Factory Alignment
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,520
Likes: 3
From: Redwood City CA
Factory Alignment
Well, I went to North Star Automotive in Mountain View, CA today to get an alignment done. I'm hitting another autocross this weekend and a trackday next Friday so I figured I better see what the factory left me with:
LF -0.6deg camber, 7.5deg caster, 0.10deg toe
RF -0.7deg camber, 7.4deg caster, 0.16deg toe
So cross-caster was wrong for road crowns, and I had significant toe-in.
LR -0.7deg camber, -0.17deg toe
RR -0.2deg camber, 0.10deg toe
Mismatched camber by 1/2deg! And toe-in on one side with toe-out on
the other!
All corrected:
LF -1.1deg camber, 7.5deg caster, -0.04deg toe
RF -1.1deg camber, 7.9deg caster, -0.02deg toe
LR -0.9deg camber, 0.03deg toe
RR -0.9deg camber, 0.05deg toe
Dave Bonar convinced me not to do -1.7deg up front and to try
this first since I drive the car to work everyday which is a lot more
miles than I'll put on at an autocross or at trackdays. I suspect we'll
move up from -1.1deg but it's a good starting point with the Supercars
still on the car.
glen
LF -0.6deg camber, 7.5deg caster, 0.10deg toe
RF -0.7deg camber, 7.4deg caster, 0.16deg toe
So cross-caster was wrong for road crowns, and I had significant toe-in.
LR -0.7deg camber, -0.17deg toe
RR -0.2deg camber, 0.10deg toe
Mismatched camber by 1/2deg! And toe-in on one side with toe-out on
the other!
All corrected:
LF -1.1deg camber, 7.5deg caster, -0.04deg toe
RF -1.1deg camber, 7.9deg caster, -0.02deg toe
LR -0.9deg camber, 0.03deg toe
RR -0.9deg camber, 0.05deg toe
Dave Bonar convinced me not to do -1.7deg up front and to try
this first since I drive the car to work everyday which is a lot more
miles than I'll put on at an autocross or at trackdays. I suspect we'll
move up from -1.1deg but it's a good starting point with the Supercars
still on the car.
glen
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,566
Likes: 2
From: Goleta CA
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
Please update us on how well your tires hold up on the street with those settings. I've got -.5 camber on all 4 and have grear wear rate on the street, but I would like to have a more aggressive setting for the track.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 419
Likes: 0
From: Crestwood KY
I had mine set with as much possible negative camber (but still within spec) and there is a huge handling advantage on the course and track. Sure, I could have gone more, but I really don't want to have to replace too many PS2s...they are expensive! If I trailer to my next track event, I am going much more agressive.
Glen, I don't have my sheet near by. How does your set-up compare to factory spec?
Glen, I don't have my sheet near by. How does your set-up compare to factory spec?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,520
Likes: 3
From: Redwood City CA
Originally Posted by openhelix
Just to add my .02, I'd highly recommend Custom Alignment in Mtn View. They setup my NORR Camaro and work on a good number of Vettes.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,520
Likes: 3
From: Redwood City CA
Originally Posted by CoolBlueC6
Glen, I don't have my sheet near by. How does your set-up compare to factory spec?
David Bonar @ North Star refers to my particular alignment as a "Street/Race" alignment since I put a lot more miles on the car on the street than anywhere else... I was thinking of going -1.7deg up front, but like I said, he convinced me otherwise. Neither of us are really sure how the Supercars would hold up to that much negative...
glen
(Edit: David's post http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...ight=alignment, and alignment specs page from the forum here http://forums.corvetteforum.net/c5/t...6alignment.htm)
Last edited by gkmccready; Jun 23, 2006 at 02:04 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 878
Likes: 0
From: Santa Clara CA
Weird!! I've never had a bad experience there and my f-body wasn't the easiest thing to get a jack under (GW Coilovers and SFCs). However, I've always considered Custom to be more of a race-prep shop than a resto shop (ie, a jack point under the car may get scratched and go unnoticed)
Originally Posted by gkmccready
I was planning on using Custom, too, until I found out North Star had a Hunter rack. I was talking to a buddy last night that had a mega-buck restoration done, including every little dimple in the car straightened -- frame and all. They sent the car to Custom Alignment to get, well, an alignment... the jacking point came back dimpled even after he warned them they're need to use a large jacking pad to keep that from happening. Not only that, they didn't tell him they'd done it, they just let the car go and it wasn't until he was cleaning it again that he found it. :-(
