Alignment help please
11-11-2008, 05:58 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Alignment help please
Three weeks ago I got an alignment. Everything is in 'range' but nothing is perfectly set to zero. Car pulls to the right now and it drove perfect before the alignment but left front tire was wearing inside. Below are the After specs. Do these specs verify the car would pull right? I wanna have a good arguement when I go back this week. Thanks
LF
camber -.3
caster 5.9
toe .03
RF
camber -.4
caster 5.9
toe .04
Front
cross camber .1
Cross caster .0
Total toe .06
set back -.16
LR
camber -.3
toe -.03
RR
camber -.3
toe -.01
Rear
total toe -.5
thrust angle -.02
LF
camber -.3
caster 5.9
toe .03
RF
camber -.4
caster 5.9
toe .04
Front
cross camber .1
Cross caster .0
Total toe .06
set back -.16
LR
camber -.3
toe -.03
RR
camber -.3
toe -.01
Rear
total toe -.5
thrust angle -.02
11-11-2008, 06:06 PM
#2
Team Owner
Your (Corvette's) alignment specs won't be "zero". There will be a slight amount of negative camber, which you have. You need a bit of "toe-in", which you have. If your car is "drifting right", I'd hazard a guess and say that it's because your RF camber is greater than your LF.
If your LF tire was wearing on the inside, you may have had too much neg. camber, but without the "before" specs, we can't tell.
If your LF tire was wearing on the inside, you may have had too much neg. camber, but without the "before" specs, we can't tell.
11-11-2008, 07:11 PM
#5
Team Owner
Is your 'Vette, by chance, a Z-06? If not, you had WAY too much neg. camber on both sides, no wonder your tires wore!
I don't have my shop manual handy, but to the best of my recollection, your current settings look decent.
I don't have my shop manual handy, but to the best of my recollection, your current settings look decent.
11-11-2008, 07:20 PM
#7
Race Director
I dont know how many people will agree but i am very happy with the spec that my 01 c5 is set up at.
both left and right fronts are set at +.2degrees camber
left front at +6.9 castor
right front at +7.2castor
both fronts at .03 toe in
both rears at -.2 camber
both rears at .03 toe in
Camber is "out of spec" according to chevrolet but at 357 bucks per run flat tire, Im sick of buying tires because the inside 2 inches is worn out.
When your car is moving forward, downforce from air resistance compresses the suspension very slightly, which is why i went with +.2 degrees of camber. I want it the fronts straight up and down when the car is moving.
toe in is obvious - you want it slightly toed in because as the car moves forward it pulls the tires out.
Castor should be higher slightly on the right side of the car to compinsate for road crown.
This could be why your car drifts right. Although if your tires are worn funny you really cant judge the handling. Due to the fact that even a car with perfect alignment will handle werid if the tires are worn in an irregular way.
Personally my car has never handled better than it does with these specs. I drive only on the street. Racers would benfit from a set up with more negative camber, but they dont need to get 40k out of there front tires.
both left and right fronts are set at +.2degrees camber
left front at +6.9 castor
right front at +7.2castor
both fronts at .03 toe in
both rears at -.2 camber
both rears at .03 toe in
Camber is "out of spec" according to chevrolet but at 357 bucks per run flat tire, Im sick of buying tires because the inside 2 inches is worn out.
When your car is moving forward, downforce from air resistance compresses the suspension very slightly, which is why i went with +.2 degrees of camber. I want it the fronts straight up and down when the car is moving.
toe in is obvious - you want it slightly toed in because as the car moves forward it pulls the tires out.
Castor should be higher slightly on the right side of the car to compinsate for road crown.
This could be why your car drifts right. Although if your tires are worn funny you really cant judge the handling. Due to the fact that even a car with perfect alignment will handle werid if the tires are worn in an irregular way.
Personally my car has never handled better than it does with these specs. I drive only on the street. Racers would benfit from a set up with more negative camber, but they dont need to get 40k out of there front tires.
11-11-2008, 07:26 PM
#8
Race Director
I just looked at your spec again and if i were you, i would try to get your alignment guy to move the castor measurment on both fronts to somthing over +6.5 if possible.
These cars turn sharp enough no matter what, so i think you will appreciate how the car will tend to stay straight more so than with such a small castor angle.
These cars turn sharp enough no matter what, so i think you will appreciate how the car will tend to stay straight more so than with such a small castor angle.