Tire pressure with new alignment...

Post your questions or tips about wheels, tires, alignment, or anything related to preparing an autocross or track car here.
Matt Sullivan
Notorious
Drives: 05 Mazdaspeed MX-5
Location:
Spring Hill, Fl
Joined: January 2008
Posts: 582
First Name: Matt
Last Name: Sullivan
Favorite Car: 05 Mazdaspeed MX-5
Location: Spring Hill, Fl

Tire pressure with new alignment...

Postby Lava Speed 05 » Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:05 pm

I had an alignment done on my car today and my question is with the follow specs any suggestions on where to start my tire pressure?
I'm at 37psi all around which typically I set it at 38 before an event and it's worked out well. I know the changes are going to affect this but not sure how.
I don't have a portable compressor so I'm looking for a good place to start that I would just need to scrub off some air if necessary.

Current Alignment:
Front Left Right
Castor 5.2 5.1
Camber -.8 -.9
Toe -.07" -.06"

Rear Left Right
Camber -1.4 -1.4
Toe +.07" +.06"

I know the numbers are not perfect but it's a much better starting point than the screwed up numbers I had prior and the car feels quite a bit different in a good way.
Any advise would be appreciated.
-Matt
Mazdaspeed MX-5
Lava Orange Mica
#23 for 2005.
Steve --
Forum Admin
Drives: whatever I can get my hands on
User avatar
Location:
St. Pete
Joined: November 2006
Posts: 5122
First Name: Steve
Last Name: --
Favorite Car: whatever I can get my hands on
Location: St. Pete

Re: Tire pressure with new alignment...

Postby Native » Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:00 pm

Keep the same pressures.
Seems kinda high for a Miata...stock tires?
btw the numbers look fine.
Steven Frank
Class M3 Miata
Proud disciple of the "Push Harder, Suck Less" School of Autocross
______________
I'll get to it. Eventually...
Matt Sullivan
Notorious
Drives: 05 Mazdaspeed MX-5
Location:
Spring Hill, Fl
Joined: January 2008
Posts: 582
First Name: Matt
Last Name: Sullivan
Favorite Car: 05 Mazdaspeed MX-5
Location: Spring Hill, Fl

Re: Tire pressure with new alignment...

Postby Lava Speed 05 » Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:36 pm

Thanks. I'm just a perfectionist, when I do bother to do something, so since it's not 100% perfect left to right it irks me even though I know it's just 1/100th off.

205/40/R17 Bridgestone Potenza RE760 sports on the stock '05 MSM Racingharts (max 50psi). That pressure has seemed to work in the past getting right to the edge of the tread. I never bothered with the super scientific shoe polish method though and just eyeballed the wear marks. I'll have to remember to pack something to mark the tires with.
-Matt
Mazdaspeed MX-5
Lava Orange Mica
#23 for 2005.
Loren Williams
Forum Admin
Drives: A Mirage
User avatar
Location:
Safety Harbor
Joined: December 2006
Posts: 13044
First Name: Loren
Last Name: Williams
Favorite Car: A Mirage
Location: Safety Harbor

Re: Tire pressure with new alignment...

Postby Loren » Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:40 pm

That's more than close enough to "perfect". You'll never feel a tenth of a degree of caster or camber, or a hundredth of toe. And every one of those numbers changes as soon as you get in the car, change your fuel load, start to turn, hit the brakes, accelerate, etc.

More front camber would be nice, otherwise, looks like a good alignment.

I agree with Steve on tire pressures.
Loren Williams - Loren @ Invisiblesun.org
The "Push Harder, Suck Less" philosophy explained:
Push Harder - Drive as close to the limit of your tires as possible.
Suck Less - Drive something resembling a proper racing line.
Matt Sullivan
Notorious
Drives: 05 Mazdaspeed MX-5
Location:
Spring Hill, Fl
Joined: January 2008
Posts: 582
First Name: Matt
Last Name: Sullivan
Favorite Car: 05 Mazdaspeed MX-5
Location: Spring Hill, Fl

Re: Tire pressure with new alignment...

Postby Lava Speed 05 » Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:55 pm

He was having issues getting more than the -1.4 camber and maintaining the toe in the rear from what he said. There was room for more neg camber up front, but I wanted to keep that .5 difference from front to back as I keep reading that's the suggested spread to start with.

It's a starting point and for $80 after tax at Sears of all places I can't really complain. The only performance/modified suspension shop in this immediate area was closed and other shops by me didn't even want to be bothered to try since it was outside the factory specs. They also wanted to tell me my Bilsteins were aftermarket and my car was lowered. Definite kudos to the guys at Sears for working with me in a pinch. Unfortunately Sears doesn't allow their customers to sit in the car while the alignment is being done, but understandable for a large corporation that it's into doing this stuff on a regular basis.
-Matt
Mazdaspeed MX-5
Lava Orange Mica
#23 for 2005.
Loren Williams
Forum Admin
Drives: A Mirage
User avatar
Location:
Safety Harbor
Joined: December 2006
Posts: 13044
First Name: Loren
Last Name: Williams
Favorite Car: A Mirage
Location: Safety Harbor

Re: Tire pressure with new alignment...

Postby Loren » Fri Jun 10, 2011 11:01 pm

Definitely a good place to start with a Miata. See how you like it, live with it for a while, then you'll know where you need to go with it next time. Driving style is a factor, so nobody can really tell you what "your" perfect alignment is.
Loren Williams - Loren @ Invisiblesun.org
The "Push Harder, Suck Less" philosophy explained:
Push Harder - Drive as close to the limit of your tires as possible.
Suck Less - Drive something resembling a proper racing line.
Matt Sullivan
Notorious
Drives: 05 Mazdaspeed MX-5
Location:
Spring Hill, Fl
Joined: January 2008
Posts: 582
First Name: Matt
Last Name: Sullivan
Favorite Car: 05 Mazdaspeed MX-5
Location: Spring Hill, Fl

Re: Tire pressure with new alignment...

Postby Lava Speed 05 » Fri Jun 10, 2011 11:29 pm

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'll see you both in the morning. Now it's time to start packing for my flight to Honolulu early Sunday morning. Autocrossing on Saturday and Honolulu on Sunday will definitely make for a great but tiring weekend. :-D
-Matt
Mazdaspeed MX-5
Lava Orange Mica
#23 for 2005.

Return to “Autocross/Track Setup”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest