Wheel Alignment
Hello All,
I will be doing a wheel alignment tomorrow at a friends shop who happens to have an alignment rack. I have done my 2004 GMC pickup on it. It is a Hunter brand alignment rack and is capable of aligning all 928's (not that there could be too much difference between years). This will be my first attempt at aligning my 928 as I have had some Porsche shops do it in the past and have done it incorrectly (ie. lifting the front end suspension off the ground). But I have heard that the front lip (1986) has to be removed to get an accurate alignment. I have never heard of this and believe that that is a false statement unless someone states otherwise. I realize too that the 928 will have all 4 wheels adjusted.
The following is where my alignment on my 86 928s was on 6/22/01 done by YARK Porsche in Toledo, OH. (I know I keep an amazing record of all things done to my 928.)
All stated in DEG.
L/F: Cam: -0.96; Cast: 3.58; Toe: 0.15
R/F: Cam: -.077; Cast: 3.11; Toe: 0.15
Front: Cross Cam: -0.19; Cross Cast: 0.48; Total Toe: 0.30
L/R: Cam: -1.03; Toe: 0.07
R/R: Cam: -1.08; Toe: 0.17
Rear: Total Toe: 0.24; Thrust Angle: -0.05
I hope to come close to these tolerances tomorrow and hope it goes well. Any suggestions or comments please advise.
Michael Robinson
1986 Porsche 928s
BLK/BLK 5SPD
175+K
Un-molested...
I will be doing a wheel alignment tomorrow at a friends shop who happens to have an alignment rack. I have done my 2004 GMC pickup on it. It is a Hunter brand alignment rack and is capable of aligning all 928's (not that there could be too much difference between years). This will be my first attempt at aligning my 928 as I have had some Porsche shops do it in the past and have done it incorrectly (ie. lifting the front end suspension off the ground). But I have heard that the front lip (1986) has to be removed to get an accurate alignment. I have never heard of this and believe that that is a false statement unless someone states otherwise. I realize too that the 928 will have all 4 wheels adjusted.
The following is where my alignment on my 86 928s was on 6/22/01 done by YARK Porsche in Toledo, OH. (I know I keep an amazing record of all things done to my 928.)
All stated in DEG.
L/F: Cam: -0.96; Cast: 3.58; Toe: 0.15
R/F: Cam: -.077; Cast: 3.11; Toe: 0.15
Front: Cross Cam: -0.19; Cross Cast: 0.48; Total Toe: 0.30
L/R: Cam: -1.03; Toe: 0.07
R/R: Cam: -1.08; Toe: 0.17
Rear: Total Toe: 0.24; Thrust Angle: -0.05
I hope to come close to these tolerances tomorrow and hope it goes well. Any suggestions or comments please advise.
Michael Robinson
1986 Porsche 928s
BLK/BLK 5SPD
175+K
Un-molested...
Michael,
By "front lip" do you mean the spoiler? I can't imagine why that would need to be removed,. Certainly the wheels don't care and that's what you are aligning.
The spec for front toe is 15' +/- 5', that's total toe, not per wheel. They would set each wheel at 7.5' toe-in, that's 0.12 deg so they were quite close. The rear is spec'ed per wheel.
I would try to get better left/right symmetry for front caster/camber but that's just me being a perfectionist/nutjob.

Pages from 928 Workshop Manual (complete).jpg
By "front lip" do you mean the spoiler? I can't imagine why that would need to be removed,. Certainly the wheels don't care and that's what you are aligning.
The spec for front toe is 15' +/- 5', that's total toe, not per wheel. They would set each wheel at 7.5' toe-in, that's 0.12 deg so they were quite close. The rear is spec'ed per wheel.
I would try to get better left/right symmetry for front caster/camber but that's just me being a perfectionist/nutjob.

Pages from 928 Workshop Manual (complete).jpg
only time the front spoiler needs to be removed is if you can't drive onto the rack without tearing it off.....in which case, you can place 2x10's at the ramps to raise the attack angle of the car versus rack.....
DO NOT JACK UP THE CAR PRIOR TO ALIGNMENT.
--Russ
DO NOT JACK UP THE CAR PRIOR TO ALIGNMENT.
--Russ
Race Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,663
Likes: 1
From: No where Oklahoma AKA "The Dust Bowl" In The Arm pit Of Hell
Michael,
By "front lip" do you mean the spoiler? I can't imagine why that would need to be removed,. Certainly the wheels don't care and that's what you are aligning.
The spec for front toe is 15' +/- 5', that's total toe, not per wheel. They would set each wheel at 7.5' toe-in, that's 0.12 deg so they were quite close. The rear is spec'ed per wheel.
I would try to get better left/right symmetry for front caster/camber but that's just me being a perfectionist/nutjob.

Attachment 324073
By "front lip" do you mean the spoiler? I can't imagine why that would need to be removed,. Certainly the wheels don't care and that's what you are aligning.
The spec for front toe is 15' +/- 5', that's total toe, not per wheel. They would set each wheel at 7.5' toe-in, that's 0.12 deg so they were quite close. The rear is spec'ed per wheel.
I would try to get better left/right symmetry for front caster/camber but that's just me being a perfectionist/nutjob.

Attachment 324073
Unequal rear toe can cause pull to one side. They should be able to get them closer than they did.
Unequal caster can do the same thing. So, say, in the alignment you got, if the left side was as low as it could go at 3.58, the other side should have been set the same, not lower. It's common in these cars not to be able to get below 4 and that's fine.
Your camber is higher than spec. That may be as low as they could get it due to compression of the upper control arm bushings over the years. Or it could be due to ride height being set too low.
Unequal caster can do the same thing. So, say, in the alignment you got, if the left side was as low as it could go at 3.58, the other side should have been set the same, not lower. It's common in these cars not to be able to get below 4 and that's fine.
Your camber is higher than spec. That may be as low as they could get it due to compression of the upper control arm bushings over the years. Or it could be due to ride height being set too low.
Michael,
All previous replies are excellent. You might go to my web site and print all of the wheel alignment section.
Also read all of the "miscellaneous ramblings"
http://members.rennlist.com/captearlg/
All previous replies are excellent. You might go to my web site and print all of the wheel alignment section.
Also read all of the "miscellaneous ramblings"
http://members.rennlist.com/captearlg/


