front alignment specs
03-03-2009, 04:10 PM
#16
Racer
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Encinitas, ca PCA National DE instructor PCA San Diego chief driving instructor
Posts: 341
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So eyeball is this your daily driver?
Dave you should disclose how many street miles you get out of the tires before the inside camber wear shows (2500-3000 maybe)? Also how much rain and bad weather driving does this car see. How many miles you have run this setup? Perhaps the fact that this is a lightly sprung with 15" tall sidewall tire that makes it road compliant.
Respectfully - I have a very similar camber setup with different toe settings....... my tire camber wear is very significant if you are not tracking (getting the car to "roll over").
From my experience this is bad advice for a daily driver that will maybe see a DE session or two a year.
UP to you eyeball, but you will definitely have tire wear, and perhaps (as many others experience) tracking high spots and darty behavior over rough and uneven roads.
I am fine with my setup, and it sees tons of street driving, and I even rather enjoy the mannerisms...... however I would not want to drive it daily and certainly not in inclimate weather (heavy rain or snow).
Dave you should disclose how many street miles you get out of the tires before the inside camber wear shows (2500-3000 maybe)? Also how much rain and bad weather driving does this car see. How many miles you have run this setup? Perhaps the fact that this is a lightly sprung with 15" tall sidewall tire that makes it road compliant.
Respectfully - I have a very similar camber setup with different toe settings....... my tire camber wear is very significant if you are not tracking (getting the car to "roll over").
From my experience this is bad advice for a daily driver that will maybe see a DE session or two a year.
UP to you eyeball, but you will definitely have tire wear, and perhaps (as many others experience) tracking high spots and darty behavior over rough and uneven roads.
I am fine with my setup, and it sees tons of street driving, and I even rather enjoy the mannerisms...... however I would not want to drive it daily and certainly not in inclimate weather (heavy rain or snow).
On my NA 944, the priorities are different. This car sees 15~20 trackdays a year, and is NOT a daily driver. In light of this, you can understand why I have no idea how much the camber settings affect street tire wear. Three~four sets of 140 treadwear tires per year is normal, as both of my kids are driving/racing it, and I use it to instruct at a DE when my 951s is down for some reason.
When it comes to driving in bad weather........I live in San Diego...........what's bad weather?
03-04-2009, 06:28 AM
#17
Burning Brakes
yup, i was playing around with one of those a couple of years back when i realized that all of LA is retarded and NO ONE could align our cars for less that $200. so i bought that camber/caster gauge and also a toe gauge. they both seem to work except that it's nearly impossible to find a completely level surface to use the gauge on. also, even when using the same spot to check multiple times, the readings will vary. of course, i did end up using it and must have come up with reasonable settings as the tire wear has been acceptable.
i wish they could make one that didn't need a level surface.
03-04-2009, 10:07 AM
#18
Rennlist Member
Thanks Loaf (I also revived a thread of yours in the racing forum...)
I have a local guy that has aligned my car for $150 - but I have to loan him the rear toe-tool.
I can get the car perfectly level (I do that for corner balancing). But I do have to figure out a turnplate solution. I'm also thinking about a way to use a gun sight laser (attached to a Fastrax that shoots under the car) to measure toe.
That way I can do camber and toe in the rear, and camber, caster and toe in the front.
I have a local guy that has aligned my car for $150 - but I have to loan him the rear toe-tool.
I can get the car perfectly level (I do that for corner balancing). But I do have to figure out a turnplate solution. I'm also thinking about a way to use a gun sight laser (attached to a Fastrax that shoots under the car) to measure toe.
That way I can do camber and toe in the rear, and camber, caster and toe in the front.
