GinoGT

I'm thinking about getting the car corner balanced and the alignment check before the season starts up. Could you PM me some info (what shop, pricing, etc.)? I'm outside Atlantic City.

EternalLx

I am really not sure but from what I can figure if lowering or raising your ride height effects your alignment then shouldnt your alignment have a slight impact on your ride height?

It seems like PDS would be able to answer your question a lot better than me.

PDS

Are you aware how caster works? As you change caster (part of alignment) you are moving the stub axle fore or aft thus changing what has been termed the king pin inclination. As you do this you are in fact also moving the wheel up or down in relation to the others. Obviously changing the vertical load on that tire = corner weight.

If you want to get overly serious with corner weighting I know guys who run Spec Miata who loosen the control arm bushings prior to getting on the scales. After the scaling is complete they then make sure there is no preload in the anti roll bars when hooked back up and then tighten the control arm bushings. These guys also get into all types of asymetrical set ups depending on the track. Most of us never have to go quite that far.

CHILIBEANZ

So is there a "set standard" when it comes to corner balancing? I was always under the assumption that once the ride height has been manipulated, then the tires need to be be relaligned. So CB then Alignment.
PDS is there a noticable difference in doing it the way you described? Sorry for being such a newbie.

2159ClassicRed

I've never gone through this, but I'm in the exact situation on my project of what to do first. Just imagining conceptually, wouldn't an alignment affect the CW a little? Maybe not to a whole degree where it can ruin a CW.

03silver2000

You should do your alignment first and than your CB. Or both at the same time.

s2kennmark

if there's a lot of alignment change, then i would align then CB. i agree with PDS...

from experience, slight caster and even camber change can affect a perfect balance... in which case, unbalanced car will affect it's perfect alignment.

so i good start is to do alignment to your specific setting, then CB.

i own scales and have access to alignment rack so i go CB, align then CB again...

Borbor

Exactly what we do as well.

ride height, rough cw, caster, camber, toe, and then lock down the corner weights.

And on the roll bars. First thing we do when we get the car on the pad is unhook the bar.

TheNick

Yeah definitely both at the same time - in a pinch you can set your caster where you want before the cornerweight session - which is pretty easy to do on an S - and then run down the street to the alignment shop.

I would imagine that most places who do cornerweighting have the capabilities to align as well.

krazik

yeah unless your alignment guy seriously sucks, you max out the caster and leave it alone. And small changes in caster aren't going to significantly change your corner weights.

And you're not driving a formula car. I bet most people here couldn't tell the difference between 50lbs off on cross weight.