wheel alignment question

The best I can get my physical car is -1.2° in the front wheels. I want to duplicate that in AC. If I set the alignment to -1.2°, the car readout in the right panel says -0.98°.

First of all I don't know why that should be. If it is set to -1.2° I think it ought to say -1.2°. Be that as it may, if I am trying to get -1.2°, which is the correct panel?

At the other end of the car, if I set it at my desired target of -1.7° it reads out above -2°.

To get a readout that matches my target alignment, I have to use -1.4° front and rear.

So, what is correct, the setting or the readout? While we're at it, why are they different?

 

Camber/toe values change throughout the suspension travel arc, so a 'target setting' at one point in the suspension travel will result in a different value at another.

The values you should concern yourself with at the 'live values' on the right hand panel - these are the actual alignment values at that point in time. However bear in mind a non-flat ground will effect this, as well as weight (ballast/fuel etc).

 

I am aware of that. I'm trying to match the settings I get on an alignment rack with the car standing still. Under those circumstances it seems like the setting and the live values should be the same. Since they aren't in AC the question is which should I set?

I do set toe using the live readout because the settings bar has no relation to anything I am familiar with. Is it possible the alignment setting bar is the same and that while it appears to be what I want to set it isn't?

 

If you want your values to match your real life readout then always use the live values.

 

Excellent. Thanks for the feedback. I guess, then, I need to use a -1.4° "setting" all around. That will give me "live" readings of -1.2° in front and -1.7° in back which will match the actual settings on my car.

I wonder how that will affect the handling. The sim currently has less live camber in front and more in the rear yet it has terminal oversteer where my actual car has terminal understeer. Possibly the rear has so much negative camber it is losing contact patch. We'll see.

 

That did it. After adjusting my live alignment to match my car, reducing the ambient temperature to what I am actually experiencing and selecting a "slow" track, my lap times are very close to real times. The only problem I now face is the sim has terminal oversteer while my car has terminal understeer. I have no idea how to correct that. It's a street car so setup possibilities are limited.

 

Out of interest what car/track are you driving?

 

I have a 2012 Porsche Cayman R, totally stock except for track pads. My local track is the Pittsburgh International Race Complex, known as Pitt Race and previously BeaveRun. Somebody created a Pitt Race mod for AC which is how I got here. Pitt Race is the only track I go to anymore.

 

Again, use the Cayman GT4.

 

I hope someday to own one but it is nothing like my current car. They handle better and are faster. Also, I haven't checked to see if AC has one, but only the GT4 ClubSport has PDK. While I can use my paddles in place of a shifter it just doesn't seem the same. Scuttlebutt is the next GT4 (2019?) will offer PDK.