[C1] C1 alignment
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Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 3,090
From: Cottonwood AZ
C1 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
C1 alignment
I have compiled the below from other post here on the board. Look it over and see if I have anything wrong or missed anything. I want to take this with me when I have my car aligned
Aligning Your Solid Axle Chevrolet Corvette - The Mystery Alignment
Most alignment shops are not aware of this adjustment. "Remove the grease fitting at the rear of the upper control arm and put a hex wrench into the void. There's an eccentric bolt inside there."
The Alignment
The first step to a proper alignment is to make sure that your tires have the proper inflation and the wheel bearings are properly adjusted. If you fail to do this, no alignment technician in the world is going to get your Corvette properly aligned.
Tire pressure needs to be even all around the car set to tire manufacturers recommendations.
This is a drawing of the eccentric bolt.
Vemp_0206_12_z Aligning_solid_axle_chevrolet_corvette Eccentric_bolt 8/9
Setting Toe
Setting the toe on these early Corvettes is simply a matter of adjusting the tire rod sleeve just like any regular car. You loosen the two clamps at either end of the tie rod and turn the sleeve to lengthen the distance between the two rod ends and you've got the toe setting down pat. In reality this part is just like the '63-82 Corvette. The only problems you might encounter is a rusted clamp. Most of these old Corvettes have either been restored, or had enough grease and oil covering them over the years, that they're easy to break loose. If you have any problems here be very careful and don't break anything.
Remember the rod and the clamps don't wear out, so severe rust is the only reason you might consider replacing them. You should have the alignment shop check the tie rod ends for wear. These are readily available since they're nothing more than early Chevrolet parts. Just make sure that you check both the inner and outer tie rod ends.
Setting Caster
The caster and camber adjustments are unique. The upper control arm has an eccentric that moves 3/32 of an inch. First, you need to loosen the clamping bolt at the upper end of the steering knuckle. Then, remove the grease fitting. If you have trouble seeing all this, simply remove the front wheels. It's harder to visualize some of this than it is to actually do.
The next step is to loosen, or completely remove, the clamping bolt at the top of the king pin. Lastly, put your Allen wrench through the hole where the grease fitting previously lived. When you turn the pin with your Allen wrench you can watch the caster and camber turn on the computer screen. You are paying for a computerized alignment, aren't you? The eccentric bolt should move easily. The same set screw that adjusts the camber, also adjusts the caster. Just turn the screw in to pull the spindle support top back toward the rear of the car. This adds positive caster. Will make it track better but be a little harder to turn. The steering wheel will straighten up after a turn better. Adjust the caster and then set the camber with the same screw. To do this, jack up the bottom "A" arm to just take the weight off of the tires. Place a carpenter level vertical (up and down) across the tire center. Adjust the screw in or out to get a slight tilt "out" at the top of the tire. This is positive camber.
Be sure that you tighten the "lock" bolt for the set screw when you are finished.
Once you've removed the grease fitting, you can insert the hex wrench, or Allen wrench if you prefer, into the void and begin to turn the wrench. It'll take a little practice, and a few movements back and forth to get everything correct but this is no big deal. Actually, it's a lot easier to turn the eccentric than it is to add all the shims that we're accustomed to. It sort of makes you wonder if the system introduced in 1963 was a real improvement.
This turning of the eccentric will have a greater effect on the caster than it will on the camber, even though they'll both change together. The eccentric allows for a slight change in caster and a full range of camber adjustment.
The idea is to turn the pivot pin until you get the proper caster setting, then move it less than a half turn to get the camber correct. Which direction will depend on the position of the eccentric.
It should come within specification after a couple of trial attempts. The real trick is to get the caster correct while also getting the correct camber. It only took us two or three turns on each side to get it correct.
Settings for radial tires
Caster………………2° + - ½°
Camber……………. ½° + - ½°
King Pin Inclination….3 ½° to 4 ½°
Toe-in (Per Wheel)…..1/16” -0
Toe out on Turns
Inner Wheel……20° + - 2°
Outer Wheel 24° + - 2°
Normal toe in spec (with bias ply tires) was 1/8" to 1/4" total toe.
With radials use 1/8" total toe, (1/16" per wheel).
You will be usually be "lucky" to obtain 2 deg. caster (get as much as you can), and keep the tires at as close as possible to zero camber.
Aligning Your Solid Axle Chevrolet Corvette - The Mystery Alignment
Most alignment shops are not aware of this adjustment. "Remove the grease fitting at the rear of the upper control arm and put a hex wrench into the void. There's an eccentric bolt inside there."
The Alignment
The first step to a proper alignment is to make sure that your tires have the proper inflation and the wheel bearings are properly adjusted. If you fail to do this, no alignment technician in the world is going to get your Corvette properly aligned.
Tire pressure needs to be even all around the car set to tire manufacturers recommendations.
This is a drawing of the eccentric bolt.
Vemp_0206_12_z Aligning_solid_axle_chevrolet_corvette Eccentric_bolt 8/9
Setting Toe
Setting the toe on these early Corvettes is simply a matter of adjusting the tire rod sleeve just like any regular car. You loosen the two clamps at either end of the tie rod and turn the sleeve to lengthen the distance between the two rod ends and you've got the toe setting down pat. In reality this part is just like the '63-82 Corvette. The only problems you might encounter is a rusted clamp. Most of these old Corvettes have either been restored, or had enough grease and oil covering them over the years, that they're easy to break loose. If you have any problems here be very careful and don't break anything.
Remember the rod and the clamps don't wear out, so severe rust is the only reason you might consider replacing them. You should have the alignment shop check the tie rod ends for wear. These are readily available since they're nothing more than early Chevrolet parts. Just make sure that you check both the inner and outer tie rod ends.
Setting Caster
The caster and camber adjustments are unique. The upper control arm has an eccentric that moves 3/32 of an inch. First, you need to loosen the clamping bolt at the upper end of the steering knuckle. Then, remove the grease fitting. If you have trouble seeing all this, simply remove the front wheels. It's harder to visualize some of this than it is to actually do.
The next step is to loosen, or completely remove, the clamping bolt at the top of the king pin. Lastly, put your Allen wrench through the hole where the grease fitting previously lived. When you turn the pin with your Allen wrench you can watch the caster and camber turn on the computer screen. You are paying for a computerized alignment, aren't you? The eccentric bolt should move easily. The same set screw that adjusts the camber, also adjusts the caster. Just turn the screw in to pull the spindle support top back toward the rear of the car. This adds positive caster. Will make it track better but be a little harder to turn. The steering wheel will straighten up after a turn better. Adjust the caster and then set the camber with the same screw. To do this, jack up the bottom "A" arm to just take the weight off of the tires. Place a carpenter level vertical (up and down) across the tire center. Adjust the screw in or out to get a slight tilt "out" at the top of the tire. This is positive camber.
Be sure that you tighten the "lock" bolt for the set screw when you are finished.
Once you've removed the grease fitting, you can insert the hex wrench, or Allen wrench if you prefer, into the void and begin to turn the wrench. It'll take a little practice, and a few movements back and forth to get everything correct but this is no big deal. Actually, it's a lot easier to turn the eccentric than it is to add all the shims that we're accustomed to. It sort of makes you wonder if the system introduced in 1963 was a real improvement.
This turning of the eccentric will have a greater effect on the caster than it will on the camber, even though they'll both change together. The eccentric allows for a slight change in caster and a full range of camber adjustment.
The idea is to turn the pivot pin until you get the proper caster setting, then move it less than a half turn to get the camber correct. Which direction will depend on the position of the eccentric.
It should come within specification after a couple of trial attempts. The real trick is to get the caster correct while also getting the correct camber. It only took us two or three turns on each side to get it correct.
Settings for radial tires
Caster………………2° + - ½°
Camber……………. ½° + - ½°
King Pin Inclination….3 ½° to 4 ½°
Toe-in (Per Wheel)…..1/16” -0
Toe out on Turns
Inner Wheel……20° + - 2°
Outer Wheel 24° + - 2°
Normal toe in spec (with bias ply tires) was 1/8" to 1/4" total toe.
With radials use 1/8" total toe, (1/16" per wheel).
You will be usually be "lucky" to obtain 2 deg. caster (get as much as you can), and keep the tires at as close as possible to zero camber.
Last edited by 68hemi; Feb 24, 2018 at 06:57 PM. Reason: correcting positive camber statement
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 3,090
From: Cottonwood AZ
C1 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Anybody?
Look it over and see if I have anything wrong or missed anything. I want to take this with me when I have my car aligned.
Look it over and see if I have anything wrong or missed anything. I want to take this with me when I have my car aligned.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 15,412
Likes: 8,855
From: northern california
C2 of Year Finalist (track prepared) 2019
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 3,090
From: Cottonwood AZ
C1 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
