I posted this in the general without a response so I thought I would try here. Thanks,
Walter

My wife has owned the 1976 Corvette since new. The car was hit in the left front fender 18 months ago. The left upper & lower control arms, the relay rod, the steering box, the tie rods & ends & the idler arm were replaced. We have had it aligned & measured till the cow come home. The frame measures ok.
The problem is the steering is slow to return. I have read Jim Shea’s papers (Thank you Jim!) & the steering is straight the box is at 12:00 and the pitman & idler arms are straight ahead. The steering box has been adjusted. We even loosened the box adjustment some.
When I looked under the car recently I noticed a couple of possible problems.
1) The right tie rod needs to be 1” longer then the left side to center the wheel.
2) When the tie rods are centered the right inner tie rod is about a ½” lower then the left side. (Could I have the wrong idler arm installed?)
3) It seems that Corvette wheels move further then our turntable will allow so I could not get an accurate reading. Is this typical? Would wheels with less backspacing work (for the alignment only)?
I have been a mechanic for years but I am stumped. When I tried to check the alignment on our new Snap-On aligner at work I had trouble with the turntables. If anyone can help I would be grateful. If anyone knows a C3 alignment expert in the Los Angeles area please let me know.
Thanks,
Walter

 

On the left side check the spindle where the tie rod end connects and compare it to the other side.the arm part of the spindle could be bent.see if it is the same distance away from the back of the wheel

 

I had the same problem after having an alignment
The Idler arm was replaced while bieng aligned and from then on it was very slow to return, If I made a right turn around a corner the steering wheel would almost stay there and I had to bring it back to center or I would have gone off the road

Long story short, It took about 1,000 miles to loosen itself up... now its fine

 

The steering arms measure the same. I am also concerened about the right side being lower, can someone check under there car & let me know?
Thanks,
Walter

 

Check your eMail. Unfortunately, I don't have any specs for idler arms or ball joints.

Jim

 

Walter-I checked one I have in the garage-the left is 6 & 3/8 from the floor to the zerk fitting in outer tie rod-the right one is 6 & 1/2

 

Thanks everyone for your help. I will try another idler arm this week. is the ac delco one the way to go? Or is another brand recommended?
Has anyone else had trouble on alignment turntables?
Thanks again,
Walter

 

I got mine from DR Rebuild
I dont know what brand it was but they usually stock the best you can get.. So it may have been a Delco
Call them and ask if you want

http://docrebuild.com/dr-r-web/SUSP63B.PDF

 

Walter
There are a couple of things that may be causing this. The first thing I would do is measure the wheel base. If the lower control arm bracket and gusset are bent or twisted it will set the wheel back on that side. This also causes your castor to be negated on that side. The frame can spec out and these still be off. Also, if they have been replaced they could have been located wrong. Measure from one of the bracket rear corners to the crossmember center whole and compare left to right, they should be within 1/8 inch. If the frame specs out and the wheel is back on the left or right it has to be in the brackets, control arm or shaft.

My second choice would be to check the idler arm, the bearing may be trying to sieze causing this, however it does not explain the other symtoms, ie the tie rods etc.

Dennis

 

Thanks again for all the advice. The wheelbase & tire positions were all checked on the Snap-on alignment machine & was good.
Does anyone know a C3 alignment guru in the Los Angeles area?
Thanks again,
Walter