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I am concerned about the black rubber dust you mentioned is getting on your fenders.
I also am concerned with that tire dust. Very concerned. There was no tire dust before the alignment. There was a whole conversation on the tire dust issue I had. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...read-dust.html
Originally Posted by DUB
You replaced the idler arm...correct????
Funny you went right to that. No. That and the pitman arm were the only things not replaced. Maybe that was a mistake.
Originally Posted by DUB
You still are using the factory power steering system...correct????
No I am not using the factory steering. I changed it out to a Borgeson box. So the ram, the bracket attached to the frame, etc. all gone. Just the Borg, pitman arm and thats it.
I think I will need to go back in for an alignment here soon. I wasnt too confident with the guy that did it, even though he came highly recommended, and works on a bunch of older cars, he was a bit of a douche. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...county-ca.html
How would I check to see if that idler arm is bad?
Obviously it will have 'free-play' in it. If you can grab your center link that is attached to the end of it and push up and pull down while the front end is in the air...it is bad.
AS for pitman arm...they do not go bad due to the taper seat is in the power steering control valve. The amount of 'side tot side play in your control valve can cause for poor steering properties...due to this excessive side to side play.
IF you replaced all of the other front end parts...do yourself a favor and put a new idler arm in....a good one from like MOOG. That way...ALL of your front suspension were serviced/replaced at the SAME TIME..so you can write own the date and cars mileage. It is easier to keep up with that this way...instead of doing something 'piece meal' and by the time you get done...the first parts you installed are already a year old.
I would make sure that it goes back on the alignment rack. If the alignment shop is competent they should have checked all parts prior to doing the alignment...so the idler arm may be OK....BUT...if it is not...it makes me wonder how good of a shop they are.
To awaken this thread and to not open one unnecessarily I have one question.
My upper arms have shims underneath. Seen on the pictures.
Is this "normal"? How to install the spreader bar in this case? remove some shims? Leave them?
There is very little thread left in one of the bolts because of the shims.
My car is a 71 SB.
Lots of tire dust on the fenders. Clearly something not right about that.
When doing a tight u-turn, when I turn the wheel to the stop, I can feel one tire sliding and squealing fairly aggressively. Something definitely not right there.
Did you every get a resolution to your alignment / black dust taken care of ? (2015 thread)
I looked at the alignment sheet, The black dust and squealing is because "THERE IS WAY TO MUCH TOE IN"
The black dust is from your tire's and if you continue to drive with your alignment setup the outside of the tires will be worn down and need replacing very quickly.
Total toe ~ = 0.0415 degree's to 0.249 degree's 1/32 - 1/4" max
Yours is set to 0.63 which is ~ 9/32" this is killing your tires.
Also positive camber which also puts more stress / weight on the outside of the tires.
If you cannot find a shop to use better spec's then you may what to look at DIY alignment yourself.
It is for these type of problems I went to DIY my corvette's.
Last edited by cagotzmann; Oct 21, 2016 at 10:21 PM.
UMMM that tire dust is certainly a problem.......no question.....
I have a cross support and it's snug to the long side the way GOD intended.....I also have rack steering I put in there about 15 years ago....before any kits were out.....I also have a VBP glass 360 lbs spring in rear and Billy Stein shocks all around.....
NOW to the single largest handling improvement on my '72 convertible....I bought the car with stock rims/tires...and rapidly put on '89 vette rims and 50 series tires....that was the single largest improvement on the car for handling...followed by the rack, then the cross support....the plastic rear spring helped my *** stand the roads....and the new shocks helped greatly with road undulations, especially over bridges.....
UMMM that tire dust is certainly a problem.......no question.....
I have a cross support and it's snug to the long side the way GOD intended.....I also have rack steering I put in there about 15 years ago....before any kits were out.....I also have a VBP glass 360 lbs spring in rear and Billy Stein shocks all around.....
NOW to the single largest handling improvement on my '72 convertible....I bought the car with stock rims/tires...and rapidly put on '89 vette rims and 50 series tires....that was the single largest improvement on the car for handling...followed by the rack, then the cross support....the plastic rear spring helped my *** stand the roads....and the new shocks helped greatly with road undulations, especially over bridges.....
I did mine on the floor with a jack, take the tension off the control arm bolts. One side at a time. No need to remove the bolts, just the nuts. Watch you don't lose the shims.
I did mine on the floor with a jack, take the tension off the control arm bolts. One side at a time. No need to remove the bolts, just the nuts. Watch you don't lose the shims.
