Contemporary Front End Alignment

Denny S. · #1 (**permalink**) 09-09-2002, 10:45 AM

I don't know what year my Contemporary is. I actually don't know exactly what front end parts were used. I do know that my radiator is swept back and I do have the big X brace up front.
I also have remote penske adjustable shocks up front. Halibrand
mags and Wilwoods. Unecessary info maybe. The former owner set up the front end so the wheels were set in at the top .. I was told to give the car the squat look. WEll 5000 miles later and the fronts are bald on the insides and new on the outside. SO after new tires where do we look for alignment specs ?? I'm thinking the car is a early 90's kit. 428 PI. no power steering. 15 inch tires.

John McMahon · #2 (**permalink**) 09-09-2002, 12:01 PM

Denny,

According to the Contemporary manual, it states:

Front suspension alignment (w/15 inch wheels/tires):

TOE IN: 1/8"
CASTER: 3 to 5 degrees
CAMBER 0 degrees (can be slightly negative to suit preference)

(This is for a street application.....If doing any racing, please post under All Racing Talk or do a search, I am sure McFEz has mentioned this somewhere. Totally different setup...always TOE IN for street and TOE OUT for track.)

Also, Rear Wheel Alignment should be set to ZERO degree camber.

JM

Denny S. · #3 (**permalink**) 09-09-2002, 12:58 PM

THanks John.. My Car is number 3335 so it must be newer than yours. I don't know exactly what year it is. Will the alignment specs be the same as are in my Contemporary manual even though my car has what looks to be a different set up front end wise?

John McMahon · #4 (**permalink**) 09-09-2002, 01:02 PM

Denny,

I have a 289FIA, which uses the CCX-2 designation, the 427 cars were all CCX-3's.

The specs I listed are for the 427 car. Do you have the coil over or torsion bar front end, I don't think it matters though.

Denny S. · #5 (**permalink**) 09-09-2002, 03:17 PM

My Car is the coil over front end..... Another Question. My Manual calls for 235X60X15 Tires up front and 295X50X15
in the rear. I have 225X60X15 in the front and 305X50X15
in the rear. Do you know of any reason suspension wise I can't use the 235's up front instead of 225's .. I realize that selection is limited in the 15's.. Have you heard of anybody using Pirelli
235X60X15's Currently I have Goodrich TA in front and Euro Ta's
in the rear..

John McMahon · #6 (**permalink**) 09-10-2002, 07:03 AM

Denny,

Those are merely guidelines. Whatever you can fit under the car without rubbing (on suspension or body)...will work. You have to properly test the fit on a larger tire on the front end using the entire turning ratio, L to R. And always add a little (1/2 to 1 inch) to accommodate tire flex.

I know someone with a Contemporary with 335's in the back (17 inch rims).

Heck, on my 289 (which has slighter wheelwells, I'm running 245's up front.

Question...If you had the manual, why didn't you use the alignment specs in it??? Just curious.

Denny S. · #7 (**permalink**) 09-10-2002, 08:48 AM

I wasn't sure the specs in the manual were correct seeing that the frame in the manual doesn't look like mine up front. I think it's an older manual. I'm not sure, but I think the original owner of my car had two Contemporarys. The photos in my manual look very eighties.. Tire selection in 15's doesn't look too extensive. I found
235 Pirelli's 600. But I don't know anything about those tires. I know the Goodrich tires aren't the best, but they seem to work fairly well for my purposes. I'm not an around the corners fast kinda guy. My driving skills aren't up to the car and keeping that in mind my fast is in a straight line. Whose 245's are you running.
I was at Keuka Lake all week end on my boat. I guess I shoulda drove the 14 miles and came to the Glen. I have friends that went just as spectators and had a blast. I met an older man this weekend at a friends boat restoration shop. It seems that he was a photographer at the Glen at one point and got to do a couple of laps with Ken MIles and when he saw my car he said it brought back some fond memories. I'm no way an expert on these cars, but I"m sure I've heard that name before... Now I've surely shown my ignorance of Cobra history... Anyhow I'll try the factory specs and see how I make out... THank you ..

John McMahon · #8 (**permalink**) 09-14-2002, 08:01 AM

Denny,

I run the same crappy BFG tires on the street, not much available anymore.

If yer interested, we'll be running at Watkins Glen Oct 4 thru 6th, if you want to come up and see a number of Contemporarys run.

A Snake · #9 (**permalink**) 09-14-2002, 12:56 PM

Denny,

Just to put you mind a rest a little, to my knowlege, all Contemporarys used Jag spindles up front. Some were large bearing and some small bearing, but the set-up is the same.

Any good alignment shop can dial it in for you. Just remember that the rear needs alignment too. Not just camber settings.

I had trouble with rear camber, because the jacka$$ I got the kit from sold me half shafts that were too short! If you see a bunch of shims under the flange (inboard), you got the same thing I did. Go get longer half shafts and get rid of the excess shims. The four studs on each axle should have plenty of thread showing above the nuts. (self locking nuts)

Al

Last note. Sometimes Contemporary's chassis jigs weren't all that accurate. With mine we almost ran out of adjustment on the front because of it.