Alignment help

[1969CamaroRS]

Hello,

I'm going to be doing my own alignment in the next couple days. Hoping for some suggestions.

Here is my setup:
69 Camaro with BBC - iron block, aluminum heads, carb, battery relocated to the trunk. Should be about 550-600hp. Car is 95% a street car / weekend warrior, but will see occasional track use.

Front Suspension - Stock sub, AFX Tall Spindle, Global West upper and lower control arms, QA1 double adjustable coil overs (550/in rate), Baer Trackers, Hotchkiss 1-1/8 hollow bar. Lee 670 Steering box, 245/45/17 front tire.

Rear Suspension - G-Bar with QA1 Double adjustable (225/in rate), Mini-tubbed with 335/35/17 tires, currently no rear sway bar (will change as needed in fine tuning).

Thinking of using the standard street AFX alignment specs:
Camber: -0.5 degrees
Caster: +5 ½ degrees (or as much as I can get)
Toe-in: 1/16 in

Thoughts on these alignment specs? How much more aggressive can I go for a weekend warrior but not where I am buying new tires all the time?

Next question is, how to properly use/set the baer trackers?

I have access to an alignment rack and a come-along. I'm wondering after I set then initial toe, camber and caster if I can pull the suspension through its full travel and adjust the trackers this way, minimize any changes in camber and caster.

Any help, suggestions, hints, corrections or comments very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[Vegas69]

You won't get any tire wear with those specs. That's about what I'm running with no tire wear at all. 95% street stands out. I'm going to take mine to -1 degree of camber so it won't wear to much and I can run my race and street setup on one alignment.

[nicks67camaro]

I am running nearly the same specs (just a half degree less caster) I have had very good luck by doing this procedure. (this is my garage tech using a SPC Fas Trax Caster/Camber Gauge and SpeedWay toe stick)

(all needs to be done at ride height and full weight of car ie hood / fenders / engine ect

1. use cardbord / other low friction under tires to keep binding/friction to a minimum
2. roll the car back and forth to get the suspension unloaded (not sure if really nessecary but I do it)
3. Set you caster first (being mindful that you will need to add or take away shims so I start 2 shims in)
4. Camber is easy just add or take away shims till your reading is on. (just rember to add and subtract from each adjuster so you are not changing your caster.
5. recheck Caster (if you have a machine reading then you may not need to do this)
6. Set Toe making sure your caster / Camber doens't change
7. If "6" changes then just make minor adjustments.

I am using SPC Adjustable arms from Mark @ SC & C. So i just get mine close with very little shims and tune the rest in with the arms. I'm sure a machine is more accurate but I have over 3k miles on my tires and they are very evenly worn and tracks amazingly strait.

Good Luck

[MonzaRacer]

Caster camber will be set first , setting toe will not affect caster camber unless your way off on toe and having the steering wheel very off center.
what kind of machine are you going to use? And dont forget to keep the right caster 1/2 degree higher than left to allow for road crown. Caster is no tire wearing and should give no issues.
You could probably live with -0.75 deg camber. since your going to drive and race your going to give up some tire life anyway, and a good alignment tech should be able to read your tires after you run them for a while.

[1969CamaroRS]

Going to be using the alignment rack they have at my school. Fairly nice modern setup. Thinking maybe I could bump a bit towards the AFX race settings (don't have them handy).

Still trying to figure out a good method to setup the Baer trackers.

[gvanlaar]

I was under the impression that shims weren't needed when the SPC UCA's are used...

[1969CamaroRS]

I was under the impression that shims weren't needed when the SPC UCA's are used...

I have the Global West UCA's. Been searching for threads a few seem to indicate starting with -0.5" worth of shims on the Baer trackers.

I do remember talking to Tyler at ATS and him saying with the Baer trackers and the AFX spindle I should be able to dial out 99% of the bump steer, which is my goal.