Alignment Specs Opinions Please
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,725
Likes: 5
From: Minnesota
Alignment Specs Opinions Please
Need to know the best setup for a driver. Corvettefaq has specs from two different sources varying as follows:
Front
Toe in 1/32, 1/8 inch
Camber 0, 1.3 deg negative
Caster 2.75, 4.75
Rear
Toe in 1/8 inch, 1/8 inch
Camber 0, .3 deg negative
I'm running 245/60R15 tires.
Front
Toe in 1/32, 1/8 inch
Camber 0, 1.3 deg negative
Caster 2.75, 4.75
Rear
Toe in 1/8 inch, 1/8 inch
Camber 0, .3 deg negative
I'm running 245/60R15 tires.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,366
Likes: 6,348
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Run as little toe as possible while staying on the negative side.
Negative camber will provide more aggressive cornering ability, but will also produce slight wear on the inside of the tire(s). Running the toe very close to "0" minimizes this wear.
The more positive caster you can run the more "stable" the car will feel. If you have power steering, you can run a lot of caster. Manual steering cars will get very heavy low-speed steering effort with a lot of caster (this the reason for GM "A" body cars actually have negative caster: so little ol' ladies with manual steering can still parallel park...).
Keep in mind that with the GM shim-system of alignment, you will often run out of camber/caster combination adjustment when you go to the far side on the positive caster adjustment. You may have to take as much positive caster as you can get while obtaining the camber you want. This may not give you enough adjustment to get to 4.75. Take as much caster as you can get while keeping both sides equal.
Negative camber will provide more aggressive cornering ability, but will also produce slight wear on the inside of the tire(s). Running the toe very close to "0" minimizes this wear.
The more positive caster you can run the more "stable" the car will feel. If you have power steering, you can run a lot of caster. Manual steering cars will get very heavy low-speed steering effort with a lot of caster (this the reason for GM "A" body cars actually have negative caster: so little ol' ladies with manual steering can still parallel park...).
Keep in mind that with the GM shim-system of alignment, you will often run out of camber/caster combination adjustment when you go to the far side on the positive caster adjustment. You may have to take as much positive caster as you can get while obtaining the camber you want. This may not give you enough adjustment to get to 4.75. Take as much caster as you can get while keeping both sides equal.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
I think one of the keys here is keeping both side equal. A car can be in specs and still be very different side to side. I try for maximum caster, keep camber close to 0 for best tread wear and make both sides the same even if you have to sacrafice a better setting on one wheel
Pro
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 672
Likes: 0
From: Quebec
I run those spec:
Toe in 1/16
Camber -0.4 degree
Caster 5.0 degrees (with drill upper arm support) but 2.5 is good.
Rear
Toe in 1/16
Camber -0.5 degree (with smart strut, you may want a little less with stock setup like -0.3)
I do around 10 000 miles a year and the tire wear is even. I rotate my tire once a year. The handling is awesome and it rides great.
Stephan
Toe in 1/16
Camber -0.4 degree
Caster 5.0 degrees (with drill upper arm support) but 2.5 is good.
Rear
Toe in 1/16
Camber -0.5 degree (with smart strut, you may want a little less with stock setup like -0.3)
I do around 10 000 miles a year and the tire wear is even. I rotate my tire once a year. The handling is awesome and it rides great.
Originally Posted by I'm Batman
-Your ex-Hunter alignment guy 
Stephan
Last edited by American Boy; Apr 20, 2005 at 04:46 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
I do around 10 000 miles a year and the tire wear is even. I rotate my tire once a year. The handling is awesome and it rides great.
Some of us can't rotate our tires, the back and front are different and at the same time the tires are directional
Some of us can't rotate our tires, the back and front are different and at the same time the tires are directional
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 10,362
Likes: 5
From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Originally Posted by American Boy
I run those spec:
Toe in 1/16
Camber -0.4 degree
Caster 5.0 degrees (with drill upper arm support) but 2.5 is good.
Stephan
Toe in 1/16
Camber -0.4 degree
Caster 5.0 degrees (with drill upper arm support) but 2.5 is good.
Stephan
Wow that's a lot of caster. But being a HUNTER USER all my life, I know that it's a matter of choice more than a setting that needs to be correct as far as the manufacturer knows ....
Pro
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 545
Likes: 0
From: Waukesha WI
Originally Posted by lars
The more positive caster you can run the more "stable" the car will feel. If you have power steering, you can run a lot of caster. Manual steering cars will get very heavy low-speed steering effort with a lot of caster (this the reason for GM "A" body cars actually have negative caster: so little ol' ladies with manual steering can still parallel park...).
I didnt like the feel of my "easy" power steering, and was going to go to a different spring in the control valve...at VBP's recomendation I had the shop add as much caster as possible. Feels much tighter and controlled, how I wanted it.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
I'mBatman...i'll find those you posted them for me
here it is...post 12
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...592&forum_id=3
here it is...post 12
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...592&forum_id=3
Last edited by bobs77vet; Apr 20, 2005 at 08:03 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 23,359
Likes: 1,058
From: Virginia USA
Originally Posted by PureSilver
Check out Vette Brakes & Products site- I think they have both the street and the race setups listed.
I'm having mine aligned next Friday and I'll be using VBP specs. I just haven't decided which spec I want yet. Anyone setup their car using VBP specs? And if so which one did you go with. I'm thinking advanced street (if thats the what they call one of them, I don't have my catalog in front of me right now).
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
Originally Posted by jdmick
Thanks for the info. Once again I see why I spend more time on here than my wife thinks I should 
. Great information.
. Great information.i don't know guys.....the writer of that book something like "how to restore and modify a c3" with the blue vert on the front in a field in PA...says the original alignment specs are hard to beat for all around driving and when i read in the VBP catalog...."that if its too darty" "you can add...." it made me stick with stock specs and i'm happy with those.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
As I have the same size tires on my '77 as were used in the last few years of C3 production, I'll probably use those specs for my next alignment. For all-around driving, you're probably not going to beat the factory specs, unless you're using a radically different tire technology (i.e. the specs were written for bias-ply tires and you're running radials). For specific applications (drag racing, autocross, etc.), there may be specs that are better for those uses, but probably will cause some wear issues in everyday driving. As always, YMMV.
Bob, thanks for digging up that post!
Bob, thanks for digging up that post!
Last edited by I'm Batman; Apr 21, 2005 at 02:58 PM.
