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Wheel alignment - Charley Brown settings.

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:58 pm
by Steve Tinker
After installing new shocks on my NA6 a couple of weeks ago, I pulled all the suspension adjusting bolts out last weekend and greased the spindles, replaced the nuts and generlly checked over the suspension before I had the wheel alignment done yesterday.
I went to see a local wheel alignment specialist who was recommended to me as he sets up a number of local rally cars so he should know the business. He has his aligner calibrated once a month, doesn't mind you sitting in the car while its aligned and looked at my alignment specs as given by Charley Brown (thanks CB) last year and said he could alight to them. My wife had to take the car yesterday (me busy at work) and his results for the alignment are as follows:
Front Camber = - 1.3 deg (L), - 1.3 deg (R)
Front Caster = 5.0 deg (L), 5.4 deg (R)
Front Toe in = 0.5mm (L), 0.5mm (R)
Rear Camber = - 1.2 deg (L), - 1.2 deg (R)
Rear Toe in = 1mm (L), 1mm (R)
The tech noted that this spec may wear the tyres on the inside edge....

While this is not quite as per CB's recommendations, how do these numbers look to you suspension gurus? I only tried the car over a 10km loop after the alignment which only gave me a general feel - seems OK though.

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 5:35 pm
by RobbieRat
I would have gone for a bit more rear camber atleast 1.75 and set the rear toe at 3mm total.
Really depends on what your doing with it, the settings you have will be fine for the street but could be more aggresive for the track.

Cheers Rob

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 8:33 pm
by Dubly
Looks good for the street. If you're going to the track I would suggest more camber F & R.

Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 2:31 pm
by Steve Tinker
Thanks Robbie / Dubly - I won't be taking the 'ol girl to the track (yet) but I took it out for a good run this morning and the current settings seems fine for the road...Didn't think a good alignment could make such a big difference to the roadholding. :P
Steve

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 4:33 pm
by RRdstr
I'm no guru Steve, but I had an alignment done last week too, and it IS amazing the difference it makes . . .

I had had effectively no camber or toe in on the front, and reasonable street settings on the rear . . . it was FUN to drive . . . trailing throttle into a corner felt like she was thinking about oversteer, but waiting for me to input and co-ordinate the front and the rear . . . then when I put in the boot, she dug in and came around like she was enjoying it as much as I was . . . :lol:

Now, with settings quite similar to what you have now, the feel is altogether different . . . we come to a corner, and she just goes around as a co-ordinated unit . . . and I can hear her scream, \"TRY HARDER . . . you know I can do it!!!\"