Cagotzmann - Thank you very much for the detailed explanation. I understand and will be reviewing what you wrote, and proceeding with your suggestions. Can you tell me what lazer sighting tool you are using? Does the tool have a calibration to be sure the lazer sight is exactly parallel to the flat surface you mount it against.

As for tires, and wear comments, here is my story. I completely restored the car, body off, over 4.5 years, and put it back on the road three summers ago. Since then, I have driven it about 12,000 miles. During the rebuild I did the following:

- All new rubber Moog suspension and steering components, including control arm bushings
- Bilstein HD shocks all way around
- Front sway bar has polyurethane bushings
- Factory rear sway bar with rubber bushings
- VBP 300 lb Composite Spring
- Heim joint rear camber rods
- Speed Direct Spreader Bar - not installed during last alignment - still need to reinstall
- BF Goodrich Radial TA 255/60/R15 tires - all have very even wear, and plenty of tread
- Factory manual steering with Gary Ramadei rebuilt steering box - NO PLAY
- New NOS rag joint

Two months ago I had the car at Bairs Corvette and they did the following work:

- Complete driveline rebuild (first rebuild was all junk by local Pittsburgh con man) i.e. differential and trailing arms rebuilt, new brake rotors, new Spicer u-joints
- New rubber bushings on trailing arms
- New differential front rubber mount

I list all of this to suggest that I doubt I have any wear issues with any of these parts.

 

Here is the unit I am using https://www.ebay.com/p/Craftsman-4-i...251/1900534736
It doesn't have any calibration to be perfect parallel, but because you are measuring the same distance front vs rear is doesn't matter. All you need to do is set the laser pointer to start at the center of the wheel point forward use the same point to project backwards.( same distance to measure front vs rear) But I have added the laser error into my spreadsheet because I thought I should but noted it didn't matter eg.

lets say the laser is out by 2mm over a distance of 5760mm ~ 0.0199 angle error. when it should read 90mm you will read 89.5 mm so both the front and rear reading is out by 0.5 mm per side.
so the error measurements would read 1mm short or long depending on which why the level is out. so a total reading of 1973mm vs 1975 and 1978 vs 1980 over a distance of 2764
which calculates still a difference of 5mm over 2764mm the same as actual readings. If one distance was different then you will introduce a error because front measurement vs rear measurement distance is not the same.

So find something that has a magnetic base so you can easily attach to the mounting bracket that attaches / is parallel to the wheel rim edge.

 

I agree I would not expect wear to be a issue, but you will find out how much the suspension (current parts) varies when you measure on dry pavement vs skid plates this would be the "acceptable alignment variation". Then years down the road when you take the same measurements you will know when you might need to replace parts. It took only 4 years for my moog lower ***** joints to wear enough that toe measurements would vary from 1/16" toe out to 1/16" toe in. Street driving you may not notice a difference but at the track it made the car handle funny.

 

Cagotzmann

If you reduce camber, what is the effect on toe? Does it move to toe in or toe out?

 

To "reduce" camber, but retain the caster setting, you'll most likely add an equal amount of shims to both of the a-arm retaining studs. This has the net effect of pushing the spindle "outward", which, in turn, pivots the spindle such that it increases toe-out....

 

This suggestion us the opposite of what the OP wants to do and is completely backwards of how it will affect the vehicle.

 

uh... it pulls the spindle in because the top of the A-arm is moving towards the center of the car, camber moves towards the negative and frontward toe decreases

toe is probably the easiest to correct, just loosen the sleeves on the tie-rods and turn them until it is where you want it, I set my tires from zero to 1/16th, I aim for zero though

 

OK, you guys got me...I was thinking of a different car, a car where the a-arm is retained on the outside of the frame stands, not on the inside. I stand corrected.....

 

This is the best thread I've found so far that has good target numbers for a manual-steering car and instructions for a DIY alignment. Thanks to the OP and contributors!

 

We're not useless arsholes all the time 😋