I set up my four wheel align ment for next week. I had a quea

ng8264723 · #1 (**permalink**) 07-30-2010, 08:50 PM

Any recomendations on settings? I know the owner of the shop and can tyell him what to dial in. By the way the car is running very well. Boy does it ever attrack attention. A few young girls stopped today to take pics
chris

Bob In Ct · #2 (**permalink**) 07-30-2010, 09:47 PM

Does the machine correct for the wider rear wheelbase?

RICK LAKE · #3 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 05:51 AM

ng8264723 Chris before you waste money on an alignment have the weights setup for the car corners with your butt in the seat. You want the car level and flat with a 49/51 front to back ratio. Also a 1/2 tank of gas in the car. If the car is off the handling will not be upto your expectations. Nothing is worse that a car that doesn't turn and handle for you. Rick L. If the alignment shop doesn't have scales, try and find a dirt track racer and offer him some money to setup your height and weights in the car.

ng8264723 · #4 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 06:24 AM

I'm not sure if it corrects for wider wheel bases. Rick, How do you set up the weights? Just add some iron to the rear corners?

patrickt · #5 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ng8264723

I'm not sure if it corrects for wider wheel bases. Rick, How do you set up the weights? Just add some iron to the rear corners?

No. Your garage must have an electronic four wheel scale. Then, you sit behind the wheel (or put sand bags representing you behind the wheel), loosen your sway bars, and then adjust your coil overs to achieve a 50% cross-weight (right front plus left rear). Then you tighten up the sway bars. This is absolutely, positively the first step before you get any alignment done. This can take a little time because every adjustment that you make to one wheel will have an effect elsewhere as well. But it will make a huge difference.

scottj · #6 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 08:13 AM

Corner weight changes don't affect alignment. Alignment changes can affect corner weights. I do the alignment first.

patrickt · #7 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottj

Corner weight changes don't affect alignment. Alignment changes can affect corner weights. I do the alignment first.

I disagree. Corner weighting changes your ride heights at each corner of the vehicle, which will change your camber and toe. You should set your corner weights first. Now there's bound to be a technical article on the hot rodding sites that specifically address this question.

scottj · #8 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 01:57 PM

"Technical article on the Hot Rodding sites"

That's where you would look for tech advise?

If you're changing ride heights when adjusting corner weights then you're doing it wrong. Ride height is set 1st, then alignment, then scaling. Ride height is maintained through out and doesn't change when scaling.

I would suggest Longacre or Intercomp for tech advise on the correct procedure.

Here: Under "Tech Articles" from Longacre's site- Scaling made simple
http://www.longacreracing.com/articles/art.asp?ARTID=1

Z-linkCobra · #9 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 08:47 AM

Set the alignment first then the corner weights. like scott said...if you set the corner weights then set the alignment any change to castor or camber will affect your weight distribution.

Depending on what you plan to do with the car is where i would set my weights. If its just a daily driver...no track time. Set it up with about 52% front weight and 50% cross like patrick said if you can. Good stopping, good cornering.

Gotta remember when taking advice from patrick....he has to compensate for the extra weight of the double roll bar....lol

Sorry Patrick...couldnt resist

Gene

vector1 · #10 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 11:48 AM

adjust your ride height with driver wt., align with driver wt., then adjust corner wt. with driver wt. have fun with driver wt. i have my car aligned with 0 toe on the front, helps when caught in those asphalt ruts big trucks wear into the pavement, especially if you have wide tires. and you can leave the sway bars unhooked through all this and reattach when finished.

Jerry Clayton · #11 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 03:35 PM

My answer would pretty much be the same as Scott's, but I might use more shorter words!!!
I probably also would start by saying"Listen carefully, as I'm only going to say this once"

I also have my own Hunter alignment rack

Jerry Clayton · #12 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 03:36 PM

Patrick

In an ongoing race operation, just view No 8 as being No 1----as it goes on and on and on

And this doesn't even get into checking tire temps and pressures as the car comes off the track

patrickt · #13 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 03:39 PM

... and changing corner weights has no affect on camber whatsoever?

scottj · #14 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickt

... and changing corner weights has no affect on camber whatsoever?

Not if you maintain ride heights.

patrickt · #15 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottj

Not if you maintain ride heights.

How do you avoid changing the ride height when using your spanner to adjust your coil overs, and thus affect the corner weights?

scottj · #16 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickt

How do you avoid changing the ride height when using your spanner to adjust your coil overs, and thus affect the corner weights?

Say you want to increase RF-LR weight to balance your cross-weights. You would put turns in on the RF and LR coils and take turns out of the LF and RR coils, thus changing distibution while maintaining ride heights.

Jerry Clayton · #17 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 04:02 PM

Patrick

I went and read up on your DR Krane------what a joke!!!!!

If he really would like to find out about suspension and corner weights, etc, he should get in touch with me or Scott, since he seems to be local to us!!!!!

patrickt · #18 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Clayton

Patrick

I went and read up on your DR Krane------what a joke!!!!!

If he really would like to find out about suspension and corner weights, etc, he should get in touch with me or Scott, since he seems to be local to us!!!!!

Jerry, he's got a Ph. D. in physics and works at the Fermi Lab. C'mon.

Jerry Clayton · #19 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 04:12 PM

PHd in Physics

was intern at fermi lab
works in financial district
has turbo 300zx
$475 of concrete blocks and floor tile and some alum conduit that is actually galvanized steel

gray area will be discussed later in a different course

Get real Patrict---you want your car set up and aligned?????bring it to Chicago NW side
after we're done , we'll find Dr K and let him put it up on his concrete blocks and floor tile

patrickt · #20 (**permalink**) 07-31-2010, 04:18 PM

Jerry, if I could find something that was even half-way authoritative that went the other way, I'd happily post it. The problem is, there's a lot of suspension shops out there that say corner weights first, then alignment. Jerry, you know I love you, but I'm not completely sure I could get you qualified as an expert. I'd give it my best shot, though.