Miata Alignment

[DelanieC]

I've been doing research on Miata alignment specs and I came across a previous thread where this was discussed by our resident Miata experts: http://www.alscca.net/community/showthread.php?t=2738&

I have a couple additional questions:
Would these specs be different for a dual purpose car (autox and track, leaning towards track performance)?

Have your (engled and W8) numbers changed any over the last two years?

Thoughts on these specs? (949 racing race alignment) http://949racing.com/miata-race-alignment-info.aspx

I was told by the previous owner that the alignment is a street/track alignment and I'm looking to get a better track alignment.

[rodhx]

Scanning your two links they both look like sound advice. Just avoid the common miata.net "wisdom" of running more negative camber in the rear than the front

As far as dual purpose...not sure I would worry about it. I aligned my miata with all the negative I could get in the front and about 0.5" less in the rear. Something like -1.8 front, -1.2 rear in my case. I always liked zero toe in front and just a slight amount of toe in in the rear to keep it settled. Drove it everywhere like that for years.

[engled]

Mine have changed wildly but I have been chasing a problem that I didn't even know I had.

A Miata alignment is easy to get 90% on the first try if every thing else is close.

In the front you want pretty much all the negative camber you can get unless your car is very low or you have offset bushings. If you can get it -2.5 is a good place to start. I like as little caster as I can get but I never drive on the street or track, I think I have around four degrees maybe less. For the toe I start with zero and start adding toe out until it works. I have run as much as 3/8 toe out at the tire face. With those caster numbers and that much toe out all you have to is just think about turning and the car changes directions.

For the rear like Rod said ~-.4 less than the front to keep it balanced. I run zero toe in the rear.

My settings would eat a set of street tires off in a few hundred miles. If you took the toe out from the front (easy to do at each event) it would be fine to daily drive.

[cdambrose]

I've run the 949 Dual Duty Alignment as a starting point for my development this year.

I live close to work so I don't put a lot of miles on the car as a daily, around 4k/yr.

JBass and Cholewa have co-driven with me this year and haven't complained

If I trailer'd the NB, I would be more inclined to aligned it more aggressively, perhaps.

I've learned on zero toe, so wondering how much quicker it'll turn in is intriguing!

[DelanieC]

I was aiming for the 949 race alignment but the most he could get out of the right rear was -1.2. Looks like I have some suspension pieces to replace over the winter ....

[Cholewa]

I've run the 949 Dual Duty Alignment as a starting point for my development this year.

I live close to work so I don't put a lot of miles on the car as a daily, around 4k/yr.

JBass and Cholewa have co-driven with me this year and haven't complained

If I trailer'd the NB, I would be more inclined to aligned it more aggressively, perhaps.

I've learned on zero toe, so wondering how much quicker it'll turn in is intriguing!

If, having driven John Waights car having a great alignment is any sign, yes, it makes a big difference. The laws of physics that are broken in that car are too many to list.

[jatow]

Check out Wally's alignment...