Guys,
I just put on Ground controls and koni yellows last weekend and I need to know... Do I need an alignment? I know I do not have any control of the camber since I do not have any camber plates, but what about the toe? My tires seem to be wearing bad on the insides. Any ideas? Also what settings should I have them do for a good street/autocross setup? I also have a ITR rear sway and upper strut tower bar. Thanks. Oh and my car is lowered like 1.5"

 

Anyone?

 

Yes. Once you change the ride height the alignment will be thrown off. I would suggest getting the lifetime plan. Its about the cost of 3 alignments, but you can mess with settings at the track as well as have the freedom to change the ride height and not having to worry about forking over 50 bucks each time.


[Modified by siisgood00, 8:36 PM 7/10/2002]

 

yes, you definitely need an alignment. When you lowered your car, you created toe-out in the front... a considerable bit probably. Toe will wear out your tires much faster than camber ever would.

Even if you don't have a camber kit, or don't want to buy one, you should still get an aligment... unless you really like buying new tires.

 

Who does a lifetime alignment?

 

Tons of places. Call around for the best prices. Tires plus is the shop I go to locally.

 

What settings should I use?

 

Without the ability to adjust the camber, you probably won't be able to solve your problem. It is doubtful that any shop is going to be able to get your car within the range required but in general, for light-duty autocrossing with a street-driven car, be very conservative with your settings - maybe just a little more negative camber and stock(ish) toe settings.

Kirk

 

you adjust your camber by ride hieght if necessary. obviously that affects other things, but the camber is not static.

and yeah, ALWAYS get your car aligned after doing suspension work.

advice i was told on a mild autox setup is just to go at the limit of factory specs, toe out in the front and toe in in the rear and you should be fine from there. leave the ride height wherever you like it.

 

Toe out in the front hun? I thought I would want toe in? Can you explian why I would want toe out in the front?

 

Is there a way I can check the toe myself? I remember watching how the Spec Racer Fords do it. They have a jig with string they put on the front and back and measure from the front and back of the rim to the string. Any way to do this with a GSR?

 

Sure all you need is some Tape an some Dental Floss !!!!

 

definately get an alignment... your front tires will wear super quick if you don't. I recently installed eibach sportlines and didn't have the money for an alignment (i'm in college ) and within 1.5 months my front tires have worn down over 1/8 inch of tread on the inside. I just got one and they said the toe was way off.

 

Are you being serious???

-Also when I lowered my car, I would assume that the steering arm is now flatter and longer, which would give me toe IN. Correct?

 

Generally, the correct setting is to have a bit of toe OUT up front and either straight or toe IN at the REAR. its just the way it is. the toe out up front reduces the slip angle of the loaded tire (outside), and i dont know exactly why the rears like a little toe in. if you want, you can just stick with factory specs which is a bit of toe out anyway up front and zero in the rear i believe.

yeah, theres are numberous ways you can check toe yourself. these methods include pieces of string or using pins and measureing the difference between the front and rear of the tires, but unless you START off with a good alignment, you wont know if the fronts are inline with the rears, and you cant measure camber without a camber guage anyway. so just get it done at a shop and get the numbers and go from there. tweak the toe using the string and pins method at the track if you really know what youre doing.

 

Actually I am... but you would have to talk Lynoel Kent on how to do it, it is not real precise... but hearing Lynoel Show it to us at Hyper-Fest was pretty funny...

You can also Take a tape measure and measure on the front and the back of the tire using the same tread patterns on both sides, and you should get a reading.

 

I never understood the concept of Toe in/out. Could someone school me?