62 front alignment?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 489
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From: ormond beach florida
62 front alignment?
62 vette turns right when steering wheel is released. tire psi and road crown are not the problem. Are the modern tire shops capable of a front end alignment on a 1962 ? New car dealer? What type of alignment machine is best for the 1962? Thanks Dean
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,469
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From: Naples FL
Any good alignment shop should be able to align your car. The biggest problem is they have to remove the zerk fitting to get to one of the adjustments. Very few shops know this. It's best to copy a page from the manual and take it to the shop with you.
Before you take any car to an alignment shop paint a white stripe on the bolts that have to be moved to get an adjustment. That way you can check on whether or not they did anything.
To many shope today specialize in what's known as a Toe-and-Go. You pay for a full alignment and they only adjust the toe.
Richard Newton
Ultimate Garage Handbook
Wheel and Tire Performance Handbook
Before you take any car to an alignment shop paint a white stripe on the bolts that have to be moved to get an adjustment. That way you can check on whether or not they did anything.
To many shope today specialize in what's known as a Toe-and-Go. You pay for a full alignment and they only adjust the toe.
Richard Newton
Ultimate Garage Handbook
Wheel and Tire Performance Handbook
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 10,340
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From: Beverly Hills (Pine Ridge) Florida
And get a print out of the alignment settings before and after the "alignment".
Also note that the specs for toe-in are for bias ply tires (spec is 1/8" to 1/4"). If your tires have been changed to radials (a very good thing to do), then the toe-in can be reduced to 3/32" to 1/8" (I use 3/32" and like the feel).
Note that your steering components must be in good shape before taking it in for an alignment.
Plasticman
Also note that the specs for toe-in are for bias ply tires (spec is 1/8" to 1/4"). If your tires have been changed to radials (a very good thing to do), then the toe-in can be reduced to 3/32" to 1/8" (I use 3/32" and like the feel).
Note that your steering components must be in good shape before taking it in for an alignment.
Plasticman
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 489
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From: ormond beach florida
Thanks, I thought the tire psi LOOKED ok,But I just checked with a gauge b4 doing any thing else. rt front only had 15,rt rear about 22,left side both at 26. It is raining now so I will drive it again later. The tips about the zerks and before after alignment checks are great. It has bias ply. The car has been sitting the last few months. Just purchased by a friend at Kissimmee
Last edited by Dean757; Jan 14, 2008 at 07:24 PM. Reason: 15 psi vs 26
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Could be a stuck shoe, could be a bad wheel cylinder, could be a collapsed line, etc.
Team Owner
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Army
Find a shop with a good four-wheel aligner and someone who actually knows how to operate it properly. As long as they have clamps to fit the wheels, an alignment is an alignment. The newest digital Hunter unit could align the oldest Model T if you had the right wheel adapters.
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Brett Foote
Tech Contributor
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From: Conroe Texas
Well, don't let AutoZone find out or we'll all be paying an "exotic car fee" anytime their computer is down and the 19 year old kid behind the counter has to open a freakin' book to look up our parts.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Not according to some shops - I have had a tire shop here in Florida try to charge me the 'exotic car fee' for aligning my '66 Mustang as they had to do extra work dealing with shims, specs not being in the computer, etc. on such an old car. Guess they figured working on the Mustang was right up there with aligning Maseratis and Lamborghinis.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: pgh pa
Not according to some shops - I have had a tire shop here in Florida try to charge me the 'exotic car fee' for aligning my '66 Mustang as they had to do extra work dealing with shims, specs not being in the computer, etc. on such an old car. Guess they figured working on the Mustang was right up there with aligning Maseratis and Lamborghinis.
Race Director
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From: Camp Verde AZ
C1 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
2017 C1 of Year Finalist
Do what I did, calla round and ask questions.
When they say yes, we do those; ask them what the procedure is to change the caster and camber, if they say add or subtract shims, hang up and call another one.
Doing this, i found a shop that does a lot of old Corvettes and other old cars and they are relatively inexpensive. Mom and Pop shop, stay away from chains.
Doug
When they say yes, we do those; ask them what the procedure is to change the caster and camber, if they say add or subtract shims, hang up and call another one.
Doing this, i found a shop that does a lot of old Corvettes and other old cars and they are relatively inexpensive. Mom and Pop shop, stay away from chains.
Doug
Team Owner
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Army
http://www.mustangmonthly.com/projec...alignment.html
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2000
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From: Boston MA
You can't just drop it off someplace; walk off to go shopping in the other part of the mall; and, expect it to be done right. Bring it to a Corvette restoration place. Or, do some prep work yourself. If you want it done right.
1. Make sure the tires are at the correct pressure.
2. Make sure the brakes aren't dragging.
3. Make sure the front end components (esp. the king pins and wheel bearings) are up to snuff.
4. Remove the upper outside bushing zerk fittings.
5. Photocopy the pages of the ST-12 and bring them with you to the alignment shop.
6. (This one is recommended, but optional.) Use the photocopied ST-12 pages and your offer to ecxplain them to gain you entry to the shop floor where the technician is doing your car. Then you can look over his shoulder.
That's what I did at my local Firestone shop where they're car guys and good guys and don't usually let you anywhere near the shop floor.
1. Make sure the tires are at the correct pressure.
2. Make sure the brakes aren't dragging.
3. Make sure the front end components (esp. the king pins and wheel bearings) are up to snuff.
4. Remove the upper outside bushing zerk fittings.
5. Photocopy the pages of the ST-12 and bring them with you to the alignment shop.
6. (This one is recommended, but optional.) Use the photocopied ST-12 pages and your offer to ecxplain them to gain you entry to the shop floor where the technician is doing your car. Then you can look over his shoulder.
That's what I did at my local Firestone shop where they're car guys and good guys and don't usually let you anywhere near the shop floor.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
When I get my 77 aligned in the next week after its complete suspension overhaul, I plan to use my Hunter alignment certification certificate to do that job. Especially with the modifications I've made, no one is touching that suspension without me at least watching. I'm going in armed with a service manual, a box of shims, and the cotter pins to secure the T/A shims.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 489
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From: ormond beach florida
Thanks to everyone for the tips. Drove it today and it still pulls but just slightly with even tire psi. When braking it pulls harder to the right. Next week I will have time to check for dragging brakes and will get an alignment if needed. I think the alignment shop should remove the zerk ? Nice day for a Picture .attached.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Beverly Hills (Pine Ridge) Florida
After a few poor alignment jobs (on "modern vehicles"), I decided to do them myself several years ago. Won't say I am an expert, but you do not need the latest computer and laser equipment to do an alignment. Just a level floor (or leveling shims to make it "level") and a good camber / caster bubble fixture. Toe is where I am still learning as to what is the best way to check it. I thought I had it all worked out a while back using the rim edges, but then I got thrown a curve when a buddy showed up with bent rims - and I did not know it until he left some significant scrub marks on my concrete driveway! Now I have a fixture that marks straight reference lines on each tire face that I use to check and adjust toe.
It all takes time, but that is why I am retired - lots of time!
Plasticman
It all takes time, but that is why I am retired - lots of time!
Plasticman
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
After a few poor alignment jobs (on "modern vehicles"), I decided to do them myself several years ago. Won't say I am an expert, but you do not need the latest computer and laser equipment to do an alignment. Just a level floor (or leveling shims to make it "level") and a good camber / caster bubble fixture. Toe is where I am still learning as to what is the best way to check it. I thought I had it all worked out a while back using the rim edges, but then I got thrown a curve when a buddy showed up with bent rims - and I did not know it until he left some significant scrub marks on my concrete driveway! Now I have a fixture that marks straight reference lines on each tire face that I use to check and adjust toe.
It all takes time, but that is why I am retired - lots of time!
Plasticman
It all takes time, but that is why I am retired - lots of time!
Plasticman
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 10,340
Likes: 664
From: Beverly Hills (Pine Ridge) Florida
Probably not!
Plasticman