Because the C4S is AWD I need to have a four wheel alignment. I want to take the car in to my local wheel place (they only do wheels and alignments) for the alignment.

Is this really something that Porsche should do? Is there anything special about our cars than any other AWD car?

Thanks!
Rob

 

Any good shop can do your allignment. Make sure you get a printout of the settings BEFORE and after. You might also go in there with what the allgnment specks should be and verify them to what they are setting them to. If you have no symptoms of a misallignment and the readings are within specs, leave it alone.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm in desperate need of an alignment.

Where would I get the alignment specs?

Thanks again,
Rob

 

I bet Loren at RennTech has them.

 

I'll ask, thanks!!

 

For those interested here are the Alignment specs that I found on RennTech (Thanks to Loren for posting them!)

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index...5&hl=alignment

 

Here are GT3 specs...

Front axle height: 115 + 5mm (115 to 120mm)
Rear axle height: 128 + 5mm (128 to 133mm)

Front axle:
Toe unpressed (total): +8' +/- 2'
Toe difference at 20° lock: -1°30' +/- 30'
Camber: -1° +/- 5'
Max camber difference, left/right: 10'
Caster: 8° +/- 30'
Max caster difference, left/right: 40'

Rear axle:
Toe per wheel: +13' +/- 2'
Max toe difference, left/right: 5'
Camber: -1°50' +/- 5'
Max camber difference, left/right: 10'

 

Is it practical to go with GT3 specs when one doesn't have GT3 equipment on one's 996?

 

You won't be able to dial it into a regular C2 suspension.

 

Would anyone take there car to Belle Tire? They told me they use Hunter equipment. They will do the alignment for $70 in MI.

 

You need a 4-wheel alignment because it has a 4-wheel independant suspension. AWD is irrelevent. For full size truck with solid axle rear ends, they only get a 2-wheel alignment regardess of whether they are 2WD or 4WD.

For specs, you won't be able to align your C4S to GT3 specs. Even if you could, you probably would not like the tire wear. The GT3 has adjustable lower control arms in front and different busihings. As a result, the front is camber limited. As a result of harder bushings, the GT3 has different toe specs that won't work as well on your softer C4S.

Personally, I woudl go to someone who knows how to do both stock and sport alignments on these cars. I had a couple of choices locally. I chose to have Ruf Autocenter do mine with their street/track alignment. It adds camber and toe, but not enough to adversely effect tire wear. My local Porsche dealers also have experience making similar alignments.

 

Those specs are really vague, and your average shop will just get it to within specs and then leave it.

You are really better off telling them exactly how you want it and then get it aligned. Give them the exact specs and tell them to shoot for that. The rears are going to have a minimum of 1.4 camber on a lowered car and without camber plates it's tough to get more than 1.1 in the front.

 

true... those specs are just a "range"... now that we are on the subject what makes for a good handling car AND great high speed stability? I recently insalled ROW 030 on my C2 and the high speed stability was dazzling... but the cornering sucked... way too much understeer... I took it to another shop with the above specs for ROW 030 sport and they fixed whatever was wrong... much much better in the corners... understeer almost gone... but high speed cruising 120mph + seems good but not as "smooth" as before... what gives? seems to be a certain "roughness" for a lack of a better word that was not there with alignment #1. (although alignment #1 had serious understeer)...

 

Toe out. With toe dialed out the car gets twitchy at high speeds but corners much better.

Riad, unless you're a track junky (I am, and still take my car to a "regular" alignment shop) any regular alignment shop will likely suffice. Most will ask you for the settings and give a printout of before and after.

 

Ok, so my toeout B4 alignment was:

front left: 02' front right: 01'
rear left: 08' rear right: 17'

after alignment

front left: 05'front right: 04'
rear left: 11' rear right: 12'

is there more toe out or more toe in in the new setup?