Track Alignment Settings?

[RacingManiac]

The one adjustment you get in the rear affects both rear camber and toe, so you can really only optimize it for one or the other...

The front pin pulled brings the camber to like -1.8* once you push the top mount all the way in. I just double checked the front total toe before and set the front toe to be the same as that with some alignment plates.

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[optronix]

FWIW, I just installed Eibach Pro-Kit springs and did NOT pull the strut alignment pins. My alignment numbers landed in the ~1.5 front, ~-2.5 rear range. Sadly I do not have "before" numbers. I have a DE5.

Some impressions after a couple weeks of driving- the car feels better on the street. The ride is not at all compromised, but the chassis feels more "sports car"- not that it didn't before, but it just feels about 1/8th-1/5th "sharper" and more responsive on the road. If that makes sense. And it looks fantastic, which for me if I'm being honest is the true factor for why I had them installed.

During an autocross however, I think the higher rear camber exposed itself as a net negative. It wasn't alarmingly more prone to understeer and I could get the rear to move, but not as much as before. There were clear moments where I felt like I struggled to get the car to rotate, and that hasn't been a problem for me with this car since the first time I had it out at an autocross, and that was 6 events ago. Also for the record all of my runs are done with VSA disabled, i.e., "pedal dance".

I'll also mention that my tire pressures were ~38 psi front and ~40 psi rear hot, which I do not think was an adequate amount of difference. I think a better approach would be 40 front, 46 rear, at least. Probably closer to 50 rear with this setup to compensate for the higher rear camber.

Plans to install lower ball joints are imminent. I won't go as radical as some track rats on here, but ~3 degrees is my target up front.

I'm also considering an aftermarket rear sway bar. And eventually probably coilovers but I'm waiting to see what's happening with that HRC concept from a few weeks ago. My overall goals and expectations for the car is ~6-8 autocross events per year, and 1-3 track days, and the ability to continue to be truly enjoyable on the street for the occasional backroads "escape reality" drive (I feel that the car is perfectly adequate for this duty completely stock). Not a daily driver but it is my "get around town" car. And since it's possibly one of if not the last manual sports sedans brought to market, I'll probably keep it for a very long time, even if I buy something else more dedicated to motorsports type activities- so I don't want to go crazy with mods.

 

[Djseto]

As a follow up, I have the FL5 and the DE5 suspension modules. Which would you run?

DE5 gives me one extra level of softness and the FL5 gives me one extra level of firmness. When car & driver did their lightning laps at VIR (where I am going this weekend), they turned a faster time with suspenion in FL5 Comfort (which I would think is close to DE5 Sport). I can bring both I suppose but any feedback would be appreciated. I worry that FL5Type R more is so firm that it's going to really unsettle the chassis going over the gators.

Type R mode with the DE5 Module should be Sport+in DE5 world which might be more forgiving?

Or just put the FL5 module in and run individual with the Comfort setting but I think outside of Type R mode, you can't do pedal dance or disable VSA.

 

[RacingManiac]

You can pedal dance to disable VSA in any mode, you can only long press to disable VSA in +R

 

[Djseto]

Pedal dance is needed to disable active braking of wheels to assist with steering or is that part of VSA?

 

[svvitch]

Pedal dance is needed to disable active braking of wheels to assist with steering or is that part of VSA?

pedal dance is needed. agility assist is different from vehicle stability programming

 

[BigBird]

As a follow up, I have the FL5 and the DE5 suspension modules. Which would you run?

DE5 gives me one extra level of softness and the FL5 gives me one extra level of firmness. When car & driver did their lightning laps at VIR (where I am going this weekend), they turned a faster time with suspenion in FL5 Comfort (which I would think is close to DE5 Sport). I can bring both I suppose but any feedback would be appreciated. I worry that FL5Type R more is so firm that it's going to really unsettle the chassis going over the gators.

Type R mode with the DE5 Module should be Sport+in DE5 world which might be more forgiving?

Or just put the FL5 module in and run individual with the Comfort setting but I think outside of Type R mode, you can't do pedal dance or disable VSA.

you can experiment as needed. FL5 Comfort is the way to go on the factory module.

I wonder now how the DE5 module being that it is one step down would be in +R and you can just long press without doing the pedal dance.

It seems this is your first track day in this car, and I think you had RWD in the past. I would run with TC on for a few sessions for sure. Throttle lift oversteer is the opposite of what you're used to.

I had a DE5 and FL5, the FL5 just seemed a bit more responsive, and not sure what that's due to, could very well be the difference in programming of the shocks being that most things are the same.

 

[Djseto]

Yes. My first time in FWD but not on track. I do plan to leave VSA on to start. It's a 2 day HDPE so I think by the second day i may want to disable VSA. Did you leave brake assist/vectoring on? Thats the one thing I'd need to disable with the pedal dance regardless of which module I use.

I spent some time on the SIM at local SIM Racing place near me working on lift off oversteer in FWD. That will 100% be the hardest adjustment.

 

[johnny.silva7]

Installed some adjustable ball joints and went for an alignment. Would love some feedback.

Doing my 11th track day on this car this weekend.

 

[Dazzling2394]

were ~38 psi front and ~40 psi rear hot, which I do not think was an adequate amount of difference. I think a better approach would be 40 front, 46 rear, at least. Probably closer to 50 rear

That seems like a wildly high pressure compared to what people run on other cars, is that really what you are going to move to?

 

[chadwicke619]

I'll also mention that my tire pressures were ~38 psi front and ~40 psi rear hot, which I do not think was an adequate amount of difference. I think a better approach would be 40 front, 46 rear, at least. Probably closer to 50 rear with this setup to compensate for the higher rear camber.

This seems crazy high. I’m running V730s hot in the low to mid 30s generally, max. Am I doing it wrong?

 

[Tougefl5]

Installed some adjustable ball joints and went for an alignment. Would love some feedback.

Doing my 11th track day on this car this weekend.

Seems low camber degrees for the balljoints?

 

[MooMoo]

Seems low camber degrees for the balljoints?

Sounds about right for the middle setting on the ball joints, maybe the top is not fully pushed out to get a few more degrees. 2.6 is a pretty decent compromise for daily/track.

 

[johnny.silva7]

Seems low camber degrees for the balljoints?

Yup. I was aiming for -2.5 (middle adjustment). I think max settings would place it around -3.8 with pulled pins

 

[Tougefl5]

Yup. I was aiming for -2.5 (middle adjustment). I think max settings would place it around -3.8 with pulled pins

Understand and that makes sense.

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