After passing the vehicle inspection, I replaced the tires that had been on for nearly three years with A052s again.
I contacted TYPEONE to get the alignment redone as well.
While waiting for the alignment appointment, I researched what kind of settings would be good and what the factory values were.
I love cars and occasionally go to the track, but I had never placed a custom order for alignment before, so this was my first time.
The current settings on my DB8 are like this: the camber is just what comes from the lowered suspension, it has an LSD, and no special arms.
What bothered me with this alignment was that the front would make small directional changes due to road undulations and throttle on/off behavior.
The steering felt twitchy and busy, giving the sensation of driving a car with a stiff suspension.
Here’s the setup I decided on after consulting with TYPEONE:
There was discussion about whether the rear toe should have more toe-in, but since the DB8 has a longer wheelbase compared to the DC2, I decided to try this setup first.
My impression on the drive home was that the behavior of the car changing direction over road undulations became softer, and when accelerating while turning, the car seemed to point more toward the inside than the steering angle would suggest.
Since the ride has become softer, I’m thinking about firming up the damping a bit. I don’t want to get overconfident and have an accident, so I plan to make adjustments gradually.
I now understand that alignment adjustment serves to sync the car with the driver.
The car’s character is largely determined by the vehicle, suspension, and LSD choices, but alignment is where you can adjust how you want to drive and control it.
Even if it’s not a sports car, I think it’s interesting to measure the current state and adjust it to your own preference.
