Just finished putting new QA1s in. Will be sending it off for a alignment but have some questions. 1- what are the factory specs? 2- what are you track guys/autocross runing for specs? 3- most important- i know shims are used for adjusting camber, should i purchase extra shims? If so typically how many? I had an alignment done on my alfa last year that turned into a shim nightmare. Just want to be prepared this time. Thanks! Fyi stock rims tires. Sent from my SM-G960U using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Michael I’m going through this now as I just recently installed the VariShock coil over. Steve made a great suggestion as far as alignment for our car. Here’s the thread about it.https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/alignment-spec-for-qv.637513/
I would like to crank on some castor for stability and turn/camber change. Has anybody wound up the castor?
The caveat that I'd add here is that was for getting even tire wear in street use when using the wider 16" or 17" wheels and tires -- if the OP has the narrower stock 14" wheels and tires that may be a different situation.
Buying shims might be a good idea. I brought a bunch because the shop may not have many and shims are cheap (and they charged by the hour so I would be paying them to scrounge the shop for shims). For me, it turned out they removed a lot of shims for the alignment after I lowered my car. Castor angle can be adjusted a tiny bit by moving the spacers on either side of the hub units but I doubt that is the intent of the spacers. Otherwise there is no formal method of adjusting castor. Personally, I have never thought the car needed more castor.
With two data points (mine and “cantthinkofone”) it sounds like lowering reduces shim requirements. To get the alignment exactly right, the alignment shop did use a few of the thinner shims I brought because the original shim pack had only thicker shims. Whether or not they had such shims in their stock supply, I cannot say.
For camber adjustment, if you lowered your car, you'd more likely be removing shims rather than adding. In my case, after installing QA1s, I had to removed all of the camber shims on all 4 wheels to get camber closed to spec. Still not quite there.