Alignment q's for the chassis guys...
#1074100
09/12/11 11:39 PM
09/12/11 11:39 PM
|
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,730 Red Deer, Alberta
bill_greenwood
OP
top fuel
|
OP
top fuel
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,730
Red Deer, Alberta
|
So, my season is officially a wash, so it's time to get working on next year. 5.13's and new rear shocks will be finding their way under my heap. I also feel there is a few hundredths or better in my front alignment. Currently, the car tracks DEAD straight with low rolling resistance. I have a slight push left at the hit, and a very manageable draw to the right when I drop the nose. This car will coast down from 100+ with no hands on the wheel and not wander an inch. Dead straight is an understatement. Get it rolling 1-2 mph in the staging lanes and then drop it into neutral and it will roll a long ways. That part is excellent. But, starting from static height (25 1/2" to lip of wheel opening at the spindle line) the passenger side tire goes from neutral camber to slight camber out to slight camber in at the top of the travel. Total camber arc is about 3/8" max. The drivers side stays neutral for about an inch of travel and then finally cambers outward a total of 5/8" at the top of the suspension travel. Total travel is 5 1/2". How do we get this to be closer to neutral throughout the suspension travel? I'm trying to tackle this with basic garage tools, but given that I think I did a pretty good job on the alignment using a carpenters' square and a couple of 2x4's, how hard can it be right? My guess is that there's at least .05 left in my front suspension without even going to something more skookum than my old 90/10 shocks.
|
|
|
Re: Alignment q's for the chassis guys...
[Re: bill_greenwood]
#1074101
09/12/11 11:53 PM
09/12/11 11:53 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972 Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY
Master
|
Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
|
Did you set the alignment up with the body UP 1" to simulate down track.... all the caster you can get, 0 camber and if you are worried that much 0 toe in which I would normally say 0 to 1/16" toe in.... all set at 1" up on the body
|
|
|
Re: Alignment q's for the chassis guys...
[Re: MR_P_BODY]
#1074102
09/13/11 12:13 AM
09/13/11 12:13 AM
|
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,730 Red Deer, Alberta
bill_greenwood
OP
top fuel
|
OP
top fuel
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,730
Red Deer, Alberta
|
I've got 1/16-1/8" of toe-in, which I set and checked at 1" up from static. It was a bit of an affair, as I would set it, drop the nose, bounce it a few times, back the car out of the garage and then drive it back in after turning the wheels all the way left and then right and then back to center. That part I think worked out. I just figured I'm ready to tackle this camber change deal. You can see the camber change in the pic I attached. When I'm jacking the front end up, you can feel the extra drag on the rise when it starts trying to drag the bottom of the tire inwards. Obviously this is a little different when the tire is rolling, but I would imagine it still drags the car down a bit.
Last edited by bill_greenwood; 09/13/11 12:17 AM.
|
|
|
Re: Alignment q's for the chassis guys...
[Re: bill_greenwood]
#1074103
09/13/11 01:08 AM
09/13/11 01:08 AM
|
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,454 Glendora Ca.
Just-a-dart
pro stock
|
pro stock
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,454
Glendora Ca.
|
Did you check the toe change thru the front end travel? Sometimes there is a bunch as the front end comes up, made a big difference for me working that out. I would suggest you check more than just the camber, caster is very important just not as easy to check.
Last edited by Just-a-dart; 09/13/11 01:22 AM.
"Just a Bracket car dressed up like a streetcar"
|
|
|
Re: Alignment q's for the chassis guys...
[Re: bill_greenwood]
#1074105
09/13/11 07:28 AM
09/13/11 07:28 AM
|
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,647 in a cattle trailer down by th...
Guitar Jones
Paddle faster! I hear banjo music!
|
Paddle faster! I hear banjo music!
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,647
in a cattle trailer down by th...
|
There are several tools available to check toe without a machine, check RJ Race Cars.
You are obviously a man with an attention to detail so you may not want to hear what I'm going to say. The camber change is not slowing your car down. Toe change will have the most if not all of the effect on your ET. Camber is going to affect how the tire wears, caster will affect how straight the car goes and how the steering returns to center. You obviously have that worked out.
You should have 1/16" to 0 toe in and it should change as little as possible through out the entire suspension movement. This will get your best ET. Having said that though unless the change in toe is drastic at some point where the car spends most of it's time going down the track the gains will be minimal. In other words you're not going to see .2 of improvement and if the current setup is real close you'll probably not see anything.
"Follow me the wise man said, but he walked behind"
'92 D250 Club Cab CTD, 47RH conversion, pump tweaks, injectors, rear disc and hydroboost conversion. '74 W200 Crew Cab 360, NV4500, D44, D60 and NP205 divorced transfer case. Rear disc and hydroboost conversion. 2019 1500 Long Horn Crew Cab 4WD, 5.7 Hemi.
|
|
|
|
|