Miata Mailing List: June 1993, Message #111
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   From: miq@wv.MENTORG.COM (Miq Millman)
Subject: Re: alignment question
   Date: Mon, 28 Jun 1993 21:51:31 -0400


> >Front Caster : 5.3 degrees positive (my car is lowered a bit this is more
> >                                     than stock can get I think)
> >      Camber : 0.8 degrees negative - max possible
> >      Toe    : 1/16" total out  (1/32" each side)
> >
> >Rear Caster  : N/A
> >     Camber  : 1.125 degrees negative
> >     Toe     : 0
>
> This is typical of what many say their alignment is.
> Is there any reason not to be even more agressive.
> Say, maybe -2 degrees negative camber in the back, and -1.5 degrees in
> the front?  Is a wider tire (205 vs. 185) more or less sensitive to
> lots of negative camber?
>
> It seems to me that if a little camber is good, then more should be better.
>
> Thrown out to start some discussion.  I will probably get mine done
> soon, and am curious how it came about that most of you have very
> similar alignment setups.

Those are my alignment specs (and my original typing that put them out on
the net) so here is what I have to say:

More negative camber means more tire wear when the car isn't "in
transistion."  What negative camber is trying to do is keep the tread of
the tire flat on the ground while the car is leaning hard into a turn.
This is not necessarily a good thing when you are driving straight down
the highway, as the insides of the tires will get a lot more wear.  Having
wider tires (205 versus 185) will make this happen even quicker.  Of
course you could crank in the negative camber and just change your driving
habits, but don't blame us for any tickets you get.

The specs on the front are as far as you can set them on my car, so thats
about all I could do.

--

Miq Millman       miq@wv.mentorg.com         miq_millman@rainbow.mentorg.com
Mentor Graphics 8005 Boeckman Rd, Wilsonville OR 97070  503 685 1492   C2148