I have a appointment tomarrow to have my alignment settings checked. While reading the Mazda manual. I noticed there setting were done with a full tank of gas. I would think this makes a big difference. After searching .....I have not heard of anyone talking about it.
For those who have done an alignment. What was your gas tank level? I might have answered my own question but hope to hear some feedback.
Thanks

 

if you race then get it aligned with however much gas you race with. i doubt an alignment will vary *too much with varying levels of gas unless you are that serious about it. the good thing about a full tank is that it is will be easy to recreate the same conditions since anything under a full tank is really a crapshoot as to whether you have the same amount of gas. my 2 cents. it think it is more important that you are in the car when it is aligned.

 

It's more important that YOU be in the car during the alignment. Your weight will actually affect the balance on the car, since your weight is all located on one spot. The gas tank level won't change anything; it's static and evenly distributed across the rear. The 50-60lbs less on the rear suspension won't make a lick of difference to the toe or camber settings.

 

Gasoline weighs approx 5.5 pounds per gallon. That is a 110 pound difference between empty and full with all of that weight behind the rear axle.

For street driving I would not worry about it, but for competition it matters. The weight of the gas will effect alignment due to the variance of the vehicle's ride height; camber and toe are not constant as the suspension moves. You wouldn't have your alignment set with the car on jackstands and the suspension fully extended would you? Align the car with you in the seat and the amount of fuel you plan to run (as we all know you can't run an FD with less than half a tank anyway).