Does anyone know of a wheel alignment video, maybe a c3 vette
I bought a pair of front wheel swivel plates and a caster camber gauge at a auction
but dont know what to do first or how.

 

caster , camber, then toe in, theres some good videos on the net.

 

front or rear first

 

On my 1978 corvette I used the following procedure. [Based on many video's via google search etc.]

First its important to test drive and notice how the car currently drives. Pulls left/ right etc. Measure your tire tread as a reference starting point.

Next measure everything before changing anything. Record all measurements. Measure on a flat surface without any plates under the wheels. Camber is easy using the guages. Toe in I used a measuring tape on the wheels to measure front width tire to tire vs back of the tire. I also used the string method to check 4 wheel alignment. Front vs Rear. Best to have equal toe-in on both sides. eg rear wheels 1/16" each for a total of 1/8" total.

I adjusted the rear first. This takes the most time moving shims around. After each adjustment I would drive the car around the block and re-measure.

I found using more than 1 method to measure toe validated the setup. I found it very difficult to get the same measurement each time. String setup allowed good reference for all 4 wheels pointing the same direction. (trust angle) Tape measure confirmed proper toe setting. Once I was happy with all the settings I would drive the car for a few miles and then re-measure on pavement.

I am very happy with the DIY alignment. My car has never driven so straight with a straight steering wheel.

For the caster adjustments I found it very difficult to measure extact 15 degrees either direction, so I decided to measure max left and right angles and half max left and right, but made sure left side wheel vs right side wheel were equal on both sides.

I have spend many hours checking and re - checking. I continue to monitor tread wear and compare to the baseline measurements before I adjusted anything.

I have measured my 2010 Corvette using the same method and will compare to the dealership measurements latter this week. Then I will feel comfortable doing the same on the 2010. With $3000 on new tires I will spend the $100 for the first alignment.

good video to level the car.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZoL1gaWedA

 

you beat me , excellent



The first would be to replace any bad suspension parts or bushings prior to doing anything with the alignment..then an alignment check on all four corners. Check camber and toe on the rear, check caster camber and toe on the front, keep a record of your findings, then check your tracking. do all that before changing anything. That will not only give you a base to make your adjustment from, but you will be able to understand why an adjustment on one side or end of the car , affects measurements on the other side or end. when you get to the point of adjusting, you will find that changing one setting affects the complete alignment

 

Thanks guys. I have no old readings on the car because It was totaly apart. I installed a VBP performance plus front and rear suspension kit.
So everything is new. I have to start my alignment from scatch.

 

thats the best way, if you re-installed the shims back in the same as they came out , with the new parts, you shouldnt be to far off, if you didnt , have fun

 

I guess Im going to have fun, because all the shim parts were thrown out when it was torn apart, When I got this car everything and I say everything was apart, The frame was leaning against the wall the body was on the floor and so many parts in boxes, the wiring harness was even in a box and no it was not labled.
I think I done pretty good so far and yes Im still learning.
My alignment is next so I need all the help I can get on this.
I set the rear camber with my bubble gauge, that was easy with my new adjustable rods. I guess I will do the rear toe now, I like the string idea so I know the body is straight with the wheels.
Thanks:
Tom

 

when you go the the front, check the camber first and add shims equally to each side at all 4 upper control arm bolts to get it roughly close to zero on both sides. that will make your other settings easier to achieve once you start caster,camber and toe adjustments. Start with your steering wheel level and centered with an equal number of turns going both directions, then use a bunge cord to secure it. Dont use your ignition lock to secure it , you will need to check for center during your adjustments and you'll need to move your wheels from time to time.

 

Make sure your rear strut rods start with equals lengths, also make the tie rods equal lengths as a starting point. Turn each tie rod in an equal number of turns. Same for the strut rods. For shims in the rear first fit in as many as the space allows. To get the last shim in jam it in the center of the shims. Once you have determined the total shim width, place about 75% to the inner side of the bushing and 25% to the outer side, where the outer is the right side of the bushing for the right tailing arm facing forward toward the front of the car. For the upper control arm I placed no shims on the front side and placing about 2 of the thickest shims in the back of the arm worked well. Then I added equal amounts to both sides to get a 0 degree camber setting. Then I measured caster turning the wheel max to the left, measuring max to the right to set equal amounts on both sides. Then half left to right to get a number around 3-4 degrees.
Then use the string method to set 4 wheel alignment Toe settings, and final measurement using tape to measure toe. Set the back to total 1/8" toe in and front 1/32" toe in. Drive the car and re-measure and adjust camber,caster, toe again. They will be out from your inital measurements but should be close. As the final measurements do it twice while driving the car before each measurement. I found I could not repeat perfect measurements but was close each time. How the car handled told me more. Good luck but you will enjoy the process once you get it set right and can repeat the process.

 

THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU.
The car is not driveable yet but I will get it as close as I can for now.
Before I paint the car I want to set up the alignment to see if I have the flares at the right spot just in case I have to trim or add some glass.

 

excellent tech.