Wheel/Track Alignment figures?

[hamtt]

Anyone know the standard factory figures for wheel/track alignment for a UK (2005) spec Atom 2?

[CalScot]

What do you want to do with it? Track focused or road? Then the question is what tires (tyres) are you using?

The settings for a UK Atom II are no different than a III.  Long ago I lost track of what the factory setting were after I tweaked the car extensively to get it where it worked for me:

For R888:
Pure road use and long trips: Fronts= 1* to 0.75* negative camber, 0.075" toe OUT (0.075" toe out is about 1 to 1/1/2 turns on the rod end)
Rears= 0.5* to 0* (neutral) camber, Toe IN 0.025" ( 1/2 to one turn on rod end)

Tracking with R888's is really much the same settings for me as they are pretty damn useless on track there's no point in spending the time doing all the changes. Just go out and hammer it and have fun. If you really want to take the time to adjust and keep the R888's on, then Fronts= 2 to 2.5* negative camber, .100" toe out.  Rears are 1.5 to 2* negative camber and 0.025 to 0.050" toe IN.

It all depends on the track and your driving style as well. So many variables but if you use the above, your damn close to a decent setup. Track and slick use is a different ball game and it's very tire specific but I've got good data for a handful of different tires.

[CalScot]

Oh and if anybody ever tells you the front TOE is in and the rears OUT....just shoot them now or walk away quick. They have no clue what they are talking about.

[payne]

Pete- Any thoughts on how much neg camber to run with A6s?  Or v700s (Victoracers)?

Also, I have a camber gauge that I carry to track days if anyone wants to borrow it in the norcal area.

Jason

[CalScot]

[quote="payne"]
Pete- Any thoughts on how much neg camber to run with A6s?  Or v700s (Victoracers)?

Also, I have a camber gauge that I carry to track days if anyone wants to borrow it in the norcal area.

Jason
[/quote]
Payne, If your running them on track, I'd call DP35 and get his complete car setup for A6's and copy it since he has a lot of track and setup time with the A6's. He has the 17" rear wheels and he runs the pressures much higher than what our "conventional" Atom theory on pressures has called for. It's hard to argue with his results.
I was running the Hankook z214 Autocross tires instead of the A6's. They are supposed to be the same and I did find them to be very good on a dry track. My best results were on rears -3* camber and fronts were -2 to -2.5*. They are very track dependant. With high negative camber, it really kills the braking effectiveness at the end of a long straight so it's a trade off. Laguna Seca for example seems to do better with somewhat less camber overal for lap times. Streets of willow do much better with heavy camber. Possibly even -4* on the rears might be optimum but I've only went to -3* so far.

And for anybody that cares to listen, I will say this for autocross tires on the highway such as the A6's and the Hankooks z214's. They are DOT legal but they are lethal for highway driving. I have nearly killed myself twice now with them. On one occasion, I was driving on Naciemento Fergusson Rd, westbound over the mountain into Big Sur. It was a spectacular day in the high 80* and perfect blue sky's. I came over the mountain top after a very spirited high speed run through mega twisty roads. The tires were totally amazing. Speeds and cornering bordering on the insane. I was in driving heaven. At the top of the mountain, I looked down at an awesome sight of a very tight twisty mountian road to the Pacific Ocean, several thousands of feet below. I drove very very carefully and slowly with the sun in my eye's. The tires were hot and sticky but I drove no faster than 10mph. I came around one corner and the road was all sandy from some vehicle kicking out dirt and sand. The 4 hot sticky tires picked up the sand like sugar on a powdered doughnut. The tires were totally coated in sand and had no grip. At a painfully slow speed, the Atom just slid sideways towards the cliff on the other side of the road. I was in the procees of unbelting and about to jump out of the car when it slid back towards the inside to the hillside as the road cambered in. I stayed in the car and hit the hillside at 10MPH max. I nearly sh1t my pants It was a perfect example of those tires being too sticky for your own good. When they are good they are awesome, but when they are bad thay are death traps. When I think about how fast I have driven with them on roads I had no idea what was round the next bend I shudder. I'll never run on a highway again with Autocross tires. You just get too cocky and over confidant with them until there's a damp patch or some sand or sh1t on the road. The R888's are far from perfect but are at least very predictable.

[payne]

Thanks for the advice Pete. 

I finally put some miles on my V700s this weekend.  Night and day difference over the stock tires; however they do sling about 10x the gravel/rocks on a dirt road over the stockers. 

Can't wait to get a set of the Sector 111 wheels and get some A6s mounted.

Jason

[hamtt]

[quote="CalScot"]
What do you want to do with it? Track focused or road? Then the question is what tires (tyres) are you using?

The settings for a UK Atom II are no different than a III.  Long ago I lost track of what the factory setting were after I tweaked the car extensively to get it where it worked for me:

For R888:
Pure road use and long trips: Fronts= 1* to 0.75* negative camber, 0.075" toe OUT (0.075" toe out is about 1 to 1/1/2 turns on the rod end)
Rears= 0.5* to 0* (neutral) camber, Toe IN 0.025" ( 1/2 to one turn on rod end)

Tracking with R888's is really much the same settings for me as they are pretty damn useless on track there's no point in spending the time doing all the changes. Just go out and hammer it and have fun. If you really want to take the time to adjust and keep the R888's on, then Fronts= 2 to 2.5* negative camber, .100" toe out.  Rears are 1.5 to 2* negative camber and 0.025 to 0.050" toe IN.

It all depends on the track and your driving style as well. So many variables but if you use the above, your damn close to a decent setup. Track and slick use is a different ball game and it's very tire specific but I've got good data for a handful of different tires.
[/quote]

Well I'm using it mainly on the track with A048's (standard sizes) so I'll pass on the figures you mentioned to the garage and see how it goes. Thanks for the info.

[lauri]

Looks like this alignment thread is newer and I should have posted here. Anyway, latest recommended suspension settings are at http://www.atomclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,212.msg266601.html#msg266601.