Dan Wendling

Does it make any sense to set a compromise camber/caster for a daily driver that sees a few HPDE days?

The car is a 2010 Callaway Grand Sport SC606, stock tires.

If not how hard is it to change these settings at home or at the track?
Are there any modifications that I can install to make the changes easier to do? I see some thing from Hardbar but I don't understand why they would make things easier.

waktasz

As long as your toe is close to zero you can run a surprising amount of camber without having tire wear issues.

kentz06

What I have also noticed is that my car requires less negative camber for the same effect since replacing the stock rubber control arm bushings with the Pfadt polyurethane bushings. Anything you do to eliminate suspension flex will improve the function of your selected suspension geometry.

Dean

C5inWV

You can't expect 50,000 miles from a set of tires anyway. If you get a more satisfying experience from more aggressive alignment, I say go for it.
My '07 Z-51 car seemed to float at speeds over 140mph at VIR. That resolved w/ a better alignment. I don't use that car on track anymore and considered changing the alignment back, but delayed b/c I haven't noticed any wear on the tires (Firestone runflats.)
There is a great alignment shop in Hagerstown familiar w/ our interests. PM me if you need more info.
I'd love to see your car, and catch a ride in it if you go to SP/ FATT, etc.

gkmccready

I'm happy with -1.8 front, -1.2deg rear. Tires seem to wear okay on the street and at HPDEs. Poly bushings. 1/64"-1/32" toe-in front, 1/16" toe-in rear.

I kept telling myself that with camber plates and upper studs I'd spend the time to change camber and re-set toe before and after events but it's really a pain and somewhat time consuming. And, honestly, given I'm running an HPDE and not racing the difference wasn't worth it.

davidfarmer

I agree with the others, excessive toe hurts more than camber on the street. However, don't get crazy. The average C6Z06 settings of -1.5front and -1.0rear camber offer a great comprimise of street and track, especially if you rotate the tires as needed.

Dan Wendling

Can someone explain the use of camber plates and upper studs. I have looked over the Hardbar site and read the installation directions. But I am not sure I get the point.

My guess is:Also from some of the posts it looks like there are reasonable compromise settings toe/camber/caster for HPDE/Daily Driver use without killing the tire life.

Also a priority list of suspension changes to make based on best bang for the buck. Again consider the combined use of the car. The car is a Callaway SC606 GS.

gkmccready

The upper stud kit is just that, a stud and nut, instead of a bolt. It just makes things a bit easier to deal with. Like lug studs+nuts, versus lug bolts on the wheels.

The camber plates replace the stock eccentric bolts, locking the lower alignment in place, and then you make camber/caster adjustments using spacers behind the upper A-Arms.

Neither are required changes. Many many people use the stock eccentrics, and the stock upper fasteners. It's more about convenience or fear of the alignment slipping.

Bang for the buck will be more money spent on more seat time... the stock car, especially the Callaway, is probably more than enough to stay ahead of you for a while. :-)

Thinking about the Callaway SC606 GS makes me really think about the DRM C600/RSR...

Dan Wendling

I do plan to stay stock for the first events and get the seat time.

I however am a big planner and like the research. So please provide the feedback if you know the best way to improve the car.

gkmccready

I can only tell you what I have:
- Pfadt Poly Bushings (yes, they do squeak)
- DRM Bilstein Coilovers
- Pfadt's Original Competition Sway Bars

If I had it to do again, I would probably do the Chevy T1 or LGM G1 bars or the newer Pfadt competition bars, and I would still get the DRM coilovers. I'd also go with either the newer Pfadt split-poly bushings or with VBP.

The other alternative would be to call RAFTRACER which would likely lead me down the road of VBP extreme+ leaf springs, poly bushings, a big front swaybar, and either KONI 3013s or custom valved Bilstein shocks.

After playing with this car for the last few years, I think the order should be:
- Alignment (including rake)
- Corner weights
- Wheels and tires
- Swaybars
- Shocks
- Springs (and shocks valved for them)
- Poly bushings

Funny. I just dug out an email I got from RAFTRACER when I first talked about upgrading my C6 and after 3+ years and spending far too much money experimenting my list now matches what he told me... if only I'd listened...

AU N EGL

Dan

Many of us might suggest to do your research AFTER you do 3,4 or 5 events.

Leave your car stock, DOT 4 brake fluid, and better brake pads, plus an aggressive street alignment, as David mentions above.

too much info too soon may confuser you more then help you.


Tom

Bill Dearborn

It all depends on how many events you plan on doing a year. Four or five days per year are not that many and you really don't need a lot of changes. As David Farmer says the stock Z06 settings are a fair compromise. The alignment should feel good to you on the street and the track. I had similar settings on my C5Z and it felt good on the track with R compound Kumho's and great on the street with Firestone WOs and I was doing 12 to 16 events per year. I never changed the bushings on my 03/Z and I put 5K track miles on it without having any issues with the bushings.

The studs and camber plates allow you to get more camber and make it easier to change the alignment many times. The upper control arm bolts will eventually wear out the threads in the frame if you do a lot of changes. I used to play with the alignment on my 97 and wore those threads to the point the dealer's alignment tech installed studs he got from a local supply house.

I did eventually install a set of camber plates in my 03 and quickly found out you want to do your own alignments if you have them. The plates totally screwed with the GY stores tech's mind and he had a hard time adjusting the settings using shims behind the upper control arm bolts. Having done that many times on my 97 I was tempted to step in and say let me do that.

Bill

Zenak

If you are new to setting up an HPDE Car read here:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...e-learned.html

davidfarmer

honestly, the ONLY advantage I see to using studs up top and locking the bottoms, is that you narrow the wheelbase when adding camber, which allows more thread penetration in the tie-rod ends.

My top choice personally though would be to get either Hardbar OR Pfadt lower camber plates, and leave the uppers alone (you need the ENTIRE kit though, which gets pricey). The upper threads are easy to strip, and difficult to repair. Also, you have to jack the car up and remove the wheels to make adjustments. You can make camber/castor changes on the lower concentrics without having to jack up, then re-settle the car so much.

The only exception to this is the C6Z06 though. Since you can do uppers at the front and rear, and it has more adjustment at the uppers (without even changing the lowers at all), you can often simply remove one or two washers from each bolt, and put it back together in one adjustment.

Just my $.02

Dan Wendling

Are the suspension setup comments applicable to the 2010 GS as well as the C6Z06?

I know the frame is aluminum vs. steel but are the settings and comments about mounts/washers,etc. the same for each?