rear alignment
Thread Starter
7th Gear
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
rear alignment
looking at my 1978 corvette from the rear, it appears that the passenger side tire and wheel is leaning in at the top, can this be fixed with an alignment or is there a weak spring or something else?
Cruising
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
go to a good alignment shop - one that knows about trailing arms. they need to shimmy the trailing arm off the frame. avoid the 19 yr old kid from the chain shop.
i did mine this past weekend. i had -3.3 on the left and it was very obvious.
it ran around $200 bucks. the rear take more time when compared to adjusting the front.
i did mine this past weekend. i had -3.3 on the left and it was very obvious.
it ran around $200 bucks. the rear take more time when compared to adjusting the front.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,683
Likes: 34
From: Working on the car NY
Some shops may want to avoid rear adjustments on a C3 cause everything may be rusted. Square this away ahead of time especially so you avoid hoping for an adjustment you'll never get. Not saying yours is rusted.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,223
Likes: 174
From: Fort Wayne IN
You can probably get it pretty close yourself by just eyeballing it. Jack it up, loosen the nut on the back, turn the bolt a notch or two, tighten the nut back up, then drop it down and roll the car back and forth few times. I used a piece of 2x4 that I cut so it touched just the top and bottom lip of the rim and then put a 4' level on that to make sure the wheels were plumb when they were on the ground.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,336
Likes: 6,282
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Lars
V8FastCars@msn.com
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,671
Likes: 265
From: New York
I people telling me they always had too much negative camber. They could never get it to where they wanted it. Some resorted to bending the camber rods.
I had that issue and went to Guldstrand and purchased their solid rear camber arm kit. For me it was great. I was able to get really precise camber alignment, the alignment shops love it , and the solid heim joints are less prone to camber changes under stress. Since I Time Trial the car, that was important to me.
I had that issue and went to Guldstrand and purchased their solid rear camber arm kit. For me it was great. I was able to get really precise camber alignment, the alignment shops love it , and the solid heim joints are less prone to camber changes under stress. Since I Time Trial the car, that was important to me.
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Terrorizing Orange Cones
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,572
Likes: 17
From: Northern CO
Camber is not set with the shims - the shims control toe. Camber is set with the strut rod eccentrics, assuming your strut rod bushings are not shot. You can set rear wheel camber yourself using my rear end alignment paper which has been available to Forum members for several years.
Lars
V8FastCars@msn.com
Lars
V8FastCars@msn.com
BTW, cool avatar.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,924
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,164
Likes: 623
From: Thunder Bay
Assembly Instruction manual. Available from most Corvette suppliers. Your rear alignment problem is the result of one or the other or both of two problems. First, your strut rod bushings are probably shot. Replace them. While you're in there, check the end play on the output yokes at the sides of the differential. The weight of the car presses against the end of these yokes and the ends wear resulting in the yokes moving in toward the differential, causing the camber problem you are experiencing. Different guys will tell you different specs for acceptable end play, but anything over about .050" is probably too much. The solution is to replace the yokes. Once you're done, you need an alignment. Make sure all the adjustments move freely before you take it to an alignment shop or you'll be paying them to free up rusted bolts.
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: Redondo Beach California
This just happened to me also. Felt a pop while driving to work this morning. Parked the car at work and notices that the drivers rear tire was leaning in at the top. Jacked up the car and I'm able to push and pull the spindle assembly. I can see the half-shaft sliding in and out of the rear diff. So I'm guess it is over the .050" the drwet is talking about. Can I adjust the camber as a short term solution to get me home, or should this thing be put on a flat bed for the 5 mile drive.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,058
Likes: 27
From: Eastern North Carolina
The torque spec for my 81 is 150 ft/lbs. I just did this myself about a week ago. I replaced the strut rod bushings and aligned the rear-end camber. You can get it very close yourself.....Tim
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,727
Likes: 38
From: Fremont CA
This just happened to me also. Felt a pop while driving to work this morning. Parked the car at work and notices that the drivers rear tire was leaning in at the top. Jacked up the car and I'm able to push and pull the spindle assembly. I can see the half-shaft sliding in and out of the rear diff. So I'm guess it is over the .050" the drwet is talking about. Can I adjust the camber as a short term solution to get me home, or should this thing be put on a flat bed for the 5 mile drive.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,164
Likes: 623
From: Thunder Bay
If your side yokes are moving in and out of the differential a noticeable amount, you probably HAVE lost the circlip, but that's not what is causing your camber problem. The circlip stops the yoke from coming out. If the tire is leaning IN at the top, the yoke has moved IN, or a strut rod bushing has let go and allowed the bottom of the tire to move OUT.
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: Redondo Beach California
Thanks for the tips guys, these are all things that I will check.
My father-in-law and I got under it and took a good look at the camber bolt/washer adjustment thing(for lack of a better term for it). Looks like the washer/bolt has shifted causing the bottom of the tire to move out. Hope that makes since, I will be realigning the rear this weekend.
My father-in-law and I got under it and took a good look at the camber bolt/washer adjustment thing(for lack of a better term for it). Looks like the washer/bolt has shifted causing the bottom of the tire to move out. Hope that makes since, I will be realigning the rear this weekend.
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: Redondo Beach California
The car is actually garaged at his house as we live in an apartment and I'm not parking it on the street.
Thanks again guys, this place is always helpful!!
