Well I should be picking up my new car next week (fingers crossed). After reading a fair bit of threads on this site I am going to have the dealer align the car to
Beez
's Recommended Specs:
Left Front : - 1.0 camber, 7.4 caster, .04 toe
Right Front: -1.0 camber, 7.6 caster, .04 toe
0.08 total toe, 0.00 steer ahead
Left Rear: -1.4 camber, 0.09 toe
Right Rear: -1.4 camber, 0.09 toe
0.18 total toe
0.00 thrust angle
I will primarily drive on the street with hopefully a few track days coming up after I break her in. My questions are:
I know the car will settle on the springs after a while. Will this affect the alignment noticeably? Will I have to have it realigned in a few months?
The car is coming with 5mm spacers in the rear, but I plan to install 15mm spacers when I get the car. Should I have the dealer put the 15mm spacers on before they do the alignment?
Thanks.
Hey if your dealer is willing; I'd do the spacers before the alignment. 10mm shouldn't make a noticeable difference, but if you're getting an alignment why not do it exactly the way you'll have the car set up. Also, I don't think anyone here has ever commented that the car settled and another alignment was needed in a few months. In fact, one year after my delivery my alignment still feels spot on.
Also, to answer your message from the other day;I can't make it to Roebling Road this April; I learned about it too late and have a scheduling conflict; but might go to the next one this summer if I'm in the country. One of these days I really want to make a road trip to VIR, probably this summer.
- Suneet
I agree - have it aligned with the spacers you plan to use....cannot hurt.
If you want to sell the 5mm spacers drop me a PM since I want to install them on mine.
Good luck...Bob Z.
The alignment specs your giong with arent aggresive at all and you shouldnt have any problems once the cars suspention settles. The car will settle after about 5 to 8 thousand miles and both the camber & toe will be futher out that the begining of the cars life, but you must remember that ounce the tires begine to wear on the inside it wont matter if you get the car aligned again the tires will continue to wear the inside till a new set are installed, its a good idea to inspect the tire wear every couple thousand miles so you dont drive on the threads of the tire, but if someone tells you that another alignment will stop the tire wear on the inside, its false you'll have to buy new tires and then have it aligned
Yes, the springs will settle some through driving. I put about a thousand miles on my CS before taking it back for an alignment. Apparently the delivered alignment was out of specs in about three places, but none badly. I track and autocross, so get an alignment at least twice a year. I have very close to the specs you posted, except I have a little more negative camber in the rear.
Because alignments are very delicate (you can put your had on the top of the tire while on the rack and watch the camber change on the screen), the precise alignment settings are not real stable. They will change a little even if you just drive around the block and back onto the alignment rack. But such changes are too small to be concerned about.
How did the alignment go? I just got my done and was pretty dissappointed. I was trying to get it set up well for AX, super stock, and the most camber they could get from the front was -.4. Seems pretty weak.
Man, I haven't even gotten my car yet....
It has been delayed and delayed.. Then got into port in Georgia and "accidentally" got sent to Baltimore!!! I live in Florida (1 1/2 hours from the port).
It has almost been 60 days from my build date and still no car. Anyway all I can be is patient.
I will let you guys know when I get the car.
dustindb: -.4 does seem a little weak. I hope they can get a little more out of my car. I would wear down the outside edges just driving to work.
I need to do an alignment on my car too and was also thinking about Beez's specs. Do people mostly use performance shops or the dealer? I just had my car (state) inspected by a place the local performance shop recommended and I asked them (the inspection garage) about the alignment and the manager said they wouldn't align the car to anything but factory specs.
I haven't asked the PORSCHE performance shop yet so i don't even know if they can do it as I was surprised to hear this: They can not put new tires on my CS because thier machine does not work on 18 inch wheels. How can they not be able to work on any late model P-car?
Dustin: They should be able to get very close to -1 degree of camber in front. Did they push the tops of the struts as far toward the center of the chassis as they would go before aligning? To do that, they need to loosen the three nuts at the top of each strut and push the top strut bolts along the slots (which are about 3/4" long) as far inboard as they can. If, instead, the top strut bolts are sticking through the slots in about the middle (as mine were at delivery), they will only be able to get about -.4 or -.5 degree. To check this, remove the plastic cover and see the three securing nuts at the top. Remove one nut to see where along the slot the bolt is. If it's toward the center of the slot instead of at the inboard end, they can get more negative camber. The difference between -.4 and -1 degree is significant.
Thanks for this tip. I too am going to double check this when I pick up my car. :cheers:
