Possibly an inane question but have to ask!

[turbov6joe]

When someone says to set the pinion angle at -2*.
Does this mean the pinion has a -2* dip down below centerline at the front when viewed from the side? I know this probably sounds stupid, but I had to ask so I know my head is still screwed on tight. TIA

 

[Razor]

Correct, when you load the rear, the front comes up.. reason you dont have zero is becuase it would kill the universals. You need angle on the universals, as this keeps them rotating in their cups.

 

[turbov6joe]

Thanks Julio! Come to think of it, don't I still owe you some $$$$?

 

[Razor]

Thanks Julio! Come to think of it, don't I still owe you some $$$$?

Yeah but I forget.. No probs..

 

[Lee_Burough]

Correct, when you load the rear, the front comes up.. reason you dont have zero is becuase it would kill the universals. You need angle on the universals, as this keeps them rotating in their cups.

Last time I had an alignment in a TTA, I sat in the seat while he did it....It made some academic difference in the technician's view, so I did it.

 

[turbov6joe]

Good point Lee.

 

[trophystock]

When someone says to set the pinion angle at -2*.
Does this mean the pinion has a -2* dip down below centerline at the front when viewed from the side? I know this probably sounds stupid, but I had to ask so I know my head is still screwed on tight. TIA

I might be mistaken (I am alot of the time) but the pinion angle takes into acount the difference of the two angles between the rear and the drive shaft. If the rear is pointed down 2* and the drive shaft points up 2* then you have 4* positive pinion angle. If the rear pointed up 4* and the driveshaft up 1* then you would have 3* negative angle. Alot of posotive angle will give the car more "bite" on the starting line. Also manual tranny cars need more pinion angle because they hit the tires harder and cause more axle wrap.

 

[turbov6joe]

The way I understood the adjustment procedure is. You take and subtract the pinion angle from the shaft angle and shoot for -2º to -3º for race cars and about -1º for street/strip applications. In other words if the pinion is at
-5º and the shaft at 3º you end up with -2º...I didn't think it was figured like real algerbra equations....am I right?

 

[trophystock]

With that you would have 8*. Whether you add or subtract is dependent on whether they are pos or neg.

 

[BoostKillsStres]

Some reading:
http://www.carcraft.com/howto/91758/index.html

 

[turbov6joe]

Thanks!