Which alignment bits do i need?

[sliding-r]

As above, will list my spec first so you can get the picture of handling mods so far

I have:

Apex gen 2 coilies- set quite low, 6/5

Subframme Locking Collars- Ace mod i think and cheap enough

Whiteline ARBs to go on that I have sourced second hand

Cusco F+R Strut braces



Im planning on attending a trackday possible end of next month and want to get the car in shape for this.

So I think im in need a good alignment, which bits extra will i need? thinking defo rear camber arms and poss toe and/or castor?

your help would be appreciated!

Cheers

 

[craig8585]

Rear camber arms are all you really need when lowering a reasonable amount. The other adjustable arms are benificial but not really needed.

 

[sliding-r]

Ok so rear camber is a given,

is there much adjustmnet in the standard arms for the other bits?

 

[craig8585]

Just copied this from a thread on SXOC..

When you lower a 200SX you adversely effect the alignment settings of the vehicle. The main problem is with adverse camber settings front and rear. If you have coil overs then you can use the built in camber adjustment to reset front camber. To adjust rear camber you need adjustable rear camber arms. When you reset rear camber you will introduce toe out with the rear wheels. Although the original toe arms have some adjustabilty to them you'll find that this isn't sufficient if you lower the car significantly. You will then need adjustable rear toe arms.

Not only do alignment arm sets allow you to reset all the alignment but they also remove a significant amount of slop from the the car by eliminating one of the original squishy bushes for each arm swapped. The original tc bushes are notorious for being soft and for failing on 200s. Replacing this arm alone will improve steering feel, turn in, response and mid corner stability. And thats before you use the adjustable feature of the arms to introduce additional positive castor.

If you don't want to spend lots, just do the rear camber and it'll still handle great. If you're feeling flush, do the whole lot!

 

[craig8585]

Front tc arms:

Allow castor adjustment to improve turn in and steering response and reduces the need for excessive static negative camber.

Rear camber arms:

Allow camber adjustment for the rear wheels. Necessary when the 200s are lowered as doing so increases -ve camber so reduces traction and causes excessive tyre wear on the inside edge.

Rear toe arms:

Allows adjustment of rear toe. When you correct camber you will dial in toe out. The standard arms have a limited amount of adjustment, once you get outside this range of adjustment you need rear toe arms.

Rear traction arms:

Also allow adjustment of rear toe towards the top of the suspension stroke.

 

[sliding-r]

Awesome info thanks, might get the camber and toe to correct once camber in check... That notoriously sloppy arm sounds like it would be a good move to sort aswell..

 

[sliding-r]

What u got on yours Craig? And did you feel a good gain from the alignment?

 

[andeep]

Yep get the camber and toe arms together.

 

[JEZ 8553]

Ive got these....

http://www.apexperformance.co.uk/ca...17&PHPSESSID=cc7598f8330151db5bfa2aa3ec73a1fe

Great bit of kit imo for the price. You can also get them in rose jointed form but i would only reccomend these on a dedicated track car imo.

 

[craig8585]

What u got on yours Craig? And did you feel a good gain from the alignment?

I've only got the camber arms at the moment. Was contemplating going for the whole kit but my geometry is really good so it seemed like a waste of money as I'd probably get an un-noticeable benefit from it.

A proper alignment is WELL worth the money (not a QuikFit job either). I think it's around £150 - 200 for a proper 4 wheel, 3-way alignment and coilover setup. Not sure if it's worth setting the corner weights on these cars but I know some tuners offer the service.

 

[sliding-r]

Ive got these....

http://www.apexperformance.co.uk/ca...17&PHPSESSID=cc7598f8330151db5bfa2aa3ec73a1fe

Great bit of kit imo for the price. You can also get them in rose jointed form but i would only reccomend these on a dedicated track car imo.

Don't think I'm gonna be able to afford them ATM. Much as I would like to..

There's a guy selling brand new set he hasn't used for £315 on sxoc but still bit pricey for my blood ATM lol..

 

[craig8585]

Have you checked out Apex's GB section on SXOC? All alignment arms are on offer at the moment.

 

[LuPix_S15]

I got front DW tension rods which allows you to set the front castor - good if you're making sure you get the most amount of full lock (I was told 6 deg is about best)


Also just as well I changed these cos the bush in my stock ones went and the whole wheel was moving forwards/backwards under heavy braking!! :wack:

 

[andeep]

Yep had the same problem as LuPix, my front tension bush was leaking its goo and would cause juddering when braking.

I'm running these settings which set the car to a snappy oversteer:

front camber 2.50*, castor 8.00*, toe 0.00*
rear camber 1.10*, toe 0.00*

 

[LuPix_S15]

haha I like those settings my friend!!

Mine are:

front camber 2.50*, castor 6.00*, toe 0.00*
rear camber 2.50*, toe 0.00*

So mine in relation to yours is I get oversteer but only if I push on the throttle and force her in the dry which makes drifting slightly harder esp at higher speeds aiming for good line and transition. Backend incredibly grippy in the dry and even more so on track when the tyres are hot. She will NOT oversteer on a hot track day - Nurburgring proved that comprehensively!! I really need to get rear camber arms to pull it in since it's the natural drop of height with coilovers that's made it -2.5 deg. Neutral toe as I didn't wanna feck around with something I don't understand... yet lol

 

[sliding-r]

Yep had the same problem as LuPix, my front tension bush was leaking its goo and would cause juddering when braking.

I'm running these settings which set the car to a snappy oversteer:

front camber 2.50*, castor 8.00*, toe 0.00*
rear camber 1.10*, toe 0.00*

Mine seems to do this juddering!! Thought it were my front disks! Which arm is it then?? Il have a look

 

[craig8585]

Front tension rods. Tein do a version of them too. There are 2 bolts at one end and a bush at the other.

 

[LuPix_S15]

Tom - even at low speeds if you brake hard like emergency stop you will feel a lot of slop and mine was making very loud clunking noises because the tension rods were fooked lol.

These rods connect the lower front arm to a point where there is a bush - easy to get to and see if you go under or turn the front wheels one way...