Topic: Alignment Info for Kappas

[DeepBlueGXP]

Pulled from the Small Dealer post on the BB

Wheel Alignment Specifications

Front Suspension
 Camber       -0.50° ± 0.50°
 Camber Cross Tolerance     0.00° ± 0.50°
 Caster      7.50° ± 0.50°
 Caster Cross Tolerance     0.00 ± 0.50°
 Total Toe     0.10° ± 0.20
 Steering Wheel Angle    0.00°±  3.50°

Front Caster and Camber Adjustment
Important: Adjust Camber, then Caster, then Toe.

Loosen the lower control arm cam bolt nuts.
 
Rotate the cam bolts to the required caster or camber specification setting. Refer to Wheel Alignment Specifications .

Notice: Use the correct fastener in the correct location. Replacement fasteners must be the correct part number for that application. Fasteners requiring replacement or fasteners requiring the use of thread locking compound or sealant are identified in the service procedure. Do not use paints, lubricants, or corrosion inhibitors on fasteners or fastener joint surfaces unless specified. These coatings affect fastener torque and joint clamping force and may damage the fastener. Use the correct tightening sequence and specifications when installing fasteners in order to avoid damage to parts and systems.

Maintain the caster or camber setting while tightening the cam bolt nuts.

Tighten
Tighten the front lower control arm cam bolt nuts to 170 N·m (125 lb ft).

Check the caster and camber settings after tightening.
Adjust the caster and camber setting if necessary.
 
Rear Suspension
 Camber     -0.50° ± 0.50°   
 Camber Cross Tolerance     0.00° ± 0.50°     
 Caster      -4.00°± 0.50°
 Caster Cross Tolerance       0.00 ± 0.50°
 Total Toe     0.10° ± 0.20
 Thrust Angle     0.00° ±  0.20°

Rear Camber Adjustment
Important: Adjust Camber, then Caster, then Toe.

Loosen the lower control arm cam bolt nuts.
 
Rotate the cam bolts to the required camber specification setting. Refer to Wheel Alignment Specifications .

Notice: Use the correct fastener in the correct location. Replacement fasteners must be the correct part number for that application. Fasteners requiring replacement or fasteners requiring the use of thread locking compound or sealant are identified in the service procedure. Do not use paints, lubricants, or corrosion inhibitors on fasteners or fastener joint surfaces unless specified. These coatings affect fastener torque and joint clamping force and may damage the fastener. Use the correct tightening sequence and specifications when installing fasteners in order to avoid damage to parts and systems.

Maintain the camber setting while tightening the cam bolt nuts.

Tighten
   •  Tighten the rear lower control arm (front) bolt nut to 170 N·m (125 lb ft). 
   •  Tighten the rear lower control arm (rear) bolt nut to 170 N·m (125 lb ft). 

Check the camber setting after tightening. Adjust the camber setting if necessary.

Solstice Rear Caster
The Pontiac Solstice / Saturn SKY enjoys the distinction of being the first GM vehicles to have adjustable rear caster.
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

A procedure has been developed to measure rear wheel caster, using a new Digital Angle Gauge. But first, a little detail on rear caster.

Rear Caster
Rear caster adjustment is used on the Solstice and SKY to insure rear ride steer (bump steer) is within specification. Ride steer is toe change during vertical wheel travel.

On a front suspension, it’s common to check caster by doing a “caster sweep,” in which the wheels are steered through an angle, and the caster angle is indicated. Because the rear wheels don’t have steering gear, a caster sweep is not possible. So a direct measurement is necessary.

Digital Angle Gauge

A new Digital Angle Gauge CH-47960 [ Guests cannot view attachments ] has been released by SPX Kent-Moore. It will be essential for all Pontiac and Saturn dealers.

Instructions for use are supplied with the gauge. Here are some highlights.

The gauge consists of three parts: a battery powered control unit, a sensor, and a connecting cable.

The control unit provides simple input buttons:
- to specify the side of the vehicle being checked (driver or passenger)
- to zero the instrument.
- to specify offset

There are two locating pins on the back of the sensor [ Guests cannot view attachments ] . They can be adjusted up and down by twisting to loosen and tighten.

The pins are inserted into two manufacturing gauge holes in the rear wheel knuckle [ Guests cannot view attachments ] .

Measuring Tips

Before using the gauge, it must be zeroed to the alignment rack [ Guests cannot view attachments ] . This is accomplished simply by placing the sensor on the rack and pressing the zero button. Zeroing accounts for variations in the levelness of individual alignment racks, so it’s never a concern. You don’t have to do any math or make allowances.

TIP: Be sure both the bottom of the sensor and the surface of the alignment rack are free of debris, to avoid an inaccurate zero.

Before installing the sensor to the knuckle, use a soft (nylon) bristle brush to clean debris from the gauge holes. Do not use power tools or abrasives.

Use the appropriate push button on the control unit to indicate which side of the vehicle you’re working on, either driver or passenger.

A vertical line drawn through the gauge holes in the knuckle (B) is not quite perpendicular to the axis between the two ball joints (A). So you need to locate the specification of that angle and input it into the tool. This is called the offset [ Guests cannot view attachments ] , and in the case of the Solstice rear wheels, it’s +3.7°.

Finally, take the caster reading (the specification is -4° +/- 0.5°). By specifying the offset angle earlier, you set up the gauge so the readout indicates the actual caster angle [ Guests cannot view attachments ] . You don’t have to do any math.

TIP: If you study the front and rear suspension of the Solstice, you may notice that the driver front knuckle resembles the passenger rear knuckle, and the passenger front and driver rear knuckles resemble each other. This suggests that you could use the gauge to check front caster. This would require inputting “driver” into the Digital Angle Gauge when working on the passenger side, and vice versa. Don’t be tempted to do this, however, because the front offset angle is different from the rear, and this specification has not been published.

Alignment Tips

TIP: It’s important to complete the rear wheel alignment before aligning the front end.

IMPORTANT: If you do not have Digital Angle Gauge CH-47960, do not attempt to adjust rear caster. In this case, set only rear camber.

TIP: When you do a rear wheel alignment, you will observe adjustments for camber and toe from your alignment rack readout, and caster from your Digital Angle Tool.

There are two adjustment cams on the rear lower control arm [ Guests cannot view attachments ] . The front cam is used to adjust caster, and the rear cam is used to adjust camber. Toe is controlled by an adjustable rear toe link.

A Rear cam -- camber
B Front cam -- caster

It’s important to make the suspension checks and adjustments in the following order, to minimize having to make multiple passes.

1. Camber
2. Caster
3. Toe
4. Fine tune camber *
5. Fine tune caster *
6. Fine tune toe*
* if required

TIP: Both cams affect caster to some extent, but the rear cam affects camber about eight times as much as it affects caster. This is why you should set camber first, then caster.

Alignment specs are now different in the On-Line Service Manual for the 2006 Solstice.
Front Suspension
Camber -0.50° ± 0.60°
Camber Cross Tolerance 0.00° ± 0.60°
Caster 8.00° ± 0.60°
Caster Cross Tolerance 0.00 ± 0.60°
Total Toe 0.10° ± 0.20
Steering Wheel Angle 0.00°± 3.50°

Rear Suspension
Camber -0.50° ± 0.50°
Camber Cross Tolerance 0.00° ± 0.50°
Caster -4.00°± 0.75°
Total Toe 0.10° ± 0.20
Thrust Angle 0.00° ± 0.20°

There are also slight tweaks in the procedures.

Added July 20, 2010

Ok let's get this organized, please fill in the blanks, and then let's get the OP updated. Or start a new thread with just specs.

Z0K Spec:
Camber Front -1.75 +/- .75 deg.
Camber Rear  -1.5  +/- .75 deg.
Caster Front  7.75 +/- .5 deg.
Caster Rear  -4.0  +/- .5 deg.
Toe Front   .10 +/- .2 deg.
Toe Rear    .10 +/- .2 deg.

Road Course recommendations

Enthusiastic Street Driving recommendations

AutoX recommendations
Street tires:
Camber Front 2.2-2.5
Camber Rear 1.3-1.5
Caster Front 8 (critical to have left and right the same)
Caster Rear 4 (not critical if you can't get the tool, critical to have left and right the same)
Toe Front   .10 +/- .2 deg. same as Z0K Spec?
Toe Rear    .10 +/- .2 deg. same as Z0K Spec?

Hoosiers:
Camber Front 2.6-2.8
Camber Rear 1.6-1.8
Caster Front 8 (critical to have left and right the same)
Caster Rear 4 (not critical if you can't get the tool, critical to have left and right the same)
Toe Front .10 +/- .2 deg. same as Z0K Spec?
Toe Rear .10 +/- .2 deg. same as Z0K Spec?

[JimmyBaja]

Great info! 
Thanks LatinVenom & Joe

[Gentleman Jack]

Wow.  That's a healthy post.  Keep that around.  Great info!

GJ

[Ben L]

Awesome information.  But the specs. are for the stock alignment, and we have found that a more aggressive camber setting delivers better performance with no appreciable tire wear.

[JimmyBaja]

After looking over this info & if I can manage to get up to the meet, I'd like to have my alignment rechecked & possibly setup with the more aggressive camber. Also I don't see on the print out of specs they gave me where the rear castor was checked or adjusted. I'll have to scan the alignment print out when I get home today & post it to see what you guys that know about this stuff think. It looks like everything else is within spec now. 

[Brad Kenny]

This is probably one of the most impressive posts I have seen on this forum.  It was extemely informative and insightful.  Thanks Small Dealer and Deep!!!

[DeepBlueGXP]

I want to thank LV for his link on the other thread!!!

[LatinVenom]

Document ID# 1858040

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Info - Alignment Specifications - Competitive Driving #06-03-07-003A - (08/24/2006)

Models: 2006 - 2009 Pontiac Solstice  
        with RPO Z0K

Attention:  For customers that intend to use their 2006 Pontiac Solstice equipped with option code Z0K for competitive driving, the following front and rear suspension specifications provide for optimum tire wear performance.  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This bulletin is being revised to include additional information in the Suspension Preparation section. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 06-03-07-003 (Section 03 - Suspension).

Alignment Settings
The following alignment settings provide for even tire wear in competitive driving.

Please use the following alignment specifications for competitive driving only:

Camber Front -1.75 +/- .75 deg.
           Rear  -1.5  +/- .75 deg.
 
Caster Front  7.75 +/- .5 deg.
          Rear  -4.0  +/- .5 deg.
 
Toe    Front   .10 +/- .2 deg.
         Rear    .10 +/- .2 deg.
For adjustment procedures, please refer to the following SI documents:

   - Front Caster and Camber Adjustment
   - Front Toe Adjustment
   - Rear Camber Adjustment
   - Rear Toe Adjustment

Warranty Information
The above modifications are considered to be a customer option and performed at customer's expense.

[DeepBlueGXP]

Great post LV, makes this thread complete!!!

[kennysabarese]

Please use the following alignment specifications for competitive driving only:

Is it that aggressive that it shouldn't be used on the street?

[Uranium-238]

I don't think so, it's not too far from what my car is set to IIRC.

[shabby]

Is it that aggressive that it shouldn't be used on the street?

Its perfect for the street, every solstice owner should do it.

[LiquidPT]

Its perfect for the street, every solstice owner should do it.

Will it matter of you have aftermarket wheels on? I've got 8" wide in front and 9" in the back. Does that alter these specs at all?

[shabby]

No that doesn't matter, i have 9" rims all around and have an even more aggressive alignment.

[Ben L]

Mine is set for more neg. camber than the ZOK alignment. 2.3 degrees.  No problems at all on the street.  I have 9" rims on the rear.

[kennysabarese]

Ben: how's the tire wear with more camber? how does the alignment compare to stock.

[Treeman]

My question is what are they other trade offs - such as self-centering?  I am wondering why GM didn't specify this better handling alignment in the first place if there is no diff in tire wear?

[snaponbob]

Ben: how's the tire wear with more camber? how does the alignment compare to stock.

Toe in/out is what kills tires. With about 24K miles on my OEM Goodyears I still have plenty of tread with more than 2.5 neg front and 1.8 neg rear.

[shabby]

I am wondering why GM didn't specify this better handling alignment in the first place if there is no diff in tire wear?

Gm said "optimum tire wear performance" they didn't say no difference in tire wear, there's a small trade off but people who modify cars simply don't care about it. And there's no way any car manufacturer would put this much negative camber on a stock car, there's some trade offs in rain/winter driving with it as i've noticed especially with -2.5 up front.

[Ben L]

Our targets were 2.3 neg camber in front and 1.5 neg camber rear, with stock caster and near zero toe front and rear.  We got there, and to within .10 side to side front and rear, after the suspension settled and we did the fine tune.

As SOB says, its toe that gets ya on tire edge wear. That said, I would be real happy to get 20k out of a set of tires, but the wear on the fronts is fairly even, and rear is more a tread depth issue from wheelspin.  To me tires are a consumable item, and the stickier the better but the more consumable they get.  I should get through the summer on the Dirreza Star Specs, so that will be like fifteen months, which is pretty good.

Centering (steering wheel return) force is more a function of caster, and for that we go with near stock (lots) of caster.  I haven't really noticed any compromise with high neg camber in rainy conditions, but then, I try not to ask too much of my tires and suspension when its raining.  

I've never worried too much about the reasons why the factory sets the alignment where it does. The factory engineers like built in understeer more than I do.  Also my car did not come with coilovers and stiffer springs, Pro Beam, Backbone, etc.; but it sets up and tracks a whole lot better in turns than it did stock with the current setup.  

I have heard all the arguments mentioned above against a sporty alignment on the street, but have not experienced any of the "reasons" against it first hand.  That's true in my GXP and was also true its daily driven predecessor, a Cobra-ized 2003 Mach 1 Mustang.  Try it.  Worst case, you can change it back to the grandma settings if you don't like it.

[LatinVenom]

Please let's make sure that what was posted was the alignment specs for my GXP once the Z0K suspension was done.
The GM guy at the dealership did not want to do it because he said the tires would wear out to fast.
I said that is fine, as long as the wear is, as it was implied by the information on the bulletin even all around and he said yes.
Then I replied, fine the car was purchase so I can have fun driving it, if it costs me to buy tires prematurely so be it.

[kennysabarese]

Ben, thank you for that.

I am very interested in the steering wheel centering. I want the car to want to go straight. When I drove the formula cars at Skip Barber they of course had no power steering, and I loved how they would snap straight if you let go.

The turning effort required on the steering wheel really helped me to track out better. The car wanted to go straight so I felt that it kept from from turning in too much. I'm hoping to achieve that even with power steering on the kappa. So maybe caster will help me out there.

[chuckdoc]

My problem is how on earth can you trust a dealer to perform this properly?

Ben, where did you get your alignment done?

Can DDM do this at the meet?

 

[LiquidPT]

My problem is how on earth can you trust a dealer to perform this properly?

You don't? I'm gonna get mine done at a local performance shop.

[Critterman]

I can answer that, Ben and Casey did Ben's alignment. And yes DDM can do it at the meet, they are brining their gear.  They did mine last year