mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

The smelly '94 R-package is scheduled for an alignment tomorrow morning. Been reading through dozens of threads on this issue, and honestly it does make me feel like a noob -- if there's anything resembling a consensus, I haven't found it.

Not interested in track setups. I drive somewhat aggressively on the street, but it's not exactly the Tail of the Dragon around here, and at most I'll be running cheap daily driver tires on 7" RPF1's. Don't care about autocross or track performance, just a fun, lively feel for the street. My wife should be able to drive it on the interstate without crying.

So -- recommendations? Steering effort is a tad high right now, so I'm thinking I will request 3.8 degrees of caster. Other than that, I haven't a clue.

Leafy

iTrader: (1)

Sell r-package to racer, buy super luxury model, take to national tire chain, tell them you want an alignment, wait two hours, drive home.

More realistic, little toe in both ends, all the camber, some of the caster.

z31maniac

I'd just back off the camber a bit from the race alignments and go.

Unless you running ALL OF IT, 0 toe on the street is fine.

Leafy

iTrader: (1)

He wants his wife to drive it though. I'd at least do a touch of toe in, in the front.

<- daily drove with 1/16" total toe out, and has driven on the highway with 1/8" out and thought it was "fine".

z31maniac

Oh then I'd just run the FM street alignmnet

2ndGearRubber

Zero toe at 4 corners: low tire wear, "miata-ness", but still stable.

Keep caster around 4*.

Max camber equally on both sides in the front while meeting you caster goals. You're not going to get much above -1.2* in the front, if both sides will even reach that.

Leafy

iTrader: (1)

He has an r-package, he might be able to get 1.5

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

Thanks guys. Here are my targets for tomorrow:


Rear
Toe: 1/32 inch IN per side
Camber: -1.75 degrees

Front
Toe: 1/32 inch IN per side
Camber: -1.2 degrees
Caster: 4.0 degrees

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

Alignment was done this morning. It was done a regular tire change place but I talked to the ticket writer for a minute about what I wanted and they let me go into the alignment bay to make sure the guy did the settings I wanted.

Mostly I was pleased -- he messed up the front once and had to redo it but he didn't mind targeting my requested settings and did a pretty good job.



Since I was looking at the alignment screen the whole time, I didn't look at the printout until I got home. Then I noticed the "SAI" (Steering Axis Inclination) and "Included Angle" (SAI + Camber).

Should I be concerned about the variation in the SAI and Included Angle?

Efini~FC3S

iTrader: (4)

You should have sat in the driver's seat while you were observing.

Do that next time

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

Wasn't an option this Saturday.

Any opinions about the SAI measurements?

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

looks like an alignmnet.

SchmoozerJoe

iTrader: (2)

Needs less rear camber.

jacob300zx

Negative, more front camber. Camber doesn't kill tires, excessive toe does.

Mobius

iTrader: (2)

Silly megeoffriau. There are no street miata alignments - they are all flatout.

Edit: I wouldn't worry about the variance. My car has variances as well. You have more rear camber than front, so given stock springrates & swaybars should be quite safe from tail-happiness, so drive on.

SchmoozerJoe

iTrader: (2)

My assumption was that 1.1 or so was all the negative camber they could muster on his stock setup...