do I need a wheel alignment after rollbar install?

[hamx5ter]

Hamx5ter feels sluggish since the rollbar install.

I''ve only dríven it back from mania (dural > killara) but the car feels very different from earlier. A general heaviness in the steering and vagueness in it's direction.

I know a decent alignment at Spinning Wheels fixed the previous episode about a year ago (post the Tein SS & subsequent lowering), so that's a possible cure, but my question is: would the rollbar have moved the suspension geometry around enough to require a new alignment?

if there's a quick answer, please yell... i've got a bit of time this morning to try and weasel in on stu before my trackday tomorrow...

[rascal]

Hamx5ter feels sluggish since the rollbar install.

I''ve only dríven it back from mania (dural > killara) but the car feels very different from earlier. A general heaviness in the steering and vagueness in it's direction.

I know a decent alignment at Spinning Wheels fixed the previous episode about a year ago (post the Tein SS & subsequent lowering), so that's a possible cure, but my question is: would the rollbar have moved the suspension geometry around enough to require a new alignment?

if there's a quick answer, please yell... i've got a bit of time this morning to try and weasel in on stu before my trackday tomorrow...

Assuming a bolt in rollbar here, but unless they had to do some serious twisting of the chassis to get it to line up to bolt in, there should be no detrimental effects from the rollbar install.
A possibility could be the extra stiffness in the chassis provided by the bar is highlighting a balance issue which was there before but the chassis flexed enough to hide...

[BadBong]

If your last alignment is a year ago... isn't it time for 1 now anyway? (yes, i'm helping you justify spending more $$$)

[hamx5ter]

Assuming a bolt in rollbar here, but unless they had to do some serious twisting of the chassis to get it to line up to bolt in, there should be no detrimental effects from the rollbar install.
A possibility could be the extra stiffness in the chassis provided by the bar is highlighting a balance issue which was there before but the chassis flexed enough to hide...

Yeah, possibly... the car was fairly stiff to start with and has FM Rails and Butterfly Brace already, so I'm not too sure if it is flexing significantly less than it was earlier though..

Maybe I should drive a little more and see if perhaps the extra weight is just making me feel that way..

It _does_ feel somewhat more rigid than before, but not so much more (which is understandable)..

@BadBong ... stop smokin' that stuff and wash your mouth out..

I have too many friends of the wrong kind...

[hamx5ter]

FWIW, and to close this thread, I took the car out for a short spin in the light of day (admittedly with the v700s rather than my stockies), and no, it doesn't seem to be as vague as it felt last night. So, sorry, just my imagination

I think it was just the additional weight of the rollbar that made the car feel different initially.

Interesting that something as minor as the weekend luggage can make a difference to the feel of the car. I would say the rollbar makes the car feel somewhat more of a unit (with a little less flexion around the missing B-pillar. There's a distinct sense that the rails+brace (50%) + rollbar (50%) make for a solid platform underneath the driver.