Racers! Alignment Help Please!
 

Looking for ultimate grip. This is a GSL-SE that is used for track purposes, but sees some street usage. This is not an autocross car.

I have:
Ground Control Coilovers
Tokico Shocks
Aftermarket springs
Respeed Camber plates
Respeed Rear control arms
Trilink Rear suspension
Respeed Rack and Pinion

I'll be installing the Rack in a couple of weeks and I just installed the rear conrol arms. So, a full alignment is needed. I'm concerned with ultimate medium and high speed grip. Tire wear is not my primary concern.

Racers, please post your alignment numbers (if you can share) or any links to alignment setups where toe, camber and height are adjustable.

Thanks!

tire size? big track, smaller auto x?

if its partially a street car, start with the following

zero front toe, a track car with the stock box would run a little toe out. the rack might call for something a little different, but zero toe is a good place to start

-1.5 camber. a track car would start around -2.5, but this will wear the tires on the street. smaller tires (185-195) will take even more camber

caster; generally you just want as much positive caster as you can get, which isn't much different from stock, just make it even

ride height: not sure about this one, geometry goes crazy on a stock car at both ends when you go too low. you also want to avoid bottoming out. in the front you wanna keep the roll center above ground

Tire size is a good question, because I currently have three different sizes. I'll have to get back to you on that one.

I appreciate the numbers. As mentioned, this car is primarily a track car run under HPDE at larger tracks, Pocono, NJMSP, etc. It is used occasionally for street use like say a nice sunny Friday, I may take it to work or take it for a drive on the weekend. However this is not a DD, so tire wear is not a primary concern, although decent tire life is good as it is run primarily on race rubber.

You might wish to search the Race Tech section. There are some posted alignment specs.

i don't race my car yet, but i run -2.8 deg camber and zero front toe. as far as wear i don't really notice it that badly.

I searched the race section, and there really was not too much information especially for FBs. Every track day I see a couple SAs and FBs so I know there are plenty of people running them. I guess they either ar not on the forum, or they just don't want to share information.

or B) every course is different and will take a slightly different setup, as do different tires?

you might be kinda right though, i know my 1st gen setup from pro7, which is pre rx7 forum

Agreed. Once the rack kit is installed have the car setup with zero toe, 2 degrees of camber and even out the caster. Tire temps will allow you to determine tire pressures and camber setting from that base point. Play with toe for turn, if needed.

-billy

i run -2 camber, 5 castor and 0 toe. remember never use toe out on the street if you want neg toe just set it at 0 and when you brake the tires naturally toe themseves out. MMmmmm makes for great turn in!

3 degrees negative camber, as much positive camber as the plates will provide. Set to to 1/8" in, makes it less squirlly under braking and bumpy high speed straights easier to drive w/o the front tires toeing out.

positive camber?

positive caster...by typo.

It all depends on what racing you're doing. If I'm autoXing I want as much turn in as possible so I go 0 toe to 1/6" toe out. On a track where straight line stability is an issue I agree with Brad. Although I have never has an issue with driveability running 0 toe daily with the terrible roads we have in Seattle, and I've seen speeds above 130 on them.

edit: I'm an r-tard you specifically said this was a track not an AutoX car. LOL. do what he said!

So....

Fronts:
2-3 degrees negative camber
1/8 toe out front to 1/6 toe in (that kinda equals 0)
Max caster

Rear:
?
?
?

I know that adjustments will be made, but just looking for a starting point.

Gracias!

rear you want zero toe and -1 camber

Front: -1.8 - -2 camber (I don't like to much camber because it reduces braking) (I also run a stiff setup, the suspension doesn't give that much) 700lb front springs
Slight front toe out: 1/8
Make sure you have proper turn in spacers and some good bushings.

Rear: -.5 - -1 camber
0 Toe

You need an adjustable front sway bar, you can corner weight by adjusting the height of each corner (cross weight), but you need to make sure the sway bar isn't preloaded.

Also, not sure if anybody mentioned the rake. I prefer the front end slightly lower than the rear. You'll get better turn in and less push when accelerating out of the corners. You'll end up with +rake coming out of a corner if you set your car for equal ride height (this is because of the rear squating from excel).

Zero Toe to start No reason for toe out unless you need it. The rack kit is going to have a different setup then the old system.

-billy

Back from the dead. Finally doing the alignment this week.

Any last comments?

if you're actually doing tire temps, then that will set the camber. so spend all the time on the alignment setting the toe/caster.

if you're not doing tire temps, then just get everything even WITH YOU IN THE CAR.

zero toe, max caster*, and start @-2 camber like billy says.

i dunno about your HPDE group, but ours don't run fast enough to need more camber, or even get the tires up to temp.

The NASA club I run with has multiple run groups on the track at once. For example I was on the track with a GTR, a supercharged Elise, a Z06, a Mustang GT, and a Tiburon. So, all that to say is you go as fast as your skill allows you to go.

I can take my tire temps, but I have no alignment equipment to adjust my alignment at the track so the only thing I can mess with is air pressure, height, and rebound.

A couple pictures in grid from last year:

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/x...y/PIC-0026.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/x...Picture025.jpg

oh well if you don't have anything to adjust the car with just take the tire temps, and adjust air pressure and have fun driving the car!

Sooo, back to my original question:
I did a major suspension modification and before I drive my car on the street or track I need to perform an alignment as my current alignment was done by eyeball.

I appreciate those who have had useful inputs on this matter and I will be going with that. Thanks!

the link in my sig is all the 25 hour pics, multiple run groups get, um interesting.