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Re: GT6 Perplexia

To: triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Re: GT6 Perplexia
From: mike@spitfire.stortek.com (Mike Ginter SA)
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 1997 15:50:10 -0600
> 
> Martin s> writes:
> >1)  The PO of my GT6-3 unshimmed the front end to eliminate the positive
> camber
> >of the wheels, which are now vertical.  He said he did it to make life
> less hard for
> >the tires, which I understand, but I am left to wonder if this is the
> reason the car
> >seems to float a bit at highway speeds over 70 mph.  The steering gets
> disturbingly
> >light.  Could this be because of the lack of positive camber, and if not,
> what is the
> >purpose of the camber on the front end, anyway?
> ************************
> Something doesn't seem right here.  Removing the shims (I'm assuming the
> shims here are the ones under the lower a-arm mounts) would induce positive
> camber.  Removing the shims would pull the lower arm closer to the body.
> This would pull the lower portion of the wheel closer towards the car (i.e.
> top of wheels wider then the bottom).  Actually a little negative camber
> would help in cornering and help prevent the wandering your talking about.
> I think the 'positive' camber is used on the GT6 primarily to impart a
> 'lighter' feel to a nose heavy car.  I too have noticed a tendency to get
> light at speed on the GT and have since reduced the camber (more negative)
> to help eliminate this.  I never really liked the front 'positive' camber
> look on the GT6's anyway. 
> 
> Barry Schwartz in San Diego, CA
> 
> Bschwartz@encad.com
> 72-V6/5sp Spitfire ( daily driver )
> 70 GT6+ ( when I don't drive the Spitfire )
> 70 (sorta) Spitfire ( project )
> 73  Ford Courier ( parts hauler )
> 


That's a fine theory, with one exception.  The Spitfire spec is also something 
like 3 degrees positive camber.  It's nose isn't especially heavy.  My car 
doesn't seem to float too much with the fronts set at 1 &1/2 degrees positive
(as close to 3 degrees as the last alignment guy could get it).  I too though
have been wondering what the purpose of the positive camber is.  I don't really 
like it all that much, and it seems a degree or two of negative (like the rears)
would be more apporpriate?

Mike
79 Spit

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