JPTL

I'm getting ready to take the '88 S4 'track car' in for a track/street alignment, but wanted to get the ride height right before the alignment - as well as get some suggestions on how far to go with a track alignment.
The car is used 90% track/DE, but needs to be streetable to get to and from the track.

The setup is as follows:
Suspension -
Hypercoils
Konis
928 Specialist front/rear performance swaybars
928 Motorsports lower frame brace*
Wheels/tires - So tires and wheels aren't a dramatic departure from stock, in that with stock suspension at stock ride height, there would be no rubbing issues.
Stock fenders w/very mild rolling in the rear.
I'm not sure what the current ride height is at the moment. I'm guessing around 145mm in the front...
Has anyone found a good track/street ride height for a setup similar to this, and how aggressive did you go with the alignment?

*The only issue that affects front ride height is that the p/s frame brace bolt hits during sharp banks at the carousel at Summit Point Shanendoah. I hate the carousel, so I'm not going to let that track dictate my ride height

GlenL

So Cayman wheels?

155mm height all around
Front:
-2.5* Camber 3.3* caster and +15' toe

Rear:
-2* Camber and +10' toe

JPTL

Fixed the aspect ratios. Thanks Glen.
..and they're Panamera wheels:

FredR

For the front I would suggest you start with 1.75 degrees camber [using the lower brace as I do], 5 degrees caster and set the front toe at the minimum of the recommended spec range [cannot remember the toe numbers off hand]. With a 245 up front you may find you do not need quite as much camber

On the rear I would start with 1.5 degrees camber and set the toe in the middle of the spec range and then see how you go.

Rgds

Fred

JPTL

Thanks for the advice Glen & Fred. I'm taking it to a seasoned alignment tech who knows 928s and has had years of track alignment experience. Your suggestions along with his experience should get me squared away!

GlenL

I use those same wheels at the track.

Carl Fausett

Damn sharp looking wheels!

JPTL

Aside from having great front offsets, they actually look good on the 928. I like the spoke look sans the centercaps. Makes the car look track-ready.
Although I haven't installed them yet, a little Photoshopping gives me a good idea of how they'll look:

GlenL

I still haven't adapted the front grease caps to accept the center caps. The wheels don't fit right with the center caps on with the stock grease cape.

JPTL

I'm assuming that the Pana wheel interfaces are like many others where they aren't as thick as the stock 928 wheels and the dust caps protrude a bit.
Unless you have some loose 'donor' hubs to lay on the garage floor and hammer the hell out of the caps, I suggest having the shoulders milled down about 8mm (just shallow enough to clear the hub bolt when pressed back into the hub). I'm sure you know all about this, but those stock caps are really robust and it takes some serious hammering. Probably not great for your bearings....
Discussed here

fraggle

whoa you're alive man!! get that thing set up!

JPTL

Hey Mike! Yeah I'm still alive. Plugging away. I've been trying to make it to Katie's one of these weekends, but my (kids') schedule seems to always interfere. If I ever make it, I'll definitely give you a shout.

dr bob

I cut about 5mm off the open end of the grease/dust caps, so they can be tapped in a little bit deeper for cap clearance. Hacksaw, then a file to clean the cut edges. Caps need to stay clear of the end of the spindle and nut when installed.

JPTL

Just got back from the alignment shop. I thought the car handled well with Hankook Ventus' on wheels with a horrible 50mm front offset and f/r alignment that was way off in settings, toe and side-to-side. I can only imagine how it's going to handle now!
The guy did a great job and knew what he was doing, however he was unable to attain the front camber that either of you guys suggest. He was only able to get to a -1.3° front. I don't know why that is. Could it be the Hypercoils? Sway bar? Rear settings (which were way off, especially the toe) are now spot-on.
IIRC, factory camber is less than -1.3°, so I'm getting a very conservative track front camber...does that make sense?
I'm seeing factory front camber is "+30’+10’", but how does ' translate to ° ? Obviously the ' is not feet, the only thing that I can figure is that it's a decimal equivalent to degrees???

mark kibort

your ride height and camber looks fine for dual purpose, especially with those tires and the suspension you have. 1.3degrees is not bad.. 1.7 ideal for almost dedicated track car. softer needs a little more , but you are probably quite stiff with hypercoil set up.
30' 10" is 30min.. think of a clock.. and 60min is 1 degree. so, 30min is a 1/2 degree seconds are 1/60 of that degree