Suspension Geometry

[alicrozier]

I've not been happy with the geo on the new Exige since I got it, messed around with ARB, tyre pressures and damper settings etc but it was just masking the issues. I got the settings from the previous owner (done early 2008) but I wasn't overly confident it was accurate. Even by eye the front camber wasn't as much as he said. Supposedly it also had 1.5mm toe OUT at the rear (didn't think this could possibly be right, more likely the gauge reversed and reading OUT when it was actually IN). Ride hights were supposedly 120/120 but also seemed off - could be springs settling?

Anyway, I took it to Graeme Wight's yesterday. Some of you will know him but for those that don't he's a very successful Hillclimber and car builder.

Found a few anomlies in my car, NSR was slightly toe out with OSR 4mm toe in. Cambers pretty much OK but way less than the previous owner said it had. We delt with the ride heights first, front was sitting at 115, rear 110!
Raised the rear, verified the cambers (very close to 240 cup factory settings) and reset the toe, again to factory settings. Set it up with me (90kg) and 3/4 tank fuel (average fuel load considering the surge issues). Feels better already on the road, we'll see what it's like with Walshy and then DP next week.

Graeme won't decide to take on this kind of work commercially for a few months depending on other projects. Used old school string setup, but he's not really geared up for road cars - lots of wheel off/wheel on, restring action. If he does, he'll tool up properly - I'll keep you informed! Would be good to have another specialist in the Aberdeen area.

Lots of interesting stuff it the workshop, his Predator (V10 Arrows engine), another customer Predator with 250+ bhp 'Busa, KV6 Imp (project in build) and a few other things I can't talk about. What with this, coffee's, chatting and Graeme pouring over the Lotus (obviously very intersted in the manufacturing processes etc., he uses similar glues to the Lutus tub for example) I was probably there for 4 hours.

Cheers,
Ali

[H8OAG]

Ali

I am sure he has done a good job but why would you not take your car and get a proper laser set up?

The Shaguar had full geometry completed at Burnbrae Road and Race last week including front brake discs skimmed and balanced on the hubs for £100?

Shurely musht be more accurate than farting about with string?

Awaits reply from rope fetishists Robin and WankR on benefits of Duck Tape,rope and heavily- soiled underpants (to protect body work from rope burns !!)

[Shug]

Le Mans teams use string. Lasers are only as good as the thickness of the beam - which unless you spend tens of thousands, is a lot thicker than fishing line. Lasers are only better from an ease-of-setup point of view, they are not more accurate.

You're talking about differences of 0.1mm here, so accuracy counts and the string method (with ultra thin line) has been shown to be more than accurate if the operator is good enough...

[Shug]

Of course, I just use it for the ball gag....

[H8OAG]

Shug
Here what you are saying .......but there are benefits in getting a full print out of the car showing the following:-

Your existing/initial setup
Manufacturers recommended set up (with tolerances)
Your final set up.....after adjustment

Job Done in 30mins in my case.


.................Bet you think the earth is flat as well

[Shug]

...which the string operator would note down anyway as part of the setup - I dare say you'd get a copy if you asked

Some of us like quality work as opposed to pacey work - as a Still Game faction member, I thought you'd appreciate that

[alicrozier]

I have all the settings and tolerances printed out and wrote down the before and after numbers with my own fair hand.

For accuracy I'd take an experienced bloke with fishing wire and vernier over a spotty yoof with a blobby laser.
Case in point was the previous owners printout which said 1.5mm toe OUT at the rear. Also, sometimes a digital answer isn't actually any more accurate...

(I'm not saying Burnbrae are spotty yoofs).

The benefits for me are better understanding how it's done, proper ballasting (me) and getting my hands dirty to some extent. I now have 100% confidence in the settings 'cos I was there the whole time and helping.

[alicrozier]

What's the recommended ballast in the Shaguar btw?
Man with a hat in the drivers seat, VIP in the rear? Golf clubs in the boot?

[H8OAG]

What's the recommended ballast in the Shaguar btw?
Man with a hat in the drivers seat, VIP in the rear? Golf clubs in the boot?

Ali

Much easier to calculate than your many variables (diet, bowel movement(s))

[H8OAG]

Quality Work and not Pacey Work..........Young whippersnappers

Reminds me of when my Grandfather used to sit me down on his knee... and after a Werthers Original ...... would tell me a story.

The Young Bull, Old Bull Story
The younger bull turns to the older bull and says, "Look at all those cows. There are hundreds of them down there just begging to be sh*gged by a bull such as I.
Let's run down into the valley and begin production on a few of those heffers..."
The old bull smiles and turns to the young bull and advises, "Let us walk down young man and not just service a few............ but the whole feckin herd!"

[philthy]

I didnt realise that string methods were so accurate.

Mine was set up for road use by the previous owner and it understeers like buggery on track, may crack out the fishing line when I have a spare minute

[Shug]

I didnt realise that string methods were so accurate.

Mine was set up for road use by the previous owner and it understeers like buggery on track, may crack out the fishing line when I have a spare minute

Try a spare day.

The only time I've done this myself, it took bloody ages. MUCH easier if the car is on turn plates (which you probably don't have in the house) or it's a case of measure - jack up - adjust - roll the car back & forth to settle suspension - re-position everything and re-measure - swear because you've moved it too far - repeat until you throw a spanner at something....

[mac]

String method also needs a firm grasp of geometery and the use of trig functions.

I'd be quite tempted to find someone with a full hunter set out which uses laser detection for it's calculations rather than the beam it's self which as shug said is dependant on source and will spread over distance.


Mac

[tenkfeet]

I didnt realise that string methods were so accurate.

Mine was set up for road use by the previous owner and it understeers like buggery on track, may crack out the fishing line when I have a spare minute

Try a spare day.

The only time I've done this myself, it took bloody ages. MUCH easier if the car is on turn plates (which you probably don't have in the house) or it's a case of measure - jack up - adjust - roll the car back & forth to settle suspension - re-position everything and re-measure - swear because you've moved it too far - repeat until you throw a spanner at something....

A few stacked bin bags works ok as steering plates .

[philthy]

I didnt realise that string methods were so accurate.

Mine was set up for road use by the previous owner and it understeers like buggery on track, may crack out the fishing line when I have a spare minute

Try a spare day.

The only time I've done this myself, it took bloody ages. MUCH easier if the car is on turn plates (which you probably don't have in the house) or it's a case of measure - jack up - adjust - roll the car back & forth to settle suspension - re-position everything and re-measure - swear because you've moved it too far - repeat until you throw a spanner at something....

Yea that was said a bit tongue in cheek! I suppose I could use my mums tea trays for turn plates, seem to work quite well below the rear wheels of FWD cars