Hey ladies and gents,

I was just wondering, with the event a few days away, what is the general consensus on alignment specs? I'm going for an alignment tomorrow and i'm assuming the US oem alignment specs aren't necessarily the most optimal for the kind of driving we will be doing at the dragon. Any suggestions?

 

Depends on the tire size you are running and suspension mods
I run 225/255 dunlop SS Zll
max caster
Front 0 toe
-2° camber
Rear -2.7° camber
1/8 toe in total(1/16 each side)

This works for me

 

If you are coming from a stock alignment (w/ stock suspension), try the "UK alignment." It's natural next step from stock. Search on here for more details

 

Im getting z2 star specs mounted on ap2v2 wheels in 225 front and 255 for the rear. Lowered about 1.5 inches on buddy club n+ coilovers

 

UK alignment.... been running it for years...

Will wear the insides of your front tires quicker tho....

 

Ed, I'm running -1.6 camber front with 0.04 toe and -2.0 camber rear with 0.01 total toe. Look for me in the Spa on friday. Just a one day trip this time. Have something going now the rest of the weekend. Enjoy man. Both cars man.

 

Same here ...!!!!!

 

UK spec is great for the twisties. I ran it for a while, but after experiencing excessive inner tire wear due to driving on mostly interstate highways for 800+ miles to get to the Dragon and another 800+ to get back, I toned it down a bit. I still wanted it to handle like it did (or close to it). If I lived closer to the twisties, I'd probably still run it, but for me, getting to the fun roads requires driving at least an hour on straight boring roads so, with some help, I came up with this slightly less-aggressive-than-UK-spec alignment:

Max out caster (6.2-6.7)
-1.0 front camber
0.04 front toe (each side)
-2.0 rear camber
0.12 rear toe (each side, so 0.24 total)

I've found that this is a good compromise for excellent handling without the excessive uneven tire wear. I just replaced my rears and they actually appeared to have worn evenly. This might not be for everyone but it's worked for me. A friend of mine managed to put an insane amount of miles on a set of RE-11s with UK spec and they wore evenly but he rotated them frequently.

 

You have to compromise. Run more camber so you can enjoy the car to its fullest. Tires are consumables so get a tread pattern that allows tires to be flipped on the wheel. That way the worn inside 1/3 is now on the outside edge . Almost doubles the tread life if you catch it in time.

 

Optimal? Not in the Dragon, regardless of "kind of driving". Consensus? With many distinct drivers of multiple skill levels/comfort zones and many cars having different tires and suspension setups, that's mission impossible.

In the Dragon, each turn is unique, and most (at least the ones for which extreme turning forces are necessary at slow speeds - the hairpins) are low speed turns. As others have stated, you can set your alignment to more specific settings depending mostly on tire and suspension setups, and your driving style. Just keep in mind that as you increase the handling limits of your car, the "edge" becomes sharper and more difficult to maintain consistently.

For me is all about what I KNOW and i'm comfortable with. That way you at least face the road with less issues to worry about. If you have been to the dragon many times or are very comfortable managing aggressive setups, then by all means try something different.

I'm on stock alignment with 225/245 Dunlops. However, I do run upgraded brake pads which allow very late and consistent braking all day long.

Pedro