4 wheel alignment

[AntB]

All - looking at getting a 4 wheel alignment check.. No reason - car handles like a dream and complete new M030 / Koni suspension was fitted in Jan with new roll bars / bushes etc etc..

So - I normally take my other cars to my loacal - Feltham Tyres - who have a great fully computerised tracking setup with hunter machines:
http://www.felthamtyre.co.uk/steering.php

I havent called and asked them if they are happy checking the '44 etc - but is there anything specific to look for when getting 4 wheel alignment??

Of course I could just call my local Specialist (GT One in chertsey) - but wanted to see what you guys do?

Cheers A

 

[pauly]

ORIGINAL: AntB All - looking at getting a 4 wheel alignment check.. No reason - car handles like a dream and complete new M030 / Koni suspension was fitted in Jan with new roll bars / bushes etc etc.. So - I normally take my other cars to my loacal - Feltham Tyres - who have a great fully computerised tracking setup with hunter machines: http://www.felthamtyre.co.uk/steering.php I havent called and asked them if they are happy checking the '44 etc - but is there anything specific to look for when getting 4 wheel alignment?? Of course I could just call my local Specialist (GT One in chertsey) - but wanted to see what you guys do? Cheers A

I have to get mine done soon, looking at the suspension the front camber, toe and castor seems fairly straight forward, however the rear could be tricky if you don't have the special tool, though it's not expensive to buy.

 

[Gordon Attar]

I took mine to Northways near Reading, excellent job.

 

[Neil Haughey]

If its only for a check then take it anywhere that can measure it accurately. Personally if you are happy with the cars handling and it isn't wearing tyres in a funny pattern then frankly why bother? Save your money and spend it on some other work instead.

 

[ChasR]

I am about to take mine to Prestige Wheels in Warwick. They've tracked my cars pretty well in the past. Normally I can track cars better than most places! (it seems they deliberately don't do it right (I got my Pug tracked by Silverline, apparently a performance car specialist, and it still went to the right. I got back home and did it myself, and magically the drifting went away and this was on a car with new wishbones (genuine items) ... (it is two wheel alignment on that car mind you) Similar story on my MGB). If you are doing two wheel alignment (a no no on a Porker I know) it's something you can easily do yourself with an hour or 2 to spare. Other choice is with string and sticks, which despite being very accurate takes nearly forever to do! Failing that, I have heard great things about Wheels In Motion.

 

[pauly]

I've read great things about Centre gravity, except the 6 week wait for an appointment, wonder if they are NHS funded. []

 

[rcsalmons]

ORIGINAL: pauly

ORIGINAL: AntB All - looking at getting a 4 wheel alignment check.. No reason - car handles like a dream and complete new M030 / Koni suspension was fitted in Jan with new roll bars / bushes etc etc.. So - I normally take my other cars to my loacal - Feltham Tyres - who have a great fully computerised tracking setup with hunter machines: [link=http://www.felthamtyre.co.uk/steering.php]http://www.felthamtyre.co.uk/steering.php[/link] I havent called and asked them if they are happy checking the '44 etc - but is there anything specific to look for when getting 4 wheel alignment?? Of course I could just call my local Specialist (GT One in chertsey) - but wanted to see what you guys do? Cheers A

I have to get mine done soon, looking at the suspension the front camber, toe and castor seems fairly straight forward, however the rear could be tricky if you don't have the special tool, though it's not expensive to buy.

You can get away without the tool without any problems - a pry bar between 2 bolts on the outer edge has the same affect. Rich

 

[Tipper]

I'm used to doing the suspesnion geometry on my Elise myself. Is there anywhere I can get the factory settings and does anyone have any alternatives that have been found to improve on the factory?(Just making plans for when I get my car!). Cheers.

 

[pauly]

ORIGINAL: rcsalmons

ORIGINAL: pauly I have to get mine done soon, looking at the suspension the front camber, toe and castor seems fairly straight forward, however the rear could be tricky if you don't have the special tool, though it's not expensive to buy.

You can get away without the tool without any problems - a pry bar between 2 bolts on the outer edge has the same affect. Rich

Yes but I expect it's easier to make minor adjusments with the tool ?.

 

[Diver944]

ORIGINAL: Tipper Is there anywhere I can get the factory settings and does anyone have any alternatives that have been found to improve on the factory?(Just making plans for when I get my car!).

You can download the full workshop manuals here: http://www.promaxmotorsport.com/manuals.htm The chassis section has the factory settings for camber, caster, toe in etc but for regular track work an extra degree of negative camber makes a big difference (but will wear out your inner edge quickly on the road). Race cars have even more at around 3 or 4 degrees

 

[Neil Haughey]

Can go up to 5 degrees on a race car. The shocks such as GAZ allow for much more camber then stock shocks. ISTR the most you can get out of the stock shocks is about 2.5 degrees. We use a cheapo Sealey castor/camber gauge to check and adjust those settings, but you need a perfectly flat garage floor to be able to do it. Bits of string and trial and error work OK for example if one wants to set to near enough 0 toe on the front, then you can adjust a little on each side to get a handling feel as you like it i.e add a little toe out etc. Over the years have tended to find the front gets fiddled about with a lot, the rear very very seldomly. The only guide anyone needs IMHO to setup a car is the flow diagram on pages 180 and 181 of 'Competition Car Suspension' by Allan Staniforth. The rest of the book is superb though but I have looked at that diagram so many times I should have memorised it by now. The extreme end of the factory settings we have tended to agree over the years is a good base from which to start.

 

[Tipper]

Thanks for the link to the manuals. Nice to know I can fiddle with the suspension too - spent a fair few happy hours with poles, fishing line, rules and verniers.