Good question. I would assume that it was for handling. The alignment specs are from the kit manufacturer and show 1/16" for toe-in. The car handles very nice after alignment..... my eyeball-based alignment (when assembling the car) was just a bit off, at 1.5" toe-in!
I may have the worst possible tires for efficiency, and am considering a second set for this very reason. But for the moment, it will be interesting to see how much gain I can get while still running them. The calculator on this site really confirms the tire efficiency issue.
For the tire rolling resistance, there seem to be three components; 1) width of tire (how much air hits it), 2) inflation pressure, and 3) stickiness. Can anyone comment on how much of each of these contributes to the problem?
I'm thinking that a front air dam will reduce the air velocity at the front tires by quite a bit, but not affect numbers 2 & 3 above. So it would be interesting to understand the relative influence of each factor, and also, did I overlook anything regarding tire rolling resistance?
Quote:
Originally Posted by hamsterpower
A little late to the thread here. I know you said you had an alignment, but was it aligned for handling or efficiency? There is a big difference. I also really think you need some narrower, harder tires for the rear. Drag radials are way to sticky.
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