Geometry

[Big Fry]

I need my geometry looked at, not least because I constantly feel I need to turn the wheel slightly right to maintain a straight line at speed, and have narowed it down to Porsche Byfleet (Camtune) or Chris at Centre Gravity but can't make up my mind.

i live 5 miles from Byfleet so that would seem the sensible option, as I would need to travel to the Midlands for CG, so would need to travel further etc, CG are more expensive, but are specialist etc. and i could make a day of it...

I don't track the car and so it is a balance between motorway miles and A/B road smiles that i am after, so should I just go for the cheaper Porsche option as they will just do it to Porsche tolerances...decisions, decisions!

Any thoughts or advice would be very welcome.

 

[Alex L]

Well you know my suggestion!!!

Chris at CG will basically ask you what you are looking for and tailor the geometry to your liking. He will then take you out in the car and test drive. If you are not 100% happy he will make more changes and repeat. Where else are you going to get that level of service?? He works at great rates too.

I travel up from Reading so more than a 2 hour trip each way. Totally worth it though! []

Chris' contact details:

w: www.centergravity.co.uk
e: info@centergravity.co.uk
t: 01827 718800

 

[snarf]

I wrestled with the same dilemma myself a month or so back. In the end I went to CG because I had read so many good reports on this forum. I have had no cause to regret this decision, the car being noticeably better, although not ever having used an OPC for geometry set-up, I can't offer any comparative assessment. Chris is very good at explaining what he is doing and I learned quite a lot about the car during the 3 to 4 hours he was working on it - I somehow doubt that this degree of customer involvement would be the norm at an OPC.

 

[Alex L]

ORIGINAL: snarf

I wrestled with the same dilemma myself a month or so back. In the end I went to CG because I had read so many good reports on this forum. I have had no cause to regret this decision, the car being noticeably better, although not ever having used an OPC for geometry set-up, I can't offer any comparative assessment. Chris is very good at explaining what he is doing and I learned quite a lot about the car during the 3 to 4 hours he was working on it - I somehow doubt that this degree of customer involvement would be the norm at an OPC.

Exactly; and at an OPC you get what you are given! Plus they would charge more than Chris I am sure. Only negative is the 4 hours worth of motorway petrol there and back.

 

[snarf]

ORIGINAL: Alex L

. . . Plus they would charge more than Chris I am sure.

No, not in my case, Chris was a touch more expensive (although he may well offer better value for money) and unfortunately he doesn't give PCGB discount.

 

[Alex L]

ORIGINAL: snarf

ORIGINAL: Alex L

. . . Plus they would charge more than Chris I am sure.

No, not in my case, Chris was a touch more expensive (although he may well offer better value for money) and unfortunately he doesn't give PCGB discount.

Per hour I don't think anyone comes close to OPC rates! So an OPC will be doing a lot less work in which case.

 

[Black80XSA]

If you do a lot of motorway miles then that needs to be factored in to the set-up whether its at an OPC or at CG - inner edge wear on rear tyres can be an issue if the geometry is set up too much for the twisty bits []

 

[Alex L]

ORIGINAL: Alex L

ORIGINAL: snarf

ORIGINAL: Alex L

. . . Plus they would charge more than Chris I am sure.

No, not in my case, Chris was a touch more expensive (although he may well offer better value for money) and unfortunately he doesn't give PCGB discount.

Per hour I don't think anyone comes close to OPC rates! So an OPC will be doing a lot less work in which case.

I think I paid about £280 at Parr for a fast-road alignment back early last year. I don't know what CG (as I had mine done as part of my big suspension upgrade project) or an OPC charge just for the alignment but Chris' setup is certainly the best and less than other's labor rates per hour.

If you want to take it further then a ride-height ajust (as stock Bilstein's sag like mad over time), and corner balance is recommended too.

 

[Big Fry]

Thanks. Might be stupid question but I have the PASM, does that make any difference to adjustment etc?

 

[Alex L]

No difference, but I just realized that I don't think you can adjust the ride height with stock components.

The OEM Bilstein's don't have a adjustable height setting like the Damptronic ones do:

So with stock components there is only a range of geometry settings that can be achieved without first lowering the car using springs or new dampeners.But that's only if you want to get a really racy setup anyway.

 

[Delbox]

When I took my Boxster to Chris at CG, all of the geometry was found to be within the manufacturer's tolerances. Consequently, had I gone to an OPC, the work would have stopped then! However, having told Chris what I wanted to use the car for, the type of roads that it was used on and my driving style, he adjusted the set-up (staying within Porsche's acceptable tolerances) to satisfy my needs. In some cases, he moved the adjustment from one end of the acceptable range to the other; the end result was that the handling was transformed. This was the most value for money performance upgrade that I made to the car.

As an aside, I'm taking my 996 Turbo to Chris next Tuesday to have similar work undertaken!

Center Gravity or an OPC? No choice for me - and I can be at an OPC within an hour, yet it takes me 3 hrs to visit Chris.

Yours,

Del

 

[john.newland]

Had my geometry reset at Fearnsport, very pleased with result. They seem to "specialise" in GT3s. They were happy to discuss different options as I wanted a "fast road" set-up, as we many more road than track miles

 

[Big Fry]

Looks like it would be rude not to go to Centre Gravity...seems to have the majority vote on here. Thanks.

 

[Alex Postan]

I would suggest that Chris at CG is far and away the best choice. He has a special rig for raising the car (that he could bring to you if you prefer to pay him rather than to drive to his unit), he laser aligns the height platforms and he uses proper load cells under each wheel. His alignment kit is the same as you'd find at an OPC (Beissbarth) but you will get a bespoke service and explanation of what he is doing in a way that nobody else does. Furthermore the data that he presents you with when you leave is outsanding.

On the negative side, he likes to do a test drive with the customer as a passenger. Next time I use his services, I will do the driving and he can be the passenger - something to do with revs and cold oil[]

 

[baxster]

Chris a t CG, not used him for a while but its always a pleasure. I personally have never heard so many +ve comments about someones services than I have about Chris and its not just on this forum. He does alot of work on the s2000 lads cars and they are notouriously sensitive to set up changes.

 

[Hasan]

I am a fan of JZ Machtech, as they are also very good at suspension alignment/geometry

I've taken all my 911's there for adjustment.

www.jzmachtech.com

Just another name to throw in the mix!.....they might be closer to you too.

 

[Alex L]

I also considered JZ Machtech for my big suspension upgrade project. They specialize in Manthey (#3 tuner in Europe IMHO...Ruf #2... RS-Tuning #1) and KW suspension. Nice guys there and knew their stuff when I talked with them.

In the end I decided to go with PASM compatible Bilstein's components instead of KW and so Parr (Cargraphic reseller) and Center Gravity were my main options. I had already experienced Parr so decided to go with Center Gravity which turned out cheaper and a MUCH better job.

So I would say that if you are looking for suspension tuning then choose Center Gravity if you want a tailored precise setup, Parr/JZ Machtech if you want a generic 'fast road' setting applied to your car, and an OPC if you enjoy throwing money into deep dark holes [][][]

 

[Alex Postan]

ORIGINAL: Hasan

I am a fan of JZ Machtech, as they are also very good at suspension alignment/geometry

I've taken all my 911's there for adjustment.

www.jzmachtech.com

Just another name to throw in the mix!.....they might be closer to you too.

But if they dont have a four post rig levelled by laser and with individual load cells for each wheel plus the Beissbarth system, then they will not be able to as good a job as CG. Ask them........

 

[Dylan1]

But if they dont have a four post rig levelled by laser and with individual load cells for each wheel plus the Beissbarth system, then they will not be able to as good a job as CG. Ask them........

maybe not alex, but they still did a great job on my last two porsches-after the geometry (with jonas) they were so much better-wouldnt hesitate in using them again for that

 

[Zeroh]

First post on PCGB - hello all - I can chime in on this as I've just had my 996tt x50 suspension changed and set up by Chris at CG. Haven't really driven car much yet so will postpone comment on how it feels (initial thoughts though are that it drives like a dream), but I can comment on Chris' operation and professionalism in so much that after 12hours working on my car, as well as giving me a masterclass along the way, at 10pm I asked him if he wanted to keep the car and finish it off the next day, and he said that "if its ok with you, I'm here for the job" !!

Well, at midnight when the job was done, all I can say is that I wanted to hug Chris, and so I did !!

My car won't go anywhere else again for set up/suspension work, and I'm 2hours away also.

Chris offers the kind of service that I really didnt think anyone offers anymore, and I've dealt with JZM and various opc's. Despite a number of problems that my car threw up, Chris found a solution. The fact that you can watch, understand, and learn at the same time, which for enthusiasts is surely priceless, makes his service value for money regardless imo.