Our Street Ride Height recommendation has been update to reflect our new thinking for improved clearance on some of our ever deteriorating road conditions. We raised our recommendation by 5mm.
A proper alignment is critical to the performance of your lightweight sports cars. These cars are very sensitive and respond well to changes in the suspension setup. These recommendations are based on experience we've gathered since 2004 with the Lotus 111 platform. Your results may vary so we suggest you start here and tweak as your driving style demands.
Make sure that your car's suspension components are in mechanically sound condition. Check your ball joints, toe links, track ends, etc to ensure that nothing is worn out. See our 60pt Prep Sheet for a great reference. Consider our Suspension Refresh Kit if you discover worn-out parts have a higher mileage car.
Recommended settings for an Elise/Exige street/track car with R-compound tires.
Front Rear
Ride height 130 +/- 3mm 135 +/- 3mm
Camber -2.2° to -2.5° -2.4° to -2.7°
Toe (total) 0 3mm total toe-in
Recommended settings for a track Elise/Exige car with slick tires.
Front Rear
Ride height 120 +/- 3mm 125 +/- 3mm
Camber -3° -3°
Toe (total) 0 - 1mm toe out 3mm total toe-in
1. Set the ride height.
2. Set camber.
3. Set toe.
- To set the camber, remove all your stock shims as well as the ABS shim. You may need to install FASTarms or machine your stock steering arms to obtain optimal camber. Remember to use thread locker on the steering arm bolts.
- While a lower ride height is possible, we find the suspension works best at these recommended heights and the chance of scraping the bottom of your car is less.
- Write Down All of Your Changes! Write down your alignment settings and then note how the car performs. Write down any changes you make and record the results. This is the best way to get the car dialed in exactly how you like it. Use our Alignment/Set-up Sheet to help keep tabs on the changes.
