and red-tag materials
Verified scale plane, geometry fixtures, loaded spindle station, calibrated torque tools, and safe supports
One station sheet per car plus a family handoff and Race Shop experiment record

LOCK BEFORE READING

Named rules/safety lead with authority to stop work
Station entry criteria, tool IDs, operators, car state, and upstream measurements
No permanent change without plan authority and family understanding

WRITE THE RAW RECORD

Entry inspection, red-tag items, raw station trials, calculations, changes, and recheck signatures
Tool zero/reference checks and station start/finish times
Exit steering/brake/safety check, final loads, setup baseline, and unresolved punch list

DECISION GATE

A car advances only when the station's input state is documented and its reading repeats. Any clamp, cable, ballast, axle, or driver-state change sends the car back through every affected upstream station.

VERIFY NEXT

Give the racer the official inspection sheet, private setup sheet, Race Shop record, and the reason for every unresolved item.

Authority check: reviewed July 27, 2026. Reopen the linked official rule book, current division plan, amendments, and inspection guidance on the day of work. A measurement method never grants permission to alter a controlled part.

Save the test in My Race Shop Return to the full Setup Lab workflow

BEFORE THE WRENCHES

Start with identity, rules, and safety.

A good clinic is not a line of adults making secret changes. It teaches the racer and family to identify the car, understand each measurement, and leave with a legal baseline they can reproduce.

Record sanctioning body, division, plan revision, axle stamps, and applicable amendments.
Inspect steering, brake, shell, floorboard, fasteners, wheel clearance, helmet fit, and safe driver exit.
Fit the fully dressed driver and mark the repeatable race position.
Weigh total, front, rear, and four corners on a verified level scale plane.
Triangulate the rear axle to the front kingpin reference.
Measure crossbind, then toe and camber under realistic load.
Set permitted fasteners and cable tension consistently; recheck every earlier measurement.
Create a setup sheet and inspection punch list before any track test.

TOOL STATIONS

Match each tool to one question.

GEOMETRY

Trammel and tape

Are the rear axle references equidistant from the front kingpin?

PLANE

Crossbind fixture

Do matching axle references share a parallel, level plane?

SPINDLES

Loaded gauge

Where do toe and camber point under race load?

LOAD

Four scales

How are total, axle, side, and diagonal loads distributed?

CLAMP

Torque wrench

Can the assembly be returned to a recorded, permitted state?

PROOF

Setup sheet

What changed, who checked it, and did it repeat?

OPTIONAL SPECIALIST FIXTURES

Choose a tool by the measurand, range, reference check, and repeatability it can demonstrate.

Start with neutral specifications: the tool must fit the declared reference points, operate in the expected range, survive representative load, expose its zero or reference check, and produce the same result after complete removal and reset. Borrowing a verified clinic fixture is often better than owning a tool the team cannot validate.

Zero Error publishes dedicated alignment stands, gauges, crossbind string tools, tables, and trammel hardware as optional examples. The partner catalog follows the teaching workflow rather than replacing it.

Owning a bending tool does not authorize bending an axle. Stock, Super Stock, Masters, Legacy, and NDR Roundbottom have different limits. Put a trained clinic lead or chief inspector at any station where a permanent change could disqualify a part.

A practical family clinic finishes with two documents: the official inspection sheet and a private setup record. The former proves compliance; the latter preserves the baseline after transport, wheel swaps, repairs, or a rough track.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING

Check the primary material.

Columbus 2026 car setup clinic Current licensed-city example of a hands-on setup and inspection clinic.
Zero Error Derby tools and parts Partner catalog for alignment, crossbind, setup, wheel, and car hardware. Price and stock can change.
Zero Error Soap Box Derby alignment stand Manufacturer description of a loaded alignment fixture. Product availability and price can change.
Zero Error crossbind string tools Manufacturer instructions for a spindle-mounted string comparison method.
Zero Error alignment bending tool A specialized shop tool. Confirm that any axle work is legal for the exact class before use.
ISBD race divisions and build plans Official division descriptions, age bands, weights, plans, and Legacy information.
NDR Nationals inspection sheets Current division inspection sheets are a practical pre-race checklist.
NIST Engineering Statistics Handbook: Uncertainties of calibrated values NIST guidance on uncertainty in future results corrected by a calibration curve, including calibration-curve and future-measurement contributions. It does not characterize the whole Derby measurement process by itself.
NIST Engineering Statistics Handbook: What is experimental design? Primary guidance for planning controlled changes and measured responses so an experiment can support valid, objective conclusions.
NIST Engineering Statistics Handbook: General design principles for process modeling Primary guidance identifying replication and randomized run order as core design principles that help estimate variation and distribute drift.
OpenStax University Physics: Conditions for static equilibrium University-level reference for force and moment balance used in axle-load and center-of-gravity calculations.