Alignment settings for street/track use
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From: Buford, GA USA
If you are so slow, how come I can't catch up to you?
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Merchant Of Pace
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From: Clovis, California
Cool, thanks for elaborating on your setup Silver. I'm looking to make the jump to TT sometime this year too.
I don't think I have any kind of a performance alignment shop close by but as a moderate setup I may just use what you have as a starting point and go from there.
I don't think I have any kind of a performance alignment shop close by but as a moderate setup I may just use what you have as a starting point and go from there.
Senna, I use a company called GTE (Gran Turismo East): http://www.granturismoeast.com/
They are our local tuner shop for alignment. They're the location of choice for those that track, drift and race. You describe to the technician how aggressive you are, what level of driving skill, and talk about the wear on your tires. He ask questions about how the car handles in turns and if you are good at describing the over/under steer and how it handles then he looks at your present settings and makes adjustments based on all the info.
Mine is a moderate set-up and is for street and track. It is probably more for track because I'm getting some wear on the inside of the tires on my daily drivers. However, I'm willing to accept that for the benefit of driving on track. I don't think I will go any more aggressive than what it is right now.
My driving skill: 24 or so HPDE type events, I'm going to take the instructor clinic next month with NASA, so I'm driving pretty aggressively in DE 3/4 groups. Will probably go to Time Trials in March.
I was driving Toyo RA1's on track and now have a new set of Toyo R888's. It's my understanding that they don't require as much camber but I really don't know that by experience yet as they have not been tracked yet.
If you have any questions, you may want to give Kieran a call at GTE and ask him if he can let you talk to the guy that does the actual set-ups. don't know how much time they can give because they are really busy.
Good luck and let us know what you decide to do.
They are our local tuner shop for alignment. They're the location of choice for those that track, drift and race. You describe to the technician how aggressive you are, what level of driving skill, and talk about the wear on your tires. He ask questions about how the car handles in turns and if you are good at describing the over/under steer and how it handles then he looks at your present settings and makes adjustments based on all the info.
Mine is a moderate set-up and is for street and track. It is probably more for track because I'm getting some wear on the inside of the tires on my daily drivers. However, I'm willing to accept that for the benefit of driving on track. I don't think I will go any more aggressive than what it is right now.
My driving skill: 24 or so HPDE type events, I'm going to take the instructor clinic next month with NASA, so I'm driving pretty aggressively in DE 3/4 groups. Will probably go to Time Trials in March.
I was driving Toyo RA1's on track and now have a new set of Toyo R888's. It's my understanding that they don't require as much camber but I really don't know that by experience yet as they have not been tracked yet.
If you have any questions, you may want to give Kieran a call at GTE and ask him if he can let you talk to the guy that does the actual set-ups. don't know how much time they can give because they are really busy.
Good luck and let us know what you decide to do.
taking it to little tal--just tired of getting aligmnets plus bought set of nice yokohama s drives(great tires by the way--quiet but grippy) and didnt want to wear them out in 20K.
I rpobably need to invest in some kind of alignment tool and do it at the track If you can find a level patch of ground.
OD
I rpobably need to invest in some kind of alignment tool and do it at the track If you can find a level patch of ground.
OD
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From: Jacksonville Beach, FL
Finally, front swaybars. This cars strength is sweepers, a big swaybar kills that so most people either run the stock swaybar or a Mazdaspeed which is about 15% stiffer than stock. The car does lack some stability in slaloms with these bars, but I've found that the rear suspension really does a good job of holding on at high slip angles and won't go around on you like on other cars.
hmm. help me understand why a stiff swaybar would hinder performance in any way?
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From: Buford, GA USA
I ran RB sways originally, front and back. My car was very prone to abrupt oversteer. After taking the rear sway off and going back to the OEM lighter weight sway, he car handles much more predictably. I left it there for the past 2 years. I also installed Tein Flex Coilovers. The combination works really well for me.
Merchant Of Pace
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From: Clovis, California
Well, got the Megans on and plan to give it a few days before I align it.
I need some input on my ride height before I align it. Is it too low?
Here are a few pics:
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2119...37742059QCjopu
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2164...37742059ekYEpj
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2343...37742059nzRSSZ
I need some input on my ride height before I align it. Is it too low?
Here are a few pics:
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2119...37742059QCjopu
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2164...37742059ekYEpj
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2343...37742059nzRSSZ
Last edited by Senna; Feb 27, 2009 at 06:38 PM.
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From: Buford, GA USA
No, check out my facebook track images, I think mine is about the same or lower than yours. Earlier pics with the nose bra, I think are before Tein Coilovers. Somewhere, I have mesurements from the ground to the mid point of the fender. If I can find that, I'll post for you.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...&id=1623564466
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...&id=1623564466
Last edited by SilverEIGHT; Feb 27, 2009 at 06:57 PM.
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Cheers,
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Barry
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From: Buford, GA USA
I think my rears are a tad higher than the front. I will measure and record too with both my 18" street tires and my 17" track tires.
Swoop, did you talk to Erick Meyer? I'm going to touch base with him. I'll get back.
Swoop, did you talk to Erick Meyer? I'm going to touch base with him. I'll get back.
the rx8 chassis --from what little i understand---likes a front rake--that is one reason i went with the konis and tein H springs.
Has anyone simply unbolted their rear sway for track time?
I have been reading and thinking a lot about suspension/tires/final drive etc and this coming w/e i believe i may play with this a little.
i may want to go with a softer shock setting on the front and more air pressure with a neg 1.2 camber(i do have nice caster!) so i can transfer more of a load to the tire that needs it.
I really have not played with airpressures or suspensions settings much--but i think i have reached a point to where now i can do so.
Look out Silver yall are going to see an OD that you have not seen before---God willing.
OD
Has anyone simply unbolted their rear sway for track time?
I have been reading and thinking a lot about suspension/tires/final drive etc and this coming w/e i believe i may play with this a little.
i may want to go with a softer shock setting on the front and more air pressure with a neg 1.2 camber(i do have nice caster!) so i can transfer more of a load to the tire that needs it.
I really have not played with airpressures or suspensions settings much--but i think i have reached a point to where now i can do so.
Look out Silver yall are going to see an OD that you have not seen before---God willing.
OD
but he is a busy guy.. hope to chat with him in miami the middle of march.. i have something to show him..
btw, as denny said.. front rake!!! that info came from roar.
beers
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From: Buford, GA USA
EDIT:
I don't have any answer, but playing around with it Saturday could be fun. If I do take it off, I'll report back how bad she responds. Should be a good experiment.
I'll also have video to show how it responds. Should be interesting. OD will have some as well.
Last edited by SilverEIGHT; Feb 28, 2009 at 03:29 PM.
Merchant Of Pace
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From: Clovis, California
No, check out my facebook track images, I think mine is about the same or lower than yours. Earlier pics with the nose bra, I think are before Tein Coilovers. Somewhere, I have mesurements from the ground to the mid point of the fender. If I can find that, I'll post for you.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...&id=1623564466
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...&id=1623564466
