Alignment question

Hi
I mostly lurk here, but just bought new Toyo T1R's for my 2001. What would
be the best compromise. Alignment with no weight in car, with my weight in
drivers seat, or some weight in both seats, or does it really matter that
much. This is just for street driving.
Thanks

Peter

"Peter A Kaufman" > wrote in message
...
> Hi
> I mostly lurk here, but just bought new Toyo T1R's for my 2001. What
> would be the best compromise. Alignment with no weight in car, with my
> weight in drivers seat, or some weight in both seats, or does it really
> matter that much. This is just for street driving.
> Thanks
>

Lanny Chambers' specs are he

http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

In article >,
"Peter A Kaufman" > wrote:

> What would
> be the best compromise. Alignment with no weight in car, with my weight in
> drivers seat, or some weight in both seats, or does it really matter that
> much.

Ballast it the way it's usually driven. Your weight in the driver's
seat, and if you normally have a passenger, add that weight to the
passenger seat. Tell her not to worry, alignment technicians are very
discreet if you leave a box of donuts in the car when you drop it off.

Peter A Kaufman wrote:
> Hi
> I mostly lurk here, but just bought new Toyo T1R's for my 2001. What would
> be the best compromise. Alignment with no weight in car, with my weight in
> drivers seat, or some weight in both seats, or does it really matter that
> much. This is just for street driving.
> Thanks
>
> Peter
>
>
According to the guy who did mine, "It's a motor car, sir, not a
precision instrument". Mazda say the only ballast needed is a full fuel
tank, but they do have amazingly wide tolerances for all the settings.

How about the difference between you two, in the pssngr seat (assuming
you're under 200 lbs)


--
" ya gotta let it out, Captain! " ( Jaime Brockett )
"pws" > wrote in message
...
> Zog The Undeniable wrote:
>
>> According to the guy who did mine, "It's a motor car, sir, not a
>> precision instrument". Mazda say the only ballast needed is a full fuel
>> tank, but they do have amazingly wide tolerances for all the settings.
>
> I would call it a horrifyingly wide range of what they consider acceptable
> tolerances.
> I would also walk away from anyone who works on cars and claims that the
> miata is not a precision instrument, especially in the handling
> department.
>
> No, under normal street driving it is not going to go sliding off the road
> because it was not ballasted, and most miatas are aligned without having
> weight added, but I usually drive mine alone and when a 200 pound friend
> rides with me, I can really tell the difference in the way the car drives.
>
> He is not far from 10% of the weight of the car. If this person was with
> me regularly, I would want 200 pounds of weight in the passenger seat and
> my considerably lower weight in the driver's seat when the car was
> aligned.
>
> Pat

Zog The Undeniable wrote:

> According to the guy who did mine, "It's a motor car, sir, not a
> precision instrument". Mazda say the only ballast needed is a full fuel
> tank, but they do have amazingly wide tolerances for all the settings.

I would call it a horrifyingly wide range of what they consider
acceptable tolerances.
I would also walk away from anyone who works on cars and claims that the
miata is not a precision instrument, especially in the handling department.

No, under normal street driving it is not going to go sliding off the
road because it was not ballasted, and most miatas are aligned without
having weight added, but I usually drive mine alone and when a 200 pound
friend rides with me, I can really tell the difference in the way the
car drives.

He is not far from 10% of the weight of the car. If this person was with
me regularly, I would want 200 pounds of weight in the passenger seat
and my considerably lower weight in the driver's seat when the car was
aligned.

Pat

Remove This wrote:
> How about the difference between you two, in the pssngr seat (assuming
> you're under 200 lbs)

Probably not a huge issue when talking 60 pounds from side to side. We
equal 340 pounds together.
Throw in a few items of any weight and we are approaching the
recommended weight limit of the car.

If we were both in the car regularly it would be better to have it
aligned while loaded. Since I am usually alone while driving, it is
better to have it aligned with only my weight in the car. I am talking
about what is optimum, not what is absolutely necessary unless you are
racing competitively.

Lanny, can you please explain why this is important and what happens to
the alignment characteristics when weight is added to the miata? You are
far better at explaining it than I am.

Pat

In article >,
pws > wrote:

> Lanny, can you please explain why this is important and what happens to
> the alignment characteristics when weight is added to the miata? You are
> far better at explaining it than I am.

Ride height has a major effect on camber on the NA and NB. With stock
springs, 150 lb in the passenger seat can change camber up to half a
degree, but not evenly all around. That's more than enough to change the
handling balance. It can even make the car understeer in one direction
and oversteer in the other, a nasty surprise if you aren't expecting it
and need all your evasive capability in an emergency.

If you only drive your Miata like a "motor car" (what's that, a Humber
Super Snipe?), you may never notice. But if you expect it to behave like
a proper sports car, pay attention to the alignment.