Number Five: Alignment
The last thing you need to know to make your car handle to its full potential is that the alignment matters a lot. It’s also confusing to figure out. Here’s a short-form version of what you need to remember:
• Toe-in in the front suspension improves straight-line stability but makes turn-in sluggish.
• Toe-out in the front makes your car dart in a straight line, darty on turn- in (some people like that), and tears up the inside of the front tires.
• Toe-in in the rear suspension promotes understeer.
• Toe-out in the rear makes you crash.
• More camber means more grip when cornering, but also means less grip during acceleration, braking, and everything involving straight lines.
• Dial in more camber at the end where you want more grip.
CASTER: Ideally, dial in as much positive caster as is reasonably possible for optimum straight- line stability. Although it makes steering more heavy, most power steering systems make this effect a non-issue.
Adjustable links add more adjustment range to allow for a more aggressive suspension setup.
Camber plates allow easy adjustment of camber settings without having to get under the car.
Replacing old and worn out rubber bushings with a set of polyurethane bushings can help improve the response and feel of any vehicle.
Got It?
Ok, now that we’ve given you advice on how to set up your gear to make your car handle better, get out on the track and practice driving. Racing is a reality-based experience; it’s not GT5. It’s not even Gran Turismo. In reality we have this thing called physics, and that’s some of what was just explained to you. Know it and respect it, or it will kick your ass and remember – there is no reset button.
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