The factory wheel alignment sits somewhere in between road and track settings, but it’s more biased towards the streets. Adding more negative camber might not turn your car into a track star overnight, but as you carry more speed through corners, tire wear could become an issue. So, a little sportier alignment might just save your tires from a premature retirement – and your wallet from crying foul!
Here we can compare stock alignment values alongside different recommendations proposed by some owners:
| Camber | Toe per wheel | |
|---|---|---|
| STOCK ALIGNMENT FROM THE FACTORY | ||
| Front | -1,5° +/- 0,03° | +0,016° (+/- 0,016°) |
| Rear | -1,5° +/- 0,08° | +0,17° (+/- 0,03°) |
| 1/2 TRACK & 1/2 STREET | ||
| Front | -2,5° | +0,03° |
| Rear | -2,0° | +0,17° |
| FULL TRACK | ||
| Front | -3,0° | +0,056° |
| Rear | -2,5° | +0,112° |
Mind the units
Sometimes different units can be confusing and conversions can be tricky. Degrees are easy. The user manual suggests both camber values at -1°30′ ± 2′, which is super easy to convert. 30′ (minutes) is half a degree and 2 minutes correspond to 2/60 of a degree (equals 0.03°).
The tricky part comes where the values are expressed in milimeters. Manthey Racing, for example, is suggesting front toe in at 0,5 mm per wheel (1 mm per axle). For converting this we must take a look at the conversion chart because the conversion depends on the wheel size.
Hardware limitations
Because I spend an equal amount of time driving on the track and the street, I opted for -2.5° camber in the front and -2.0° in the rear. The front suspension is quite flexible because spacers can be used to increase negative camber. However, the rear suspension is trickier and we could only get up to -1.85° camber. To maintain an optimal balance, the front camber had to be reduced as well. I ended up with -2,25° at the front and -1.85° at the rear, while leaving the toe at the stock values. For a more track-focused alignment, the suspension needs to be lowered and/or the toe links need to be replaced with adjustable ones.
No wires nowadays! See the before/after data.Finding the sweetspot
At the end of the day, it’s all about what makes you happy. Going full track alignment won’t magically shave off seconds unless you’re in the pro league. If you’re opting for a track setup, remember to be cautious on the road: long highway trips can chew up your tires, and a lower ride height might turn your plastic undercarriage into a street sweeper! And let’s not forget the white-knuckle grip you’ll need on your alcantara wheel if you go for more aggressive toe settings!
Corner balance
While you’re at it, why not give the corner balance a tweak? This could improve the weight distribution across all four corners, optimizing handling, traction and tire wear, ensuring a car stays stable and responsive through every twist and turn. And hey, you might even get to weigh your car and see just how fit or fluffy it really is!
