Alignment Specs for Street/Autox

Sky Render

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I'm going to be doing some maintenance this winter, and as part of that I'm going to need to get an alignment. Currently, my specs are as follows:

Toe: 0°
Camber: -2.2°
Caster: Max

The car is driven around 5k miles per year (might be a bit more this year due to going to Mustang Week) and autocrossed about every other weekend during the spring/summer.

From what I can tell, I seem to have fairly even wear on both my street tires (rotated once a year) and my "track" tires (rotated after every event).

Anyone think I should go more aggressive on the alignment or leave it as is?
 

Boone

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Sounds like "it ain't broke" to me. I am set up with similar numbers, and my wear is surprisingly even as well. I would think you'd be getting some additional wear on the inside of your street tires and the outside of your track tires since your setup is right in the middle of optimal for each.

If you're a glutton for punishment, you could mark your CC plates (assuming you have them) with paint markers for a street and track setting. You can adjust camber at will.
 

Sky Render

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Sounds like "it ain't broke" to me. I am set up with similar numbers, and my wear is surprisingly even as well. I would think you'd be getting some additional wear on the inside of your street tires and the outside of your track tires since your setup is right in the middle of optimal for each.

If you're a glutton for punishment, you could mark your CC plates (assuming you have them) with paint markers for a street and track setting. You can adjust camber at will.

Buddy of mine with an SN95 Cobra does that. He maxes the camber in the parking lot before an autocross and resets it to "street" settings immediately afterwards.

The Maximum Motorsports plates I have aren't conducive to that, unfortunately. Everything is "hidden" beneath the strut tower.
 

ddd4114

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I drove ~7k miles with pretty much the same alignment and didn't have any problems. However, this was on summer tires that were autocrossed every so often, so I was only casually checking wear.

I've been running a little over 3 deg of negative camber and 0 toe for ~5k miles now, and I still haven't had an issues. Is the extra ~1 deg really worth the probable abnormal wear for a street-driven car? For me, yes, because otherwise I cord my track tires too quickly and I don't want to mess with alignment at the track. I'm not sure how well yours hold up, so it's a judgement call on your part.
 

jayel579

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I found good compromise running almost identical to what you stated. Once I pushed to -3.2 degrees of camber with a touch (1/8") toe out I started to run into tire wear problems on the street. Since I bought a truck and trailer I haven't worried about it since the car would run great on track.

Now that I am converting mine back to street and will no longer run on track, I will probably go back to what I started with.
 

2008 V6

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No - Problem - My wife has run similar settings for the last 4 years on the street. Just rotate your tires every time you change the oil - Front to back - Hers around 2500 to 3000 miles between rotation and oil.
I have a 2004 toyota tacoma base model truck with 5 degrees caster and 2 degrees negative camber ( I had to mill custom shim plates) - no problem on the street for tire wear. Just rotate tires when you change the oil. Rotating the tires regularly is what keeps the wear even.

Running excessive toe - In or Out will wear the tires faster.
2.5 + degrees is when I would start to worry about uneven tire wear on the street.
 
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Sky Render

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I think I'm going to bump the camber up to -2.6° or so.

I can rotate the tires after every autox if I want.
 

El_Tortuga

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Buddy of mine with an SN95 Cobra does that. He maxes the camber in the parking lot before an autocross and resets it to "street" settings immediately afterwards.

The Maximum Motorsports plates I have aren't conducive to that, unfortunately. Everything is "hidden" beneath the strut tower.

I'm on that plan. Drive to event on street tires and change out to track tires. Change camber to "all of it" which bumps toe out in the process. Just takes a couple of minutes since the front end is up in the air anyway.

So technically I'm changing alignment 40 times or so per year. LOL. 20+ events and 2 changes per track/autocross day. After about 3 years (120ish) adjustments I had to change out the Maximum Motorsports studplates but that was cheap and simple enough.
 

2008 V6

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I think I'm going to bump the camber up to -2.6° or so.

I can rotate the tires after every autox if I want.

Adjusting your camber is exceedingly easy at the track / auto cross. The weight of the car will help in adjusting more negative camber. Just find a flat surface first. Several camber tools are available.
I use this with the digital level –

http://www.longacreracing.com/products.aspx?itemid=2447&prodid=7214&pagetitle=QuickSet™+LW+Adapter

If I was careful, I could lock it onto the rim so I didn't have to constantly hold it while I try to adjust the camber or caster.
A lot more expensive now than when I paid for it.

Also, as stated previously, I get almost 3/32” toe out from changing my camber from -2 to -3.3 degrees camber if I remember correctly – Starting with .0625" toe in. I have soft springs so I needed lots of negative camber to save the tires. Steeda Comp springs w/ Koni Yellows. I couldn’t get any more negative camber without the springs hitting the chassis.
I used a line of tape for my stock / street settings (Now just a black permanent marker line) so I can quickly put the camber back to stock at the end of an event and go home. Not exact but close enough for a 100 + mile trip back from the track after a long day when I’m tired.
 

Sky Render

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See my above post. It is extremely difficult to adjust camber trackside with the MM caster/camber plates.
 

El_Tortuga

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See my above post. It is extremely difficult to adjust camber trackside with the MM caster/camber plates.

I really don't understand this comment since I adjusted 42 times last (21 times roundtrip) with MM plates (S197).

1) Jack the frontend up so that both front tires are off the ground.
2) Loosen up the 4 strut tower nuts (13mm socket).
3) Slide strut for camber adjustment.
4) Tighten up the 4 strut tower nuts (13mm socket).
5) Repeat other side.
6) Lower vehicle.

It takes me about 40 minutes for car prep to change 4 tires, unload, pull harness, set up cameras and AIM, etc. Since I've got the car in the air anyway, camber adjustment adds about 5 minutes or so (if that).
 
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stevbd

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See my above post. It is extremely difficult to adjust camber trackside with the MM caster/camber plates.

If you don't have both front wheels off the ground you are working against the sway bar and can't move the camber plates. I made this mistake myself.
 

Sky Render

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I really don't understand this comment since I adjusted 42 times last (21 times roundtrip) with MM plates (S197).

1) Jack the frontend up so that both front tires are off the ground.
2) Loosen up the 4 strut tower nuts (13mm socket).
3) Slide strut for camber adjustment.
4) Tighten up the 4 strut tower nuts (13mm socket).
5) Repeat other side.
6) Lower vehicle.

It takes me about 40 minutes for car prep to change 4 tires, unload, pull harness, set up cameras and AIM, etc. Since I've got the car in the air anyway, camber adjustment adds about 5 minutes or so (if that).

You slide the strut at the top? I've always done it by moving the actual wheel (per MM's instructions), and that's why it always seemed too difficult to me.
 

stevbd

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I loosen the plates and then reach over the tire to push or pull on the spring. I had my alignment and daily driving camber set with the strut in the most vertical position. Then at the track I just push it in to the "as much as possible" negative camber setting and return it to the most upright position when I am done.
 

2008 V6

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See my above post. It is extremely difficult to adjust camber trackside with the MM caster/camber plates.

I have MM plates & hemi-jointed sway bar ends.

Find flat surface for your car with your level, install caster/ camber device, loosen (4) MM strut bolts, tap LIGHTLY - LIGHTLY - Did I say Lightly - with brass punch on strut nut (Lightly) to desired camber.

If you go too far- Jack up car, grab strut and pull back, tighten (4) MM camber plate bolts, lower car roll backwards and forward to settle chassis and repeat sequence until correct.
VERY EASY
 
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Norm Peterson

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Seems to me that you only have to do one 'fussy' alignment for each camber setting. Once you've finished setting to each different camber, fabricate a gauging device of some sort to locate the strut shaft (not the big nut) relative to the big hole in the strut tower or possibly to the strut to tower mounting bolts. Left and right probably won't be identical, so plan on making two per camber setting.

Should be able to jack up the car a little and just push or pull on the struts until the strut shafts bottom out against the appropriate gauge.


Norm
 

El_Tortuga

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You slide the strut at the top? I've always done it by moving the actual wheel (per MM's instructions), and that's why it always seemed too difficult to me.

I grab the top of the tire or the spring, but its to create movement of the top of the strut. Just loosen the 4 nuts and go.

Now there was this one time, I watched an Aggie friend tug and his friend pull and fight his brand V plates with no result. I let him struggle for a bit before suggesting he lift both sides of the car. When he wasn't fighting the sway bar: Voila! He was thankful for the tip, but I wouldn't lay off the Aggie jokes. :)

Norm is correct. Fussy is a one time thing. I spent a bunch of time tweaking caster to max out. I run all the caster I can as it adds more negative camber to the outside wheel when the steering is turned.

At track, my alignment is dead nuts simple: all the negative I can get. My car is lowered about an 1-1/4" so all the way in results in about -2.5 degrees. It takes a touch under 1/2" of strut movement per degree of camber.

I run a little toe out on the street. Probably should be closer to zero or toe in, but I sure like how that and the extra toe out from camber adjustment make the turn in crisp.

Actually not that fussy on return to street either. All the way out is about -.8 degree.
 

El_Tortuga

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Timed it last weekend. Less than 90 seconds when the front end is up.

But I did have my tools at the ready
 

Vorshlag-Fair

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Below is part of a "canned response" we email S197 people a lot...

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We are often asked: "What camber setting should I run with Vorshlag camber-caster plates?"

The answer is... it depends on what you are doing with the car (street, track, autocross, etc) and what tire width and compound you are running. Spring rates and associated dampers also come into play, as does ride height.



On the car above we were running adjustable monotube coilovers with 450F/175R spring rates, a 275mm Bridgestone street tire on an 18x10" wheel, and ran -3.0° front camber. Between Camber and Caster, the front Camber setting is much more important. Depending on tire size and tracks being run, we recommend -3.5° to -4.5° up front for race cars. For stock-sized street tires -2.5° is more appropriate on track.

Camber can be changed quickly track side, but caster takes a bit more time. As you increase negative camber on the S197, the front toe will go "out". Typically a 2 degree change adds about 1/8" toe out.

If you will be leaving the alignment specs leave alone for dual purpose street/track use, shoot for -2.5° front camber and a ZERO front toe setting. Toe out wears tires more quickly than camber does and we have put countless miles on McPherson strut cars with -2.5° front camber without ill effects.



With more grip usually there is a need for more camber. Once we moved to 315mm race tires (shown above) then up to 335mm Hoosier rubber up front we ran close to -4.5° static front camber, for autocross or track use.

We recommended around +6.5° caster - which should be what our camber-caster plates get in the stock (centered) caster location, which is more than enough. There are two more settings which each add about 1/2 degree of additional caster. Running the "centered" of the 3 caster settings (which is how we assemble this model when first built) gives you more camber adjustment at the top of the round factory strut tower opening. Caster is like anything else - too much can be a bad thing. +8 degrees is in that "too much" category. We ran the 6.5° caster setting on our TT3 Mustang and it worked very well, setting lots of track records with dozens of wins.



We designed the Vorshlag camber-caster plates to have additional positive caster and negative camber range *beyond* what the round strut tower opening allows, for folks willing to cut the strut towers to add more camber. This is pretty extreme and usually reserved for race cars only - and then only when the class rules allow modifications to the strut tower. The image above is a 2013 Mustang race car with the strut towers cut open - which allowed for more camber and caster travel. We typically do not recommend any of that unless it is a "fangs out" race car. Please contact us if you want more instructions of why and how to do this - we even have a tool we built that we can rent out to help cut this opening cleanly.

===========

hope this helps...
 

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