Hello everyone,

Hopefully this is a simple issue. For a long time I've had a problem with the car pulling to the right, it almost feels as if I'm swerving trying to keep the car in my lane since I have to hold the wheel to the left.

I'll back up a little bit, about a year ago I had a local shop install the Borgeson Gear Box upgrade for the power steering. Brand new rag joint, hoses, etc. The wheel was very crooked, so I finally had time recently to get my alignment done at Firestone. My regular C3 tech is on leave and no ETA on arrival back so the "master tech" did my alignment. Wheel was definitely straightened out, and specs looked really good. As I was driving out the pulling to the right still persisted, but the "master tech" claims there is no pulling on the vehicle. The steering seems ever so slightly looser than it should be so I'm sure I could tighten it on the gearbox a little bit. However, if the alignment is good; what could be causing the car to want to drift/pull to the right? It's very noticeable when I'm driving and when you take your hands off the wheel its almost instant drifting to the right.

When I first bought the '81 about 5 years ago I completely changed out my sway bar links, control arm bushings, tie rods, ball joints, and idler arm myself if this helps.

 

I assume this only showed up after the Borgeson installation?
Did they check the rear alignment?
Are you sure a rear shim hasn't fallen out?
Are your tires the same brand and size?

 

It was an issue before the Borgeson installation too unfortunately. They did perform the rear alignment upon my request. The tires are the same brand (BF Goodrich) and definitely the same size; I bought them as a brand new set at a local tire shop. I am not sure a rear shim hasn't fallen out as I've not checked for that, I would assume not if the issue has been persistent even with new shims.

 

Sounds like the rear isn't an issue if the problem existed before and after an alignment was done. Wouldn't hurt to just visually check that the spacing on each side of the trailing arm bushings is filled with shims.

With all of those new parts put in, the only thing I'd question is if you put in poly bushings. They don't have a long life...

Just grasping at straws here: have you checked the front bearings for excessive slop? Raise a tire off the ground; grasp the top and bottom of the tire at 12:00 and 6:00. Try to rock the tire by pushing and pulling away and toward yourself. A touch of movement isn't unusual but if you hear clunking it could be bearings without enough pre-load. Next hold the tire at 3:00 and 9:00 and rock it the same way. You shouldn't have any slack in this direction but if you do you have something in the suspension with too much movement.

 

do you have a print out of the final alignment specs.

 

 

I did a Borg box conversion on my 71 vert with a LS swap. I'm trying to think on the Borg conversion would it make your C3 drift to the right. Sounds like it was an issue prior to the install?
Back in day like in the early 80's I was a line Chev tech and somehow I got to be the alignment guy. Because of the crown in the road you to add more camber to one side or the other. I just don't remember which. Also dial in a bunch of pos caster due to the newer radial tires?
So reaching out to the C3 guys so what would be the best alignment specs?

 

I’ve had issues with front end loose and bump steer through the years. I have had the rubber bushings on the A-arms going bad and even disappearing. The car had been to different alignment shops. Last weekend o replaced the he a-arms with Van Steel tubular arms.

 

The last time I had an alignment done the kid kept adding toe- in to fix the car going left. It seems funny to me that after all the times the car had alignment it still had all the original rusty shims and no new shims. Basic knowledge of front end alignment is not hard to do your own. Check your bushings and see if they are ok first.

 

Did they take care to align based on the box center position?

When was the last time you replaced your brake hoses?

 

c3 corvette PS centering valve

 

Good point! I don't know how to adjust the Borgeson power steering box (or even if it has a similar failure mode), but since the OP said this, it's unclear which he has.

OP, can you confirm which flavor of Borgeson you have? The Borgeson manual steering box which replaces the stock steering box and works with the stock power steering (in which case @calwldlife 's suggestion is spot on). Or do you have the Borgeson power steering box, which eliminates the stock power steering control valve (among other things).

 

Thank you everybody for your input, when I replaced the bushings I did not do any poly; at the time I went with the Precision brand kit.
As for the alignment specs I do actually have the sheet and I will attach the image shortly.
The Borgeson Box that is installed is the power steering version; it eliminated all the older stuff.

 

This I cannot answer as I do not know, however I have never replaced the brake hoses as they look to be in good shape.

 

It has also come to my attention that I have the older spec sheet from my regular tech; it is listed as 1981 at the top and the rear specs and front specs have a totally different specified range.
On the older sheet it is listed as -0.5 to 0.5 degrees cross camber and caster and the new one says -1.5 to 1.5 degrees cross camber/caster.
The rear says -1.5 to 1.5 but the old also says -0.5 to 0.5 degrees.

 

You could jack up the front suspension to get the wheels off the ground and do a couple of checks.
Try to spin the tires to look for a dragging wheel caliper. That could cause a pull to one side. Also start the engine with the wheels in the air to see if the pull is in the power steering box or not. See if the wheels turn by themselves with the engine running.

After that, I would get some Tenhulzen toe plates and reset the FRONT toe angles manually to zero. We have a few threads on how to do it without spending a ton of cash on tools. If that gives you a car that does not pull anymore, you can drive it that way or add some toe-in.

 

one of the biggest sources of these cars feeling unstable is rear toe, which should be 1/8” toe in.

 

I would replace all the rubber brake hoses-they may look good externally but may have collapsed internally. After that I would be certain my brakes aren't dragging before I get involved with suspension and alignment.

 

Dragging to one side could easily be collapsing rubber brake hoses.
I would test that by buying a cheap IR temp gun, and checking your rotor temps after a ride.
They should be pretty similar side to side.
A hot one would indicate a dragging caliper and/or hose.

On your posted alignment sheet, I see several issues.
I am not an alignment tech, I was a physics teacher and near national level race car driver and suspension designer with 30 years of racing, testing, modifying, and driving.
Most of the "suggested alignment specs" for our old C3s are not correct.
Even the ones built-in to the alignment machines.
Even the old GM ones were based on bias ply tires and are totally not appropriate for radial tires.

I ABSOLUTELY DISAGREE with the "suggested spec" above that zero rear toe-in is acceptable.
IT IS NOT.
These cars need a MINIMUM of 1/8" rear toe-in to not feel squirmy. (0.3 degrees the way the machines measure them today).
Their "suggested range" does not even go high enough! LOL
This car's IRS has a lot of rear toe-in change, aka bump-steer, and the rear toe is necessary to compensate for that.

IIWY I would hand the alignment guy these alignment specs from Van Steel.
They have been building, racing, and making parts for C3s for like 50 years.
They know what they are doing.
If they will not align the car to your specs, find another shop.
I have experimented with my alignment and found those specs work very well, I agree with them 100%.
Either street or advanced street is suitable for a cruiser, most would not notice the difference.


The #1 spec to meet, and the one that is the most unusual, is the 1/8" rear toe-in.
The rest is more normal.

But as a 30 year race car driver, I absolutely can not stand any spec that varies from right to left. Caster or Camber. It just ain't that hard! Staggered Caster or Camber setting will make the car pull left or right.
And you have both, in the Fr & Rr.

That whole road crown myth is way overblown, and just makes cars drift right, or left, depending on the road. The real "road crown" actually changes from road to road, and even changes from right to middle to left lane. No stagger for me.

Rear toe-in on a C3 is a PITA.
Knock the bolts loose ahead of time, and bring a new pack of stainless steel shims, they will not have them.
There are many times those bolts need to be cut out.
Oh well, if you want it done right....
Our local preferred alignment shop refuses to work on rear toe-in on a rusty C3, unless those parts are all new.

 

Thanks @leigh1322 ! That's what I was getting at.

If you don't remember replacing the rubber hoses, they probably need to be replaced. They might only last 10 years, and fail on the inside from swelling, acting as a one-way valve, blocking reverse flow. A brake caliper can be applied, but not fully released, as the fluid can't flow back through the hose.

But an easy thing to check for with an IR temp gun!