Do it yourself Alignment
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 560
Likes: 0
From: Camino CA
Do it yourself Alignment
My rear left wheel is starting to squeak, it's not a U-Joint, so I guess it's time to replace the bearings, when I do this I guess I have to re-align the rear wheels, is this something that can be done at home, are there any special tools required?
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 4,795
Likes: 1
From: Regina Saskatchewan, Canada.
Re: Do it yourself Alignment (Aerovette)
I've set the alignment on my car by myself about a hundred times. But I always make the final adjustments on an alignment rack. A very good friend used to be assistant manager at a Midas Muffler and I had acess to the shop on Sunday's and what not.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,041
Likes: 0
From: Wichita, KS
Re: Do it yourself Alignment (Ben Taylor)
There is a link to "do it yourself" alignment. I've done it on other cars, but not on the Corvette yet.
http://www.vettenet.org/align.html
Check with your local Corvette club too about places that know how to do a proper 4 wheel alignment and will take the time to do it correctly.
http://www.vettenet.org/align.html
Check with your local Corvette club too about places that know how to do a proper 4 wheel alignment and will take the time to do it correctly.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 5,635
Likes: 4
From: Orlando Floriduh
Re: Do it yourself Alignment (Ben Taylor)
I had a squeaking, scraping sound that I thought was a half shaft U-Joint.(last week) I took out the half shafts and one U-joint was obviously bad but I also discovered a lot of play in the differential side yokes. There should be almost no play . One flange was rubbing the diff. case as was one U-bolt. This was the noise source. I just got everthing apart last night and BOTH yokes were worn within a few thousanths of the snap ring. When replacing U-joints, alwys check the end play of the yokes. :chevy
[Modified by silvervetteman, 4:39 AM 2/26/2002]
[Modified by silvervetteman, 4:39 AM 2/26/2002]
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 3,030
Likes: 17
From: White Pine / Dandridge TN
Re: Do it yourself Alignment (silvervetteman)
What all do you have to do to remove/replace the side yokes? I know mine are worn, but just did not want to get into the diff. yet. Do you have to take apart the diff to replace the yokes?
Regards,
Jim
Regards,
Jim
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Re: Do it yourself Alignment (Jim73)
You have to drop the rear end to get the cover off. As for a home alignment I bought the Howl gage that magnetically goes on the end of the spindle and for toe I use a laser level.
Last night I took 2 6 foot angle irons and clamped them to my front rotors, these rotors have been dialed in to only a few thousands run out and checked the toe and it was 1/8th over that distance. I also set the rear with a laser level and tonight I will try checking with the 6 foot angle irons .
Camber and caster are easy with the gage.
After 2 alignments at reprable shops I decided to do it myself. Summit sells the gage for I think $129.
Alignment guys also want to test drive the car after alignment and get upset when you go with them.
So be it. When I was young and niave an alignment guy took my 428 tunnel rammed cobra for a test drive and told me I had a miss at 7000. Never again
Last night I took 2 6 foot angle irons and clamped them to my front rotors, these rotors have been dialed in to only a few thousands run out and checked the toe and it was 1/8th over that distance. I also set the rear with a laser level and tonight I will try checking with the 6 foot angle irons .
Camber and caster are easy with the gage.
After 2 alignments at reprable shops I decided to do it myself. Summit sells the gage for I think $129.
Alignment guys also want to test drive the car after alignment and get upset when you go with them.
So be it. When I was young and niave an alignment guy took my 428 tunnel rammed cobra for a test drive and told me I had a miss at 7000. Never again
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 3,990
Likes: 0
From: No longer a member
Re: Do it yourself Alignment (Jim73)
If you are into doing repairs yourself I've found the Van Steel suspension video to be $20 well spent. Covers do it yourself alignments also, enough to get to the aligment shop.
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Racer
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 494
Likes: 0
From: new mexico
Re: Do it yourself Alignment (silvervetteman)
I had the same problem on my 79. the yokes were worn almost back to the clips. put new yokes in and still had .040-.045 play in them. The differential was worn inside where the clips rest against. Solution was to grind the c-clip groove wider and in the right place and put in 2 Smalley wound clips (part number WSM-112) http://www.smalley.com This took up the slop. I haven't run this yet . The Smalley rings are rated at a higher strenght than the simple c- cilp. If my wife would leave me alone I could get this back together and try it out.
