Autocross 2017 GT PP Street Alignment

Sledgeyj · Apr 23, 2018

I have an appointment to get my alignment changed this week. I realize I need to get as much camber as possible in the front and some more in the rear. My question is this. Does anyone know how much camber one can get with a stock 2017 GT PP? Does the factory service manual call for other bolts such as W715295-S439. I race in F Street class, so I can change the alignment as much as the car will allow without modification, unless the factory service manual indicates otherwise (for example lists alternate bolt, or elongating the lower strut mount hole).

So, please share your alignment setup that would apply.

Thanks!

DickR · Apr 23, 2018

Sledgeyj said:
I have an appointment to get my alignment changed this week. I realize I need to get as much camber as possible in the front and some more in the rear. My question is this. Does anyone know how much camber one can get with a stock 2017 GT PP? Does the factory service manual call for other bolts such as W715295-S439. I race in F Street class, so I can change the alignment as much as the car will allow without modification, unless the factory service manual indicates otherwise (for example lists alternate bolt, or elongating the lower strut mount hole).

So, please share your alignment setup that would apply.

Thanks!

How much you can get seems to vary.

The bolt you mentioned is legal. Your dealer may not have it in stock but it is used on plenty of other Ford vehicles. They are sold in sets of 4 bolts. Ditto with the nuts which you may want to buy since it may take a lot of hammering on the nuts to remove the splined oem bolts.

Torque is 184 lb-ft

The FSM allows 1 mm slotting of the UPPER strut mount hole (S197's were the lower hole). Slot towards the strut. (S197's since they slot the lower hole were away from the strut).

Settings vary based on personal preference but I and apparently many others use max front neg camber and very close to zero toe (factory spec) or a little toe out. In the rear many of us use the nominal factory spec for PP GT's of about -1.5 degree with a bit of toe in per factory spec.

Sledgeyj · May 23, 2018

I got the bolts and will be putting them in tonight. Any guidance on the easiest way to slot that hole?

JohnD · May 23, 2018

Those strut bolts and nuts are one time use, like most of the bolts are on the front suspension and calipers. I used to use a dremel to grind the slots out but a drill with a bigger grinding bit is faster. CC plates are really the best way but probably not allowed by your rules.

NightmareMoon · May 23, 2018

Sledgeyj said:
I got the bolts and will be putting them in tonight. Any guidance on the easiest way to slot that hole?

Take the strut and spring out of the car (but you can leave them assembled), I used a standard dremmel grinding bit, cause it fits in the bolt hole pretty well. It was a bit slow, but worked out fine.

Make sure to measure things before you start grinding so you know how much you removed.

DocWalt · May 23, 2018

If you're really lazy the struts don't even need to come out of the car...

DickR · May 23, 2018

DocWalt said:
If you're really SMART the struts don't even need to come out of the car...

fify;)

highvoltage · May 23, 2018

You can reuse them. Mine were not damaged and i used blue lock tight when i put them back in. Plenty of people have reused them. A 3 lb mallet makes easy work getting them out

sed6 · May 24, 2018

Is the upper strut bolt splined? I removed the nut, with the hopes of installing an adjustable camber bolt, but couldn't get the bolt out. I just remove the nut and pound the bolt out? How about the lower strut bolt? It needs to be loosened to adjust the camber, any tips there?

highvoltage · May 24, 2018

They are both splined. Just leave the nut on and pound them out on the nut. Mine came out easy with a 3lb mallet.

NightmareMoon · May 24, 2018

highvoltage said:
They are both splined. Just leave the nut on and pound them out on the nut. Mine came out easy with a 3lb mallet.

Yeah, except for the easy part! Took a 5lbs sledge and maximum effort for mine. Definitely line the nuts up with the end of the bolt so you have the most surface area to hammer without destroying things or mushrooming the end of that bolt, and good to have some replacement bolts/nuts anyway. If you're taking them all the way out, you might as well replace them, since they are 'one time use' by Ford instructions.

Sledgeyj · May 24, 2018

Not sure they are one time use as much as you would have a hard time moving the bolt in the new slot with the splines. The replacement bolts they call for do not have the splines.

highvoltage · May 24, 2018

Just cause they are splined doesn’t mean they won’t work again. Like said the new ones aren’t even splined. That’s why you use blue locktite when you put them back in. And yes leave the nut on the end to not f up the bolt. That’s pretty common sense

Autocross 2017 GT PP Street Alignment

Sledgeyj

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DickR

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Sledgeyj

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JohnD

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NightmareMoon

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DocWalt

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DickR

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highvoltage

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sed6

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highvoltage

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NightmareMoon

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Sledgeyj

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