setting front end alinement. Dailing it in better.
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From: Rochester, NY
setting front end alinement. Dailing it in better.
Originally Posted by MADMAN View Post
Put the tires you plan on racing with on the car. Set the caster with as much as you can get. Usually 5-6 degrees. Camber at 0. Tell them to set both sides the same DONOT set the car up for road crown. Now for the important part. Set toe at 1/16th toe in at ride height. Then raise the front end up till the front shocks are almost extended, recheck toe. Then squat the front end like its under hard braking. Recheck toe. NEVER!!!!!!!! have toe out. If you do the car will hunt for guardrails.
Put the tires you plan on racing with on the car. Set the caster with as much as you can get. Usually 5-6 degrees. Camber at 0. Tell them to set both sides the same DONOT set the car up for road crown. Now for the important part. Set toe at 1/16th toe in at ride height. Then raise the front end up till the front shocks are almost extended, recheck toe. Then squat the front end like its under hard braking. Recheck toe. NEVER!!!!!!!! have toe out. If you do the car will hunt for guardrails.
car had stock upper/lower A arms, spindles, rack. And a BMR Kmeber with slots.
New parts are burkhart spindles, there bolt in manual rack kit, BMR rod end upper arms, racecraft poly/rod end lower arms.
I got caster right about that.
My camber is at 90.0 or 89.8 (out at top) measuring that with a craftsmen digital angle finder on the billet dust boots on the strange breaks. I set the upper with the rod end all the way in to start, to try and tuck the front tires in a little. And did about 1/2 per side, over stock. It looks alot better. Didn't have to adjust the upper rode ends at all. But after pulling the lower arms out ward, and getting the wheel centered I left it at the 90.0-89.8 and moved on to the toe. But never got back to dial that in any better.
I plumb bobbed down for the middle of the rear end (already was square) And the middle of the front end. The 1/2 hole in the bottle of the core support is right in the middle. And snapped a chalk line between them down the middle of the car. (had the car level on the tires on tall wood boxes I made. The fronts have 2 super smooth plates I geese and bonce the car with the shock loose and the front end move smoothly, jack the back end up and set it down even so the spool dose not bind)
We put the rack kit in the car, center the rack, center the wheel put the steering shaft in. Use the alum spacers with the bump steer kit to have the ends of the rack level. (not sure if thats the right way to have it) But the rack mounts kinds low and far forward, Its not tight under the oil pan, its move down under the ballencer? thats what way it is, So the ends of the rack have to go back to the steering arms on the spindles. Anyway PB down each side (used 2 equal sockets off the rim lip to clear the tire, and a 2 foot level to go across the the outside. did that a few times working off the centerline of the car and get it about 1/16 toe in per side. Then we jacked the front up beofre the tires came off the blocks. And re check and It has Toe out. I hear this is bad? worked on this all night, so quit.
Did a quick test drive 1st time with a manual rack so that was different. car went strait, slight pull the the right (road crown) If you went did a little jerk to the left it would go left a lilttle. jerk to the right it would go right. I never really tried that with the stock stuff, But it was fine street driving. The wheel is off a little. We rechecked with a tape on the tread quick in the driveway, and got more the 1/8, maybe 3/16 heavy.
Went to the track did 3 passes, testing on 275s. Did alot better then I was thinking these tires could do. Last pass the car pulled the tires a few inches, felt more then normal and carried them a bit too. But it bounched a little agian too I heard. And was going to the right a little. The car has been both tires dead even with the TRZ roll bar lately and stairt. But was pulling to the right still and just rode it out, didnt get that close to the wall of the trash over near it but out of the groove. I keep one hand on the shifter, 2nd comes fast, and have to shift. So maybe with the manual rack I couldn't steer but I was pulling down pretty hard the the wheel and it was still going to the right after it settled down till I got both hands on after 2nd.
I have some time this week to fine tune the alinement but not sure what to do. Could it be getting like that for having the camber the wrong way? Should get it the 90.0 or even 1* inward?
And the the tow out thing I dont like, what can I do about that. Can I adjust the spacers on the bumpsteer to get that better?
The wheel being off like 1 oclock. I dont know how much that is on the rack. Should I move the steering shaft over one notch were the slips on the rack? Or can I just move the toe a little more or less on one side to get that better?
here some pics of the rack and how its spaced
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11...n/IMAG0319.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11...n/IMAG0324.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11...n/IMAG0320.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11...n/IMAG0322.jpg
The car is likely pulling because the caster is off. This is the angle of the spindle in relation to the upper ball joint. If you don't have the tools to properly measure and adjust this then I would suggest bringing it to an alignment shop and tell them to adjust it to Madman's settings you posted.
The wheel should be able to be centered as long as you don't have the tie rods bottomed or over extended on either side. If you do then you may be able to move the shaft on the splines of the rack. If the shaft fits into a register on the rack then you could just pull the steering wheel and correct it there.
The bump steer can be adjusted using the spacers on the tie rod ends. I don't remember if you need to lengthen or shorten them to correct toe out when lifted but the info is posted here somewhere. You could call Burkhart and ask them if you can't find it.
The wheel should be able to be centered as long as you don't have the tie rods bottomed or over extended on either side. If you do then you may be able to move the shaft on the splines of the rack. If the shaft fits into a register on the rack then you could just pull the steering wheel and correct it there.
The bump steer can be adjusted using the spacers on the tie rod ends. I don't remember if you need to lengthen or shorten them to correct toe out when lifted but the info is posted here somewhere. You could call Burkhart and ask them if you can't find it.
