----- Original Message -----
From: "Greg Monfort" <wingracer@email.msn.com>
To: "Bricklin" <bricklin@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2000 12:30 PM
Subject: Fw: need front end alignment specs
>
>
> > Greg, my question was neither a challenge to your
> background nor your
> > position, just an open question.
> =====
> I didn't take it as one, just a little background to
> maybe add a smidgen of credibility to my opinion. I
> wouldn't want you to think I just pulled them out
> of thin air, as some alignment techs I've known seem
> to do. :^))
> =====
No, I didn't think you did. Most of us have been around long enough, we
have more to do with thin hair than thin air.
> I wouldn't call myself an expert by any
> > means, but after working with Daryl Armstrong and
> Formula One,
> =====
> What are your area(s) of expertise?
> =====
Well, I really hesistate to call myself an expert at anything, except
perhaps
getting into trouble. Myh background is quite checkered, I hold degrees in
design enguneering, bringing myself up through the ranks from environmental
to noise, to sound, to audio, to blah blah blah, and now to ex-ceo of
Bauhaus of America. So atleast I have the "ex" in expert down pat. But
after my "midlife crisis", I decided to pursue other interests and now I am
a professor and doctoral candidate in clinical psychology.
Along the way is a host of interests and a keen curiosity and determined
sense for detail and resolution. I also bake a mean lasagne.>
Hell, I've been too busy just getting this
> > thing to move like it looks. I just spent a good
> portion of the day on
> > conference calls with MSD, Edelbrock, and Champion,
> and research, just
> > trying to determine the best spark plug for this
> particular application.
> =====
> And the answer is?
> =====
Ah the answer. Well, after consulting the gods and the tarot, we came to
the conclusion that champion #2095 [the gold equiv. of RC9YC] gapped at
.45-.55 was the right starting point. Ofcourse, finding 8 champion plugs
with a centered electrode is a feat in and of itself. This is for
edelbrock heads/intake/cam with tri-y headers, a double pumper 650Holley
running lean, and a msd ign, coil, and pro dist and taylor 409s[and a bunch
of other crap]. I wrote all the details of this setup in an earlier post.
All their racing plugs were too cold, and the standard edel fitment spec was
too hot.
> > Anyway, considering your expertise and background,
> do you happen to know the
> > scrub radius for the brick?
> =====
> No, I've never bothered to measure it since I don't
> plan to significantly increase the track. It's pretty
> large though based on how bad it scrubs with stock
> rims. It's why I prefer the slight negative camber.
> =====
Now you lost me, scrub radius is basically the suspension geometry where the
centerline of the tire/wheel lines up with the axis of the ball joints
during travel [sorta, waaay over-simplified]. It basically determines where
the load is placed, and is determined to be either positive or negative
depending on whether the suspension axes are inside or outside the
centerline of the tire. This is a critical measure, but one often
overlooked and not to be confused with tire scrubbing. And even rarer is the
alignment tech that has even a clue to what it means. Hell, if it wasn't
for Daryl, I wouldn't either. Camber will only follow whatever the scrub
radius is, no matter where you set it, due to suspension travel. So now I'm
confused. But hey, that's nothing new. Maybe i just misunderstood your
post. Time to move on...
> If I do decide to replace the rather inexact
> > OEM wheels, I'd like to know my starting points.
> =====
> If you plan on driving it much, replacing the rims is
> mandatory, if yours are as out-of-round as mine. I
> bought Shelby (now defunct AFAIK), which are almost
> identical in looks to the OEM except good quality
> and highly polished. Also they're 7.5"W Vs 7.0", just
> enough to bring the tread out flush with the fender
> lip.
>
Got any pics??? Or know somehwhere i can get more info on them?
> Even with this small amount of increased width,
> the OEM tire (current version is wider though)
> scrubs the foot well at full lock in one
> direction, and the front of the wheelwell in the
> other direction.
> =====
> Now, that it looks like we
> > can actually get this Brick to move, I'd like it to
> go in the direction
> > intended.
> > And as far as changing from the original specs and
> TT's input, I'm all ears.
> =====
> Good luck with it. You know where to find us.
> GM
Ain't life grand.
stephan
#2821
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