USA dealer alignment specs

[ragingfool35]

conversion from mm in manual to deg used in US comes up now and then.  I got these numbers from the (former) Lotus dealer in Florida, but don't take as gospel

 

1988-93 Esprit

front

camber -.7 to -.2 deg

caster  1.0 to 1.5 deg

toe  0.0 to 0.15 deg

cross caster -.5 to .5 deg

total toe  0.0 to .30 deg

 

rear

camber -.8 to -.3 deg

toe  .15 to .30 deg

total toe .30 to .60 deg

 

 

 

1993.5 to 2004 Esprit

front

camber -.8 to -.5 deg

caster 3.0 to 3.4 deg

toe  -.10 to -.03 deg

cross camber -.2 to .2 deg

cross caster  -.2 to .2 deg

total toe  -.20 to -.07 deg

 

rear

camber  -1.1 to -.7 deg

toe  .13 to .27 deg

cross camber  -.1 to .1 deg

total toe   .27 to .53 deg

 

 

[Diverscale]

Thank you!

[Vulcan Grey]

88-93 specification of front toe-in is not optimal...

 

Better to use the later specification of front toe-out IMO...   or zero toe if you like, still better than toe-in..

[ragingfool35]

I didn't like the toe-out at all.  car was squirrely

[Vulcan Grey]

did you have worn tie-rod ends, steering rack, and or bushings?

[ragingfool35]

I had it aligned after I rebuilt the rack to toe out.  I think I replaced all the bushings a year or 2 later.  there was no indication that the bushings were worn when I took them out, no cracks or slop that I could discern. on the other hand they were probably 16 yrs old. the shocks and springs were definitely toast, the car was probably an inch or more lower the specs in the manual. difficult to pin down contributing factors, however it was rock steady at speed before rack rebuild/alignment and again after new suspension and realignment

perhaps toe out works better with more trail

[MrDangerUS]

Chris,

So what did you end up with, considering frt toe ?  Zero?

We need a closure, LOL.

[ragingfool35]

oh sorry

i guess what i was saying is that toe out may have contributed to the instability, but there were other factors that may have been responsible or partly responsible and the toe out possibly exacerbated them.  if you have seen POV video of race drivers working the wheel, thats how bad it was.

i use the factory toe spec now but with more caster (i think about 2.5 was most i could achieve with SE).  it is very stable now.  but this is also with new bushings again and LOTAC all around. i believe my alignment print is posted on here somewhere

[ragingfool35]

lotus alignment.pdf