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Old 11-20-2020, 05:28 PM   #50
GunMetalGrey

 
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Drives: Track prepped 2018 Camaro ZL1 (a10)
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Victoria B.C. Canada
Posts: 1,384
Quote:
Originally Posted by Msquared View Post
OH, there's no question changing some things affects others. Ride height and RC are inextricably linked to one another, for example. That's not what I'm questioning. What I question is whether or not the RC needs to be corrected after a Camaro is lowered. I'm not aware of such a need, and Chevy obviously doesn't see one. That doesn't mean it wouldn't be a good idea. I'm just saying that we don't know.
We agree on most of that, but I don't understand why you are saying Chevy does not see the need to adjust anything due to ride height.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Msquared View Post
Well, let's unpack this a bit. Caster isn't adjustable on a stock Camaro at all. At least some camber plates allow caster adjustability, like the Vorshlag units. But the two are independently adjustable. One can limit the other: for example at max camber on the plates you probably have to give up some caster, and vice versa. But within those limits you can absolutely set whatever caster and camber you want, independent from one another. I don't know what caster range the Vorshlag plates give you with no other mods: you might be able to get the 8.5-9.5 you want just from those.

Using the stock adjustment, I don't see how setting camber using the factory adjustment could change caster. That doesn't really make sense. On my 1LE, going from the as-delivered -1.4/-0.9 (left/right) camber to -2.7 on both sides using the stock camber adjustment didn't change my caster one single bit. It read 7.6 and 7.3 before and after the camber change. That's what we'd expect.

Also, it's not clear that normal alignment machines can accurately read caster or steering axis inclination because there is no single pivot point defined by a single lower ball joint. Instead, there are two ball joints (one for each link) and a virtual pivot point defined by their instant center. But the problem is that as the steering is turned, that virtual pivot point moves...a lot. We could define static caster using the virtual pivot point. However, an alignment machine infers caster from the change in camber as the steering is cycled through its range, and that would not be accurate for our cars because that pivot point is moving.

This all boils down to: I'd be interested to know the basis for measuring the caster that track drivers are using. I'd also be interested to know why more is better. Typically, the benefit of extreme caster only matter with extreme steering angles, such as autocross use. More than 7.5 or so is starting to get into the extreme range. So what benefit does 8.5-9.5 give on a road course?
Interesting, I'd like to know as well.
I'm quoting what the guy from SPL said, so I can't comment on whether or not he is right. My track has 19 turns in a 1 minute and 20 second lap so it is corner heavy and technical.

This could all be a waste of money but only one thing is for sure, he definitely wants mine!
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2018 ZL1; Mag 2650 and 2 inch LT Headers , every SPL suspension upgrade, MCS 2 way coilovers, sway bars, square SC3R 325's all the way around, and multiple brake cooling upgrades
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