Hi guys,
We've put together a very basic description of our alignment and corner weighting processes and benefits at Area Motorsport. There is alot more technical information we'd be more than happy to explain either over the phone or via PM.
Wheel Alignment and Corner Weighting
Wheel alignment and corner weighting services are one of our specialties at our workshop in Kidderminster, Midlands. From our time in BTCC we gained a vast amount of experience and knowledge which now allows us to set up any vehicle from kit cars to saloon and hatchbacks.
Our system is a fantastic solution for those who have had problems aligning lowered cars where the alignment system cant be used due to minimal arch gap.
We use Beissbarth alignment equipment which in the motorsport industry is renound as the best system on the market today, this system is actually currently used by Honda BTCC and RML who run Chevrolet in BTCC and back the WTCC team also. This isn’t just a standard alignment you’re getting, every possible anomalies are catered for. For example, wheel run out and tyre deformation, these are the sort of issues that standard digital and laser alignment systems simply can’t read or compensate for leaving you the consumer with a poorly aligned car.
Beissbarth geometry measurements include camber, caster, KPI or SAI, individual and total toe front and rear, set back and thrust axis, plus other calculated angles which indicate if the chassis is straight and true or not.
Standard Beissbarth Alignment Benefits over other systems
• Calibrated every time alignment is performed. In comparison, other digital rim mounted systems are calibrated every 6 – 12 months. To bring this into context if you ever knock any of the laser units they will lose their calibration giving incorrect readings.
• Our units compensate for wheel run out which cause incorrect readings. If you’ve ever watched an alignment being performed on your car, you’ll remember how small the adjustments are to make huge differences in the readings. Typically turning a toe bolt 1/20th of a turn will be the difference between 0.5mm toe out to 0.5mm toe in.
All alloy wheels even the most expensive are never perfectly round just like brake discs. When you spin your wheel off the floor you’ll hear the brake disc just catch the pads each turn on 1 -2 separate occasions, this is due to run out. If the alignment system is mounted on a rim and run out of the wheel isn’t compensated for by the system this will again give incorrect readings.
• Full printout’s and on screen displays. We allow all our customers to watch their alignment being performed, this means you have peace of mind seeing everything we’re doing and seeing for yourself the accuracy to which the alignment is performed.
Once the alignment is completed the whole process is repeated by the Beissbarth system to ensure all readings measured are correct.
After the re-check is performed a full print out is given to the customer displaying all results from the alignment that’s been performed.
Prices at the bottom of the page.
Corner Weighting and alignment
Corner weighting is vastly important if you want your car to feel balanced when driving on track or in a spirited manor.
Corner weighting basically balances your car making sure the static weight and cross weight is evenly distributed. When corner weighting is performed it’s important to have half a tank of fuel or a middle range of fuel you will run if racing. We will then use weights in the driver seat to compensate for the weight of the driver.
Importance
If a car is heavier one side to the other then not only will that heavier side have more grip when turning but also under braking, in light of this the car will feel very nervous if weight isn’t distributed evenly.
If you’ve drove on track before you’ll most likely be fully aware of these characteristics especially when braking. If you brake even when slightly turning the car will start to drift causing the car to feel very unsettled, this is all due to the fact there is more weight on the corner opposite the direction you’re turning. If the weight in a straight line isn’t distributed evenly then these characteristics will be present even when braking in a perfectly straight direction.
How our system works
We use intercomp equipment to corner weight vehicles with custom CNC plates bolted to the hub to remove any runout anomalies and to allow for easy adjustment. Your no doubt thinking easy adjustment for us is great but how does it benefit you as the consumer?
To explain this we’ll firstly highlight the usual corner weight adjustment process. When adjusting a car firstly it would be placed onto the scales and the scales then checked. Adjustment if large will usually be performed by adjusting ride height to transfer weight, preload can also be adjusted to do this depending on the strut design and chassis layout. Once the initial readings are gained the car is then raised, wheels removed and rough estimate adjustment is made, wheels are then replaced and the process is repeated until the corner weighting is close to being correct.
How our system benefits you is down to the fact these CNC’d plates make all adjustments accessible to us whilst the car is on the scales meaning labour costs are far cheaper. On Average over our old system we can perform corner weighting over twice as fast as previously.
Here is an image of our custom CNC plates, as you can see height and preload adjustments are easily accessible. You can also see the corner weight scales.
Image showing the scales and what's measured, this was mid adjustment on a EP3 CTR
Corner weighting summarised benefits
• Tables always leveled to ensure accuarte readings for both alignment and corner weighting.
• Weight distributed from left to right as accurately as physically possible.
• Equal cross weight distribution
• Half the time due to custom CNC plates reducing labour costs
• Balanced handling characteristics under turning, braking and accelerating
• Increased driver confidence
• Alignment and corner weighting can be performed at the same time again to reduce labour costs over other systems.
Here is a review from one of our recent customers: -
http://www.civictype-r.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=155&t=243302
The best part of this is we're currently NO more expensive than companies with far less accurate equipment!
Prices
Standard Alignment using Beissbarth system– Prices start from £95 inc all Charges
Corner weighting and Alignment – Prices start from £165 inc all Charges
Corner weighting – Prices start from £85 inc all charges
We’re also able to fit any suspension units or components and can supply parts from the likes of Buddyclub, Nitron, Meister R, Tein, Eibach, Tanabe and many more.
Please PM for prices and availability.
Area motorsport? i haven't heard of them. TGM is so far away
