Alignment Specs

Lanny, Leon, et al. --

I just put the FM Springs and a set of AGXs on my '97.

Afterward, I went to a local garage that was willing to allow me to
"ride" while I had the car aligned. Unfortunately, they were unable
to match Lanny's Alignment Specs.

Here is what I wound up with:

Front: L R Combined

Camber: -1.0 -1.1
Caster: 0.1
Toe In: 0.08 0.08
Total Toe: 0.16

Rear:

Camber -1.7 -1.6
Toe In: 0.10 0.08
Total Toe: 0.18

Thoughts, concerns, guidance ???

TIA

- L

'97 STO, "Chouki"

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In article >,
L Bader > wrote:

> Camber: -1.0 -1.1
> Caster: 0.1
> Toe In: 0.08 0.08
> Total Toe: 0.16
>
> Rear:
>
> Camber -1.7 -1.6
> Toe In: 0.10 0.08
> Total Toe: 0.18

You won't be happy with only 0.1 degree of caster--the wheel probably
stays where you leave it instead of returning to center, with very
little feel. With a lowered car, it's not surprising they couldn't get
enough caster without sacrificing camber. Looks like they tried
commendably hard, though.

I would prefer to give up enough front camber to get 4 degrees of
caster, then set the rear 0.5-0.7 degrees more negative than the front.
Your camber might end up at -1.3F / -1.9R, more or less, but that's the
price of lowering, and with such small amounts of toe you shouldn't
expect too much extra tire wear if you drive fairly aggressively.

It's worth doing over, Maybe they'll give you a break on a realignment.

--
Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
'94C
the alignment page:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

>
>You won't be happy with only 0.1 degree of caster--the wheel probably
>stays where you leave it instead of returning to center, with very
>little feel. With a lowered car, it's not surprising they couldn't get
>enough caster without sacrificing camber. Looks like they tried
>commendably hard, though.
>
>I would prefer to give up enough front camber to get 4 degrees of
>caster, then set the rear 0.5-0.7 degrees more negative than the front.
>Your camber might end up at -1.3F / -1.9R, more or less, but that's the
>price of lowering, and with such small amounts of toe you shouldn't
>expect too much extra tire wear if you drive fairly aggressively.
>
>It's worth doing over, Maybe they'll give you a break on a realignment.


Lanny -

Took your advise and took it back to the shop. Steve and his guys
worked at it and got me the following numbers:

L R Combined
Front:

Camber -1.0 -1.1
Total Camber 0.1
Caster 4.0 4.0
Toe 0.09 0.07
Total Toe 0.16

Rear:

Camber -1.6 -1.6
Toe 0.07 0.08
Total Toe 0.15

Thanks for the help! (Any last minute thoughts or comments?)

- L

'97 STO, "Chouki"

// Change TEJAS to TX to reply via eMail //

L Bader > wrote:

>
>>
>>You won't be happy with only 0.1 degree of caster--the wheel probably
>>stays where you leave it instead of returning to center, with very
>>little feel. With a lowered car, it's not surprising they couldn't get
>>enough caster without sacrificing camber. Looks like they tried
>>commendably hard, though.
>>
>>I would prefer to give up enough front camber to get 4 degrees of
>>caster, then set the rear 0.5-0.7 degrees more negative than the front.
>>Your camber might end up at -1.3F / -1.9R, more or less, but that's the
>>price of lowering, and with such small amounts of toe you shouldn't
>>expect too much extra tire wear if you drive fairly aggressively.
>>
>>It's worth doing over, Maybe they'll give you a break on a realignment.
>
>
>Lanny -
>
>Took your advise and took it back to the shop. Steve and his guys
>worked at it and got me the following numbers:
>
> L R Combined
>Front:
>
> Camber -1.0 -1.1
> Total Camber 0.1
> Caster 4.0 4.0
> Toe 0.09 0.07
> Total Toe 0.16
>
>Rear:
>
> Camber -1.6 -1.6
> Toe 0.07 0.08
> Total Toe 0.15
>
>Thanks for the help! (Any last minute thoughts or comments?)

I would guess tires may not last that long with all that toe.
Is front toe out and rear toe in?

Happy new year,
Leon

>- L
>
>'97 STO, "Chouki"
>
>// Change TEJAS to TX to reply via eMail //

--
Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
http://www.dommelen.net/miata
EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 23:44:30 GMT,
(Leon van Dommelen) wrote:

>
>I would guess tires may not last that long with all that toe.
>Is front toe out and rear toe in?
>
>Happy new year,
>Leon
>

Leon -

Toe IN at both ends...

I expect I will see faster wear than "norm", but it is worth it if the
car continues to stick like it did on the test run today!

(Lanny, your "rudder-kicks" worked... I sailed through one of my
"headache" roads without incident or concern!)

- L

'97 STO, "Chouki"

// Change TEJAS to TX to reply via eMail //

In article >,
L Bader > wrote:

> Took your advise and took it back to the shop. Steve and his guys
> worked at it and got me the following numbers:

Those are excellent numbers, L, especially for a lowered car. If that
shop does general maintenance too, I'd give them all your business. They
obviously cared about doing it right, and had the talent to pull it off.

Hope your New Year's weather doesn't make you wait too long to try it
out!

--
Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
'94C
the alignment page:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

In article >,
L Bader > wrote:

> I expect I will see faster wear than "norm"

Yeah, but Norm doesn't drive like you. ;-)

> (Lanny, your "rudder-kicks" worked...

You mean steering with your right foot? Yup, you now have a new toy.
Just so you train yourself to remember that backing off has at least as
much effect as adding throttle. It takes a lot of discipline to manage
an oversteering car through a corner that was entered 5 mph too hot. But
it's more fun--and faster--than in an understeering car, once you learn
how it works.

--
Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
'94C
the alignment page:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

Lanny -

Steve and his crew already do the work I can't (either due to time,
tools or technique) and they get my first referral to anyone that asks
me, "do you know a mechanic?"

In that I am in South Texas, I was pouring through some Hill Country
twisties with the top down after sunset. -- Truly God's Country...

Thanks again for all the help.

Zoom-Zoom!

- L


On Sat, 01 Jan 2005 02:59:39 GMT, Lanny Chambers
> wrote:

>In article >,
> L Bader > wrote:
>
>> Took your advise and took it back to the shop. Steve and his guys
>> worked at it and got me the following numbers:
>
>Those are excellent numbers, L, especially for a lowered car. If that
>shop does general maintenance too, I'd give them all your business. They
>obviously cared about doing it right, and had the talent to pull it off.
>
>Hope your New Year's weather doesn't make you wait too long to try it
>out!

'97 STO, "Chouki"

// Change TEJAS to TX to reply via eMail //