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Ford GT40 Replica RCR40 Mk I Chassis Tuning Part II-Perfect Alignment

Getting Straight On Alignment
By Dean Lampe
Photography by Dean Lampe, D. Brian Smith
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Driver Side
Follow along as my boys and... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Driver Side
Follow along as my boys and I align our RCR40 Mk I in the garage and get it ready for some quality track time or grocery getting.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Chassis Specs
Here are the specs we're setting... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Chassis Specs
Here are the specs we're setting the chassis to. The RCR40 will be set up for a 200-pound driver and 11 gallons of fuel.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Garage Tools
With a collection of garage... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Garage Tools
With a collection of garage tools, some string, and a couple feet sawed off of a scrap 2x4, we are ready to begin our alignment process starting with the toe-in or -out.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Drill Instruments
We need to build a couple... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Drill Instruments
We need to build a couple "instruments" to help with the stringing. The points on the framerails we'll be using as a reference are about 4 inches off the ground, so we took two carpenter's squares and drilled a hole in each 4 inches from the corner.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Cut Groove
We cut a groove in the lumber... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Cut Groove
We cut a groove in the lumber and tapped the square into the slot. Take care to cut the slot in the 2x4 so that it's perpendicular to the wood (perfectly vertical).
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Aluminum Bar Stock
We cut two pieces of aluminum... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Aluminum Bar Stock
We cut two pieces of aluminum bar stock to precisely the same length. These will bolt to the carpenter's square and the other end will rest against the framerail.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Assembly
Everything looks better with... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Assembly
Everything looks better with spray paint! This is what the final assembly looks like.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Checking Measure
Just to double check, measure... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Checking Measure
Just to double check, measure from the outer end of the aluminum bar to the back of the carpenter's square. The distance should be exactly the same on both tools. If it is a little off, just hit the longer one with a grinder to even them out.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Newly Constructed Tool
Finally, slide the newly constructed... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Newly Constructed Tool
Finally, slide the newly constructed tool under the car with the end of the aluminum bar resting on the framerail. Use a level to make sure your carpenter's square is perpendicular to the floor.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Setting Up Reference Points
Do the same on the front of... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Setting Up Reference Points
Do the same on the front of the car and level the square. The outer edge of the carpenter's squares are now both exactly the same distance from our two reference points on the chassis.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Jack Stands
Grab a couple of jack stands... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Jack Stands
Grab a couple of jack stands and stretch a string from one to the other, then move them into position.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 String Lined Up Chassis
As the string is moved into... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 String Lined Up Chassis
As the string is moved into position, we were careful not to allow the string to push against the square but instead just barely brush against it both front and back. This string is now parallel with the chassis.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Front End
Next, we went to the other... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Front End
Next, we went to the other side and stretched the string just as it was on the passenger side.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Distance
We measured the distance between... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Distance
We measured the distance between the strings front and rear to make sure they were precisely the same distance apart and perfectly parallel to each other.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Rear
Here is our car with the strings... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Rear
Here is our car with the strings in place and ready for alignment.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Caster Check
The first thing we wanted... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Caster Check
The first thing we wanted to check was the caster. On this car it's pretty simple with an angle finder on the spindle. The caster hadn't changed from our previous settings.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Adjusting Again
The toe was next on the list.... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Adjusting Again
The toe was next on the list. We took a three-foot piece of aluminum angle iron and held it against the wheel at roughly the height of the hub. We put two marks on the aluminum 26.5 inches apart (that's the height of our tire). Then, we measured the distance from the string at the front of the wheel and the rear.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Loose Jamb Nuts
We found that we were slightly... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Loose Jamb Nuts
We found that we were slightly toe-in on the front. So we loosened the jamb nuts on the steering rack and made an adjustment.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Adjusting
We measured again and adjusted... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Adjusting
We measured again and adjusted again, and again, and again. Finally, we were set at 1/16-inch toe-out.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Marking
Once we had the frontend set... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Marking
Once we had the frontend set where we wanted it, we marked the jamb nuts with a paint pen so we could easily recognize if something was ever out of position. This way we know for sure that it's tight. We went through the same process on the rearend.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Caster Camber Sheet
Here's a look at our caster/... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Caster Camber Sheet
Here's a look at our caster/ camber gauge. We've found it to be very useful.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Caster Camber Gauge
The caster/ camber gauge is... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Caster Camber Gauge
The caster/ camber gauge is very easy to use. Just set it against the rim and read the level.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Negative 2 Camber
In this case, we had -2 degrees... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Negative 2 Camber
In this case, we had -2 degrees of camber on the left rear. That was too much.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Loosened Upper Arm Assembly
We loosened the upper arm... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Loosened Upper Arm Assembly
We loosened the upper arm assembly and tightened the arm two turns.
Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Negative 1 Camber
We got it right on the first... 
   
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Rcr40 Mk1 Chassis Tuning 2 Negative 1 Camber
We got it right on the first try! We landed at -1 degree. With our garage alignment work done, we tightened it all down and marked the jamb nut and the tie rod with our paint pen. Now we're ready to hit the track or the streets in RCR40 Supercar style.
Cooksey Racing Summit Racing
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