[Z06] My alignment changes during track days!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
From: Denver CO
My alignment changes during track days!
I've had several instances during track days of alignment changes; e.g. rear toe, front camber, front toe, thrust angle, steering wheel centering. My shop says they torque all adjustments to factory specs. Anybody else encounter this, or have recommendations (increasing torque specs or ??).
Thanks for your help,
Rich
Thanks for your help,
Rich
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,003
Likes: 89
From: Indy IN
First.. Start hanging out on the roadrace and autocross pages of the forum in the General section... Lots of experience there for you to soak up.
Second. The factory spec isn't tight enough, if you are using sticky tires, or see any sideways bumping (sliding and then sticking) you will find the adjusters often slip. Do a search on the roadracing and autocross page and you should find a torque that folks are using to prevent slippage. When I had my car aligned by Raftracer he said "gorilla torque these things or they will slip". I don't know how many ft lbs equals "gorilla torque" but Danny used a big cheater bar and mine haven't slipped.
Third. When you get it aligned (again) mark the excentric adjusters with a stripe of nail polish or paint. Put the stripe across the adjuster and then onto the subframe. Then if they slip you can quickly put them back to where they belong and you don't have to go to the alignment shop, and you will also know that they slipped, and something else isn't wrong.
Welcome to the crack addiction of HPDE...
Second. The factory spec isn't tight enough, if you are using sticky tires, or see any sideways bumping (sliding and then sticking) you will find the adjusters often slip. Do a search on the roadracing and autocross page and you should find a torque that folks are using to prevent slippage. When I had my car aligned by Raftracer he said "gorilla torque these things or they will slip". I don't know how many ft lbs equals "gorilla torque" but Danny used a big cheater bar and mine haven't slipped.
Third. When you get it aligned (again) mark the excentric adjusters with a stripe of nail polish or paint. Put the stripe across the adjuster and then onto the subframe. Then if they slip you can quickly put them back to where they belong and you don't have to go to the alignment shop, and you will also know that they slipped, and something else isn't wrong.
Welcome to the crack addiction of HPDE...
Last edited by Solofast; Aug 7, 2012 at 12:03 PM.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 570
Likes: 12
From: Front Royal Virginia
Yea, tighten the adjuster bolts with a breaker bar with all your weight.
I learned the hard way a few years back on a newly built spec miata, first time I entered a high G corner I heard all sorts of creaks and groans and the car was handling poorly after that.
I learned the hard way a few years back on a newly built spec miata, first time I entered a high G corner I heard all sorts of creaks and groans and the car was handling poorly after that.
