Corner Balancing

[ZDan]

Do a track event where they have scales and corner balance it yourself. It's not hard if you know how much weight you're jacking per turn. Which isn't hard to calculate from the motion ratios, spring rates, and thread pitch.

[mike the snake]

Sometimes, and only sometimes, when corner balancing, the car ends up with the ride height uneven, so all corners might not be at exactly the same height.

If the car is straight, it usually isn't noticeable.

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by mike the snake

Sometimes, and only sometimes, when corner balancing, the car ends up with the ride height uneven, so all corners might not be at exactly the same height.
.

Only if you do it wrong. The car itself is relatively fixed/rigid, so if ONE corner is off relative to the others, that's twist in the fixed chassis itself. No amount of coilover adjustment will change it, though you can split the difference (i.e., if right rear is 10mm higher than left rear with the fronts even, you can compromise by having RR 5mm higher than LR and LF 5mm higher than RF.

It's not hard to corner-balance AND have the front/rear ride heights you want, taking into account that if there's some twist in the chassis you'll have to live with *average* ride heights between the left and right at the front and rear of the car. If you're paying someone to do it and they say they can't do that for you, go elsewhere or do it yourself.

[wparsons]

If you have the car corner balanced properly (with you in the drivers seat) it'll sit slightly funny with no one in it, but that's the price you pay for proper balance.

[kiichiro]

You deserve it
Do it
You will not regret it

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by revolutioN21

Maybe I can just make the drive and come by you for corner balancing, alignment and dampers adjusted by you if you do all 3?

West End will do a better job corner balancing and aligning the car than we or any other so-cal shop can.

[ZDan]

Honestly, I wouldn't bother until/unless I *knew* the corner weights were off. I installed Ohlins DFV on the RX-7 last year, was going to corner-balance at the track. As installed, with me in the car and 15 gallons (3/4 of 20 gallon tank, should check again at , corner weights were only off by 4 pounds (1555/1559). Done!

You'll never feel the difference between dead even 50.0/50.0 corner weights and 48/52 on the street, and even at the track it's going to be somewhat subtle (*slightly* different under/oversteer balance in left-handers vs. right-handers). It's not like anything magical happens at 50.0/50.0, I wouldn't knock myself out over doing any better than ~51/49. A lot of shops like to work on it for hours to get within a tenth of a percent, but IMO it's not worth the additional $$$ spent.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by revolutioN21

Hey guys so I just finished installing my KW V3 coilovers and I used the Raceseng camber plates for the front. Also I did a alignment on the car.

My question is for daily use and as a car I use to go everywhere is it important to get the car corner balanced or is this something thats more of a track setup thing.

If you lower the car by measuring jack points and lowering an equal amount then you'll be just fine. I never CB my street cars, only the ones that see track use. :shrug:

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by wparsons

If you have the car corner balanced properly (with you in the drivers seat) it'll sit slightly funny with no one in it, but that's the price you pay for proper balance.

Corner balancing doesn't have to affect your desired ride heights, front/rear rake, or any L/R ride height difference. You can have a car corner-balanced at any attitude you want. Agree that it's best to aim for left/right level with driver in place.

[wparsons]

Originally Posted by ZDan

Corner balancing doesn't have to affect your desired ride heights, front/rear rake, or any L/R ride height difference. You can have a car corner-balanced at any attitude you want. Agree that it's best to aim for left/right level with driver in place.

100% agreed... I was just clarifying that if the car is totally level/balanced with the driver in the car, it'll be slightly off with no one in it. No different from stock, except that it'll be level empty and slightly off with the driver in it.

[ExxelDistributions]

Thanks for all the info and help. I will be contacting West End Alignment to get it Corner Balanced and Aligned. I spent this much into getting the parts. Might as well get that done also. You never know I might end up doing some track events.Then I'll hit up @CSG Mike for damper adjustment

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by ZDan

Honestly, I wouldn't bother until/unless I *knew* the corner weights were off. I installed Ohlins DFV on the RX-7 last year, was going to corner-balance at the track. As installed, with me in the car and 15 gallons (3/4 of 20 gallon tank, should check again at , corner weights were only off by 4 pounds (1555/1559). Done!

You'll never feel the difference between dead even 50.0/50.0 corner weights and 48/52 on the street, and even at the track it's going to be somewhat subtle (*slightly* different under/oversteer balance in left-handers vs. right-handers). It's not like anything magical happens at 50.0/50.0, I wouldn't knock myself out over doing any better than ~51/49. A lot of shops like to work on it for hours to get within a tenth of a percent, but IMO it's not worth the additional $$$ spent.

@ZDan, you'd love West End.

As we both know, weights and spring rates are directly related... a competent shop should be able to hit the numbers within 2 adjustments, the second being a "fine tune to get it perfect".

[kiichiro]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

If you lower the car by measuring jack points and lowering an equal amount then you'll be just fine. I never CB my street cars, only the ones that see track use. :shrug:

I love the way mine streets now after cb, fwiw, seems like the car handles bumps undulations in highway and fast maneuvers better, more poised, more planted feeling

It could all be in my head

[JDMSushi]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

You won't say that if you swerve during an emergency maneuver and the car doesn't respond the way you want/expect it to...

Firstly, if you have to swerve in an emergency and you are relying on the difference between a corner balanced car vs. a non-corner balanced car, you're driving WAY too excessive for street.

Secondly, you are all talking about corner balancing like its a massive improvement and a must do. The truth is, it has a high cost:performance ratio and there's a tonne of mods/adjustments that you can do to your car that would significantly improve its balance prior to corner weighting.